Quote:
Originally Posted by coloradosean2009
I would use a natural oil with a little bit of pigment. Watco is a good choice. I prefer the golden oak color myself. After about 3 coats of that on all sides, the wood will be protected. Anything that builds a film, like poly or varnish will eventually fail. In Colorado the sun will make that happen in one season. When that happens, the wood will need to be sanded to remove the failing film coat. That will suck. 
By not using a film finish, you will be able to "revitalize" the wood without sanding through a failing film. Seasonally you can reapply Watco to the boards. This will bring back the color that you had in the wood and protect it from the elements.
Unless your rig is going to sit in a garage most of its life, a simple oil finish is the only way to go. |
I agree - since we didn't want to deal with a peeling finsh either, we used Penofin Marine oil finish. Not as pretty as varnish, but when it needs redone, we can powerwash it, maybe use a cleaner to brighten the wood, and mask off and reapply.