Finish outdoor pine bench

[jmac80]

Hello all
Made a simple pine 2 seat bench from a slab of untreated pine i milled from a tree.
The legs are pressure treated.
What would be the stuff to use to treat it so it lasts a few years outdoors?
i know untreated pine won't last that long outdoors but a few years will be fine.
My father in law gave me some clear satin outdoor uv osmo but on the tin it say's do not put on flat surfaces?!?
It also states not to put on a finished surface of higher than 120 grit... I already done this bench to 180.
Thanks

The pic somehow makes the bottom brace look squint, It's not though

 

[ear3]

Yeah -- I think the 120 rec. is for flooring, but I've had no problems finishing cabinets with Osmo at 180.

 

[WastedP]

I'm definitely not a finishing expert, but on the outdoor furniture I've made from pine and fir, I've used spar varnish.  I have two log benches I built that make it three or four years between refinishing with spar varnish.  They spend four seasons outdoors in mountain weather conditions.

 

[Cheese]

[member=41832]WastedP[/member]
Curious...And where are those mountains?

 

[clark_fork]

EPIFANES HIGH GLOSS MARINE VARNISH

Likely available to you..

 

[leakyroof]

Plus one for Epifanes. I use it often for Outdoor Projects / pieces.

 

[WastedP]

[member=41832]WastedP[/member]
Curious...And where are those mountains?

An hour and a half drive north of Mr. [member=49013]clark_fork[/member] .

 

[Cheese]

clark_fork[/member] .

So, then there is snow on your 2 benches for 6 months or so?

Is Epifanes a spar varnish?

I'm curious because I have a teak table & chairs outside that's covered when not in use and I still have to refinish it every year using Festool SurFix outdoor oil.

 

[WastedP]

We certainly get our share of freeze/thaw cycles with big swings of temperature and humidity through the seasons.  Sometimes through one day. 

My understanding is that spar varnish is flexible enough to handle lots of wood movement and stay intact.  The Epifanes site looks like they are calling that product spar varnish.  I don't have any experience with Epifanes.  I have just grabbed whatever was at the hardware store or S-W that said spar varnish, so it was probably a Minwax product.

For "outdoor" woods (cedar, white oak, and ipe) I have used Penofin penetrating oil finish.  Our cedar adirondacks haven't been recoated in six or eight years.  They are silvered, but not rotting.

 

[Cheese]

For "outdoor" woods (cedar, white oak, and ipe) I have used Penofin penetrating oil finish.  Our cedar adirondacks haven't been recoated in six or eight years.  They are silvered, but not rotting.

I'm also trying to maintain the natural brown/tan color of the teak.

 

[Doug S]

I used Osmo on some external oak doors I made and it was rubbish, lasted no time at all, had to strip it off and used sadolin clear coat which is a varnish type finish that seems ok. The osmo might be ok if you give it lots of coats and keep on top of it, it's only a little bench.

Doug

 

[WastedP]

One thing I forgot to note about using spar varnish is that you will end up with a gloss sheen.  I've tried alleged satin sheen and it still turned out glossy. 

 

[leakyroof]

clark_fork[/member] .

So, then there is snow on your 2 benches for 6 months or so?

Is Epifanes a spar varnish?

I'm curious because I have a teak table & chairs outside that's covered when not in use and I still have to refinish it every year using Festool SurFix outdoor oil.

  I have some things that I only bring out from Spring to late Fall that are finished with Epifanes, but I have two plant stands that live outside all year round, and are finished with 5 or 6 coats of Epifanes Varnish.  They get rain, snow, and Sun.
My Varnish finishing schedule usually goes like this. 3 coats of Rapid Coat, then 3 coats of High Gloss.  Every two years or so, lightly sand the piece with 400 or 600 grit abrasive, usually Mirka for me, then add a new coat of High Gloss.
Very easy for me since neither of the plant stands are that large in size.
The other items I've actually yet to recoat since they are stored away for a chunk of the year.