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Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 06 Jun 2022, 11:41
by Mike G
I have sliced up some sapele left-overs to make new slats for a cast iron bench for the garden, and wonder what you guys suggest as the most durable clear finish I can apply.

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 06 Jun 2022, 12:11
by droogs
Decking oil perhaps

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 06 Jun 2022, 12:18
by Robert
I used old internal windowsill board from our old conservatory to make new slats for our cast iron bench - so probably sapele.

Only a year and a bit since I did it but the Polyvine extreme varnish is still looking as fresh as when it went on and the bench was not covered for winter. So that would be my suggestion - https://amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07RV62YR9 . May be cheaper elsewhere of course.

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 06 Jun 2022, 15:03
by AJB Temple
I used tung oil on mine. But only because I had some. Still needs to be redone every 2 years if you want to maintain a pristine look. Mine is under a pine tree so is prone to both birdy droppings and resin.

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 06 Jun 2022, 15:26
by Lurker
I have not used on sapele, but this gave a good finish to my softwood double gate.

https://www.toolstation.com/barrettine- ... -5l/p68513

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 06 Jun 2022, 17:09
by Mike G
Well, I've done what architects do.......rung around various suppliers and talked to their technical departments, and I have settled on Sikkens Cetol HLS and Filter 7, the two part stuff which seems to have won the longevity test that someone here did comparing various finishes. It costs a fortune, and can only be bought in 1 litre tins upwards, but I have some oak windows and doors to make and finish in the next few months, and it is the best stuff for that. Sikkens technical people immediately said it would be their first choice for a garden bench, whereas Brewers said they were reluctant to recommend it for outdoor horizontal surfaces which might be subject to abrasion. We'll see, I guess.

As an aside, it is only available in various tints, not clear. This is because the tints are what contain the anti-UV magic.

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 06 Jun 2022, 18:30
by RogerS
Mike G wrote:.....whereas Brewers said they were reluctant to recommend it for outdoor horizontal surfaces which might be subject to abrasion. ......


The mind boggles as to where they think the abrasion will come from? :shock:

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 06 Jun 2022, 18:58
by Mike G
Yes, I said that it was more likely to be polished than abraded.

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 06 Jun 2022, 20:45
by AJB Temple
Mike, please can you report back on that when you apply it as to how much it darkens the wood and what it's like to apply. Thanks, A

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 06 Jun 2022, 21:37
by Lurker
I did what a chemist would do …… and compared MSDS they legally can’t tell porkies, unlike the technical folks who are most likely salesmen in disguise. :D

I strongly believe that with well known names, the product costs are predominantly the advertising budget.

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 17 Jun 2022, 14:58
by Pete Maddex
Quality is inversely proportional to the advertising budget.

Pete

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 17 Jun 2022, 15:27
by Mike G
AJB Temple wrote:Mike, please can you report back on that when you apply it as to how much it darkens the wood and what it's like to apply. Thanks, A


Sure. It's funny stuff. The primer coat (HLS) is a light tan colour in the tin. Not what I was expecting at all. However, it goes on pretty clear, and dries to a matt. It darkened the timber to about the same extent that wiping it down with white spirit did (and incidentally, I did that first, assiduously). It brushes out nicely, and is much the same as a varnish in terms of texture and application.

The second and third coats are with the Filter 7 Plus (006 colour....light oak, in my instance). This is a dark chocolate brown in the tin. Again, not at all what I was expecting. It darkened the HLS coat a little, but not excessively, and brown rather than orange. It actually looks great on sapele. It's the pigments which make this product UV resistant. It's micro-porous and flexible, too, so in theory it should be a decent outdoor finish. I wish I'd tried it on some scrap oak, because that's going to be its primary function here.....the joinery of my new sunroom. I'm certain, though, that it will produce a darker finish than the indoor finishes we are used to, such as Osmo PolyX, my oil/ varnish/ white spirit mix, or just wax.

As an aside, it was quite difficult to get the data sheets, and there is no re-coating time in English on the tins. I had to ring the company to get the times from them: 18-24 hours for the first coat, 16 hours for the subsequent coats. There is no rubbing down between coats.

I took particular care to relieve all the edges (the long edges have a big round-over on them), and we're going to make a cover for the winter. I hope I've given the stuff every chance to succeed.

Re: Finish for an outdoor bench (Sapele).

PostPosted: 17 Jun 2022, 15:58
by AJB Temple
Thanks. Sounds like it would darken quite a bit in my application, which would get me in trouble as Mrs AJB T did not like the original varnished look.

Drying times on tins are a work of fiction very often. I've been using a black paint designed to do the window frames around the house. Ten year guarantee and it has some sort of tar type material in it. 16 hours between coats per manu spec. Still feels ever so slightly tacky after 48 hours and boy does dust stick to it during drying.