Ronn W Posted September 14, 2018 Report Share Posted September 14, 2018 I am replacing some wood slats on an outdoor chair. The owner has decided to leave the wood bare since that is the most maitenance free alternative. But here is my question.... What it I were to do just one coat of shellac just to pop the grain then apply no further finish. I am assuming that it will look a little more attractive to start with but would still weather to gray. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted September 14, 2018 Report Share Posted September 14, 2018 1 hour ago, Ronn W said: I am replacing some wood slats on an outdoor chair. The owner has decided to leave the wood bare since that is the most maitenance free alternative. But here is my question.... What it I were to do just one coat of shellac just to pop the grain then apply no further finish. I am assuming that it will look a little more attractive to start with but would still weather to gray. Any thoughts? yep I would agree on both counts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted September 15, 2018 Report Share Posted September 15, 2018 Or an oil finish like tung, Danish, BLO, etc?. I'd be concerned that the shellac might crack, blister or peel, like film finishes want to do outdoors? I have no experience with shellac on outdoor furniture though. I hate to even suggest it cause I hate it so much, but Thompson's Water Seal might just work for this. In the (distant) past I've used it & on cedar it looks great when freshly applied. Within a few weeks it gradually starts to fade away & is pretty much gone in a few months, leaving the wood to age naturally. You want to apply it sparingly & wipe off any excess, otherwise it dries to a sticky, waxy surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted September 16, 2018 Report Share Posted September 16, 2018 I know it'll probably disappear quickly but what about paste wax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted September 16, 2018 Report Share Posted September 16, 2018 You would be wasting your time there Ronn as shellac is really meant for internal use. I use a Canadian finish for outdoor projects called "Sansin exterior weather seal". It is water bourne and needs recoating every 5 years on vertical faces and every year or two on horizontal faces. It really is the best stuff I have found for any exterior project. The Canucks know a thing or two about extremes of weather and the development of this product seems to have come from years of research at all extremes. If you want the cedar to gray down then leave it completely free from finish. Uncoated cedar (talking Western Red here) looks great when it has just been rained upon as it goes a deep brown that is very pleasant. Then when the water evaporates it goes back to gray. It has natural chemicals in it that prevent rot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted September 17, 2018 Report Share Posted September 17, 2018 Terry, does your Sansin require sanding down to bare wood prior to re-finishing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted September 17, 2018 Report Share Posted September 17, 2018 3 hours ago, K Cooper said: Terry, does your Sansin require sanding down to bare wood prior to re-finishing? No Ken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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