Need advice from stat to finish for redgum outdoor bar

[crash76]

Hi, I have just got hold of two redgum half slabs, about 55mm thick. They will be used as an outdoor bar, so will be exposed to Victorias weather. I know NOTHING about how to do start and finish this beautiful wood, and would like some advice please. I would like to keep the colour as it is, not make it darker, but just bring out the natural colour, AND i would like to keep the colour and not have it go grey in 8 months. I would also like a nice hard gloss surface, almost like there is a thin layer of glass on the top of it. It has a natural edge on one side which i am wondering if i need to coat this as well.

I have no idea about this, do i need epoxy, polyurethane, one of those self levelling things, varnish, oil, when do i sand etc etc.

I have seen people say to use a marine spar varnish, but do i do something else before i use this such as oil it/sand it to a certain grain? I am happy to redo it every two years or so as well if need be to keep the colour, high gloss top.

i know this is a lot, so please forgive me.

[crash76]

O.k., well I have spent quite a few hours doing more research. I have come up with this.

A) Sand the timber slabs using a 120grit paper, then go up to about 200 - 220 grit paper.
B) Use a product from international called Epiglass Everdure to seal the wood.
C) Then use another internation product or similar such as a marine spar varnish.

Does this sound like a normal process? I have read that i need to "wet" the wood when i sand it down, does this just mean getting the hose out and hosing it off?

Do i sand the Everdure, or just the marine varnish?

And is there a way that i can seal the bark side of the slab to keep that nice and maybe strengthen it a little?

Thanks again

[soundman]

The first and most important thing you need to understand is that there is no such thing as a clear timber finish that is long term durable in the outdoors particularly exposed to UV from the sun.

So before you start resign yourself to refinishing every 2 to 5 years minimum regardless of the product you use.

Now the pervious post you have detailed one type of marine finish.

Most serious wooden boat types fall into either the everdure camp or the marine epoxy ( West system, system 3 boat coat) camp.

Personally I am in the epoxy camp.

regardless both everdure and marine epoxy aim to impregnate and seal the timber, and thus stabalise it so it wont simply split the varnish as the wood expands and contracts.

Unfortunately the epoxies can not be made sufficiently UV stable, so a marine varnish with UV inhibiters is coated over the epoxy.

yes you sand the epoxy just like you would and other paint during preparation.

3 coats of epoxy or sealer are required to get a good seal...sanding between to level out the surface and with some epoxies to dewax them.

then you lay up multiple coats of varnish, better with a spray.

NOW most important......Whatever you do to the top, you must do to the other side or it is a guaranttee the the whole thing will warp.

Alternativly....you could make less effort and go with a standard decking oil, and redo one every year or so.

There is no question that what ever you leave in the weather will change colour for various reasons.

cheers

[crash76]

fantastic, thanks for the advice. Im happy to redo every two years or so, which means i will be heading down one of the marine varnish areas. Have only looked at the everdure one, so will look at a few more as well, see how i go.

Thanks for the advice, its greatly apreciated.