Finishing Outdoor Benches

[driggins]

Greetings,

I am developing outdoor benches and would appreciate feedback on the best solution for finishing them. I am working with roughsawn, 4-inch slabs of hardwood, primarily oak and hickory. The benches will be permanently installed outdoors, in the sun/shade/wind/rain/cold/heat. Thus, a durable, long-lasting finish is desired!

I have left the bark on the edges of the slabs and would like to finish the slabs in such a way that the bark remains as part of the bench.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Daryl

[Den Socling]

I have a bench made from a slab off an oak log that has been around for 28 years!  : Is that possible? jeez Anyway, the guy that made it for me said that he coated it with linseed oil. Over the years, I occasionally give it a soaking covering of teak oil or what ever oil-based protectorant that I have. Nothing that makes a 'skin coat' is going to last, IMO.

[Frank_Pender]

Amen, Den. ;D

[SPIKER]

this is one of those questions I was wanting to ask a while back and forgot about it.  I want to take a few of the larger branches/toped out and make a few selected benches back in the woods just using the chain saw & a few ole galv deck screws.   protection I was thinking of using tompsones water sealer or something similar?

just glad someone asked about it to remind me.
marK

[Ironwood]

Nature always wins, let the lignin grey!! Reid

[Den Socling]

The bench I mentioned has no hardware. The guy bored four holes at a slight angle outward to make the bench stable. Then he took a white oak sapling and whittled four pieces to fit and hammered them into the holes. No nails at all.

[Dale Hatfield]

Sikkens makes a great  product. But it dont come cheap.


Dale