# Outdoor finish help with pics



## Gtownjake (Mar 7, 2017)

Backstory...
I cut down an ant infested tree and let sit for three years before I ran it through my dad's band saw cutting it into live edge 'planks' (is that what you call them at this point?).
Then the planks sat for various reasons, in my garage for another three years before I put them together for a side table to go on my deck in the backyard.
The wood, as I have been told is white oak ( I live in central Texas ). 
I do not have a bench planer or jointer so I rigged up and guide to cut the planks. I left a lot of the live edge on both sides of the planks. 
I wanted the table to look rough, not smooth and polished...
Here's a few shots of the shaping process....
As you can see, I used a power planer and a rasp to flatten as much I could/wanted and shape/round the edges....






































After biscuit joining the planks and end caps (bread boards? is that what they are called?)
I used Hellman's indoor/outdoor spar urethane. I was told by several people that this was the stuff to use.










This table will sit outside, uncovered and in at least 10 hours of direct Texas sunlight....year round.

I put 5 coats of this stuff on the table...waiting at least three days between coats. I used 000 steel wool between each coat.




























In less than a year, this was the result.....



















I simply want to know if I did something wrong? or is the spar urethane crap? what??

Thanks for your advice, suggestions, critiques, instructions but most of all, your time.

Thank you.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Spar varnish was the correct finish however the Helmsman is one of the poorest quality spars. The best is Epifanes. A mid range would be Cabot spar varnish. 

The biggest thing you did wrong is using a breadboard end on table especially gluing it on with biscuits. The body of the table will expand and contract and the breadboard ends won't expand and contract lengthwise so it tears at the wood. Because exterior wood moves so much it's just a bad idea to use a breadboard end on an exterior project.


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## 35015 (Nov 24, 2012)

Hello Gtownjake,

(apologies to any that don't agree with my view...I'm scary "Old School" in my ways...ha, ha)



> I simply want to know if I did something wrong? or is the spar urethane crap? what??


Yep...it's CRAP...Real Crap for outside work like this...and not something I would ever recommend for outdoor applications...I am also worried that (in the long run) the Biscuit Joinery may not be enough to hold this all together...even if something like Titebond III was use...though an excellent glue for such applications.

I agree (and disagree...ha, ha) with Steve's view about Bread Boarding the end of a wide table in the exterior. Biscuits glued in was a very bad idea...it arrests the wood (or tries to) and fails...Wood moves. So in that sense, Breadboarding was a very bad idea.

In the traditional sense (and method of making such a table...even if left outside) is that one must take all manner of thing into consideration about the project:

The planks should all be "bark side up."

The joinery should probably have all been "fitted and/or drawborn" only and not glued...accept (maybe) for the planks one to the other. The Breadboarding is a free floating system to arrest and/or inhibit warping of the table top. 

As to finish, I would recommend only traditional finishes like Pine Rosin, Beeswax, Tung Oil, and Flax Oil. A piece like this will need annual maintenance and/or left to just "grey out." If a modern finish is insisted upon (not that I will use it...but some clients want less something modern...???...not sure why?) I here of only good results (for the most part) from WoodRX. I won't use it because it is a silicone based product. I find that wood last much longer with only traditional finishes...and I mean like 300 to 1000 years long...even when outside!

Good luck,

j


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