Outdoor table finishing

[Jekkil]

Hi all,
I am sure that this topic has been answered thousands of times in the past, but I couldn't find a full answer to my questions and since I have several doubt I am opening a new thread.

I am making an outdoor table made out of pallet wood (not sure what kind of wood it is, definitely a soft wood but not pine) and I am now in the process to apply a finishing.

Here are my questions:
1) pre-finish - The wood is in quite good in conditions but there are very small dents and scratches. I would like to avoid as much as possible moisture to penetrate the wood. Would you apply some sort of wood hardener (like this) to prepare the wood?
2) stain - The wood is quite clear and I would like to have a darker color. Is it a good idea to apply a stain?
3) finish - This is the one million dollar question: I would like a durable finish that does not require to be re-applied every 6 months (every other year would be the best), which preserves as much as possible the aspect of the wood (i.e. does not cover the grain to much) and that does not require an endless process to be applied (3-4 coats are ok, 8-9 coats are a bit too much). I was thinking to some kind of varnish, but I have no idea how to choose it.

Some important pieces of information:
1) This is my first time I am finishing outdoor furniture. If I said any nonsense, please correct me without problems
2) My source of products is mostly Bunnings - If you could suggest products that I can easily find there, that would be great.

Thank you all for all the suggestions that I am sure I will receive!

Jekkil

[Midnight Man]

I am far from an expert on this.

I will say I spoke to Norglass (Norglass Paints and Specialty Finishes) on this topic recently.

I had been ready to use their Liquid Glass products to seal up the timber so it'd never fade etc.

They advised against pretty much any sort of treatment for outdoor furniture other than a spirit based stain (if desired) - one suggestion being Feast Watson Prooftint. Note, it must be a spirit based stain.

Follow that up with their outdoor oil: Norglass Paints and Specialty Finishes: Weatherfast Premium Timber Oil

The reality is, though, that your timber will need treatment more often than "every other year", the advantage being that this oil is quick and easy to reapply with a rag/brush etc.

This will, by far, not be the only answer, there are likely to be better ones out there posted by people more knowledgeable than I.

[Jekkil]

Thanks for your answer Midnight Man!

I made some other researches on the internet and I came across this link: https://www.popularwoodworking.com/p...door-finishes/

The method you described seems to be the first one in the article. But the article also talks about the method I was thinking to: some sort of sealer and a varnish.

Some other researches brought me to this product: https://www.whitworths.com.au/intern...mer-and-sealer

I'll go and visit their shop to have a chat with them.

I've spent a lot of my time working on this table and I would like to have the best finish I can get

I'll let you know, if you are interested....but I would be also interested in seeing other opinions of people in this forum.

Cheers

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I'd advise against a wood hardener, especially if you want to apply a stain as it'll likely make the stain 'blotchy.'

Besides, it does nothing for dings and minor blemishes, it's aimed at strengthening up timbers that have been neglected and are beginning to go spongey.

Personally, I like to finish outdoor furniture in decking oil. Simple to apply, penetrates into the timber for a longer life and is generally available in range of tints. Best of all, refinishing is usually as simple as "wash down with napisan & apply a new coat."

You can apply a stain and then apply a clear-coat, of course, but I find that although it looks great for the first few months, it'll never quite look the same after it's weathered a bit. Not unless you sand off the old clear coat and refinish every year. IMO that sort of finish is best reserved for interior use.

It also heavily depends on whether you're talking about 'outdoor' as in "it'll stand in an unprotected paddock" or "'it'll be on a covered deck with privacy screens." Both are technically outdoors but the first will need heavy maintenance while the second you could probably get away with only every year or three. Then there's all the variations in-between...

[orraloon]

This question keeps coming up as everyone is looking for the magic finish that will keep outdoor wood looking good for ever. The sad news is that there is no magic finish for outside wood. Whatever you use will need to be redone down the track. If you use a varnish type hard finish there is a lot of work sanding back when it needs to be redone. An oil finish will need doing more often but is fairly quick and easy to do.
Regards
John

[Jekkil]

Thanks for your answers guys.

You are convincing me to use only an oil...do you have any suggestion for a brand I may use?
As said, bunnings is the place where I usually buy these things.
And if possible, an oil with a stain would be preferable.

Thanks
Jekkil

[pach]

I have recently used Osmo oil UV rated exterior oil - Natural Timber Oils Victoria on a new table I just built out of rosewood.

I got the clear version. The photo attached is only with 1 coat. No idea how good it is but that is the choice I made and looks nice on the table (IMO).

IMG_2185.jpg

[Jekkil]

I have also another question.

I understand that if I apply only oil now it will be easy, in the future, to re-apply it or to apply a varnish.
But if I apply a varnish, it will be more difficult in the future to re-apply it.

Correct?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

That about sums it up.

A varnish tends to sit on the surface as a layer, and when it deteriorates it bubbles and de-laminates. This means you need to sand it back so you have a stable surface on which to apply any new coats.

An oil penetrates into the timber - not far, but enough - so de-lamination is rarely an issue. If it does become an issue, there's usually something else at the root of it. Perhaps the surface wasn't properly cleaned before oiling, for example. Or, if applied to an oily wood such as teak or merbau, it wasn't wiped down with a suitable solvent to temporarily remove the natural oils before applying the first oil coat.

[Jekkil]

Thanks Skew ChiDAMN!!
Do you have a preferred brand of decking oil?
Possibly one with a tint in it?

[orraloon]

Feast Watson, Cabots or any other good name brand garden furniture oil. Bunnings has most of them. Be sure to read the label as I would avoid the water based oils. Dont know how they can be called that but thats marketing.
Regards
John

[AngelaPetruzzi]

The choice of product comes down to ease of maintenance most of the time. As said above, varnishes break down requiring resanding. Oiling (penetrating ones) nourish the timber and allow for ease of rejuvenation. By using natural oils one can just dust the surface and apply one thin coat as maintenance. Choose a product with a stain/ pigment as this is the "sunscreen" in the product. There is no truly "natural" oil for exterior use that would withstand the UV rays.

[Bob38S]

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Perhaps coming in a little late, but, to add to the above info for what it is worth.

We had an old, 2001, aluminium leg and frame table with a slat top. The timber was some Asian variety whic was darkish but not determined. The chairs were recycled years ago but the table was fine and suited our purposes. 5 years ago we felt that the top had deteriorated enough to be redone or replaced. As the timber was solid but not looking really flash I decided to run an experiment.

The timber was thoroughly cleaned, I used Napisan in warm water rather than a commercial cleaner, the result was great. Ensured that the “cleaner” was thoroughly removed from the timber and everything was allowed to dry for a few days. Now the experimental bit, I have a mate who lives on a yacht, he put me onto Flood company Marine Penetrol.

First coat was liberally brushed on and after a few minutes ragged off, only did 6 or 8 boards and waited rather than the whole top, this was to avoid the Penetrol from becoming tacky. After finishing the top I gave it a couple of days before getting back to it. Second coat was liberally ragged on and only the excess wiped off. Have only seen Marine Penetrol at places which stock boat “stuff”, about $30 for a 1L can.

it is our bbq table and lives in an open pavilion, indirect sunlight and when not in use is covered with a clearish plastic cloth (jelly beans). When we bbq the table is bare and has seen different sauces, condensation from cans/bottles etc, when finished it just gets a wipe over with a mild detergent cloth, let dry and recovered.

The refinishing is now starting year 6 and looks as good as the day it was done.