need advice on finishing an outdoor douglas fir table

[emily]

we have a large outdoor table + benches made from thick rough slabs of unfinished douglas fir set on iron frames.

the table has a rustic industrial appearance which I'd like to preserve but its getting very dry and cracked and sometimes leaves splinters when you sit on it. we live in southern california so it takes a daily beating from the sun and dry climate. i've begun sanding it with medium weight sandpaper just to remove splinters and smooth out the rough or jagged spots.

now i need advice on how to finish it. based on research I've done Sikkens transparent premium sealant seems like a very good option. i would like to preserve the natural color and prefer a more matte finish. i am concerned with how dry and cracked the wood appears tho. should i treat it with a wood conditioner before hand to help with dryness or will the Sikkens oil finish be enough? once finished will the wood continue to crack? i don't mind the appearance of the cracks but i do hope to prevent it from getting worse. there are some cracks that run almost the length of the table top.

i've never finished a piece of wood furniture before so any tips or product suggestions are very welcome. thank you!

http://www.foreverredwood.com/redwood-furniture/care-finish

[HoboMonk]

I'm a pro. I've used Sikkens products with good results.

A simpler and cheaper alternative that works great for the kind of project you describe is Spar Varnish.

I'm talking about real Spar Varnish and not the so-called "spar urethane" that pops up at mass marketing stores.

A good brand of real Spar Varnish that is less expensive than the imports is Ace Hardware Spar Varnish.

This is a real tung oil/phenolic resin Spar Varnish. Follow the directions carefully and allow at least 2 days to dry between coats.

Be sure that you are applying it according to the temperature and humidity requirements stated on the label.

I use Ace Spar Varnish on outdoor furniture, such as picnic tables and garden benches.

Blessings.

[Bobby Slack]

I support the idea of using Sikkens. They have a formula of Cetol 1 & Cetol 23. This is a three coat system. Some of my friends used Spar Varnish and the stain cracked. Sikkens works great.

Here is the problem. Living in Southern California ... Probably you can only get the Cetol 1 which is a fantastic primer, it gets deep in the wood.

The Cetol 23 is not allowed to sell here, unless you have friends in high altitude places like in Bishop or Mammoth.

Last suggestion. Use the Cetol 23 as a primer and then use the Sikkens SRD as your top coat.

Good luck, use the best stain because is going to make your re-finishing a lot easier.

[Beechwood Chip]

Have you watched Marc's outdoor desert finish video?

[CaptRandy]

Look at Ready Seal. Oil based.

[Mark Reuten]

Sikkens Cetol is your best choice. It is easy to apply and requires very few coats to achieve a high level of protection. Just follow the manufacturers directions and apply maintenance coats before the finish breaks down. There isn't any sort of conditioner that will help matters but you can apply a thinned coat of linseed, tung oil or similar product to penetrate into the cracks. Wipe off the surface about half an hour after applying the oil and allow a couple of days of drying time before applying the Cetol.