Woodworker's Journal 2011-35-Winter, страница 12

to replace a pair, made from white pine, that deteriorated from the elements. The original chairs were carefully painted and repainted with exterior paints, but I the wood still rotted after a few years. I had planned to make this pair from oak, but because of the price and poor availability of oak, I decided to use pine again. What type of paint or sealer can I use to protect the chairs from the elements?

— John P. Cirelli

It is a peculiar sort of optimism that allows us to repeat the same actions that previously resulted in failure, yet expect a different outcome. If there was one thing to be learned from chairs that rotted in spite of the best protective finish possible, it is this: Finishes do not change the nature of the wood they cover. If you want rot-resistant furniture, you must start with rot-resistant wood. I'd use Western red cedar. To give these benighted stalwarts the best shot at longevity, start by potting the feet. Prior to finishing, seal the ends of the feet, where end grain meets the ground, with epoxy. The epoxy will prevent water from wicking up under the finish. Use a good exterior primer on the freshly sanded wood, and follow that with exterior acrylic trim paint as opposed to exterior latex house paint. In this case, good priming is as important as the paint. After finishing, use glides or caps to further prevent the feet from standing in water.

— Michael Dresdner

SealCoat™, or use a thinned coat of your intended topcoat. Apply the filler, remove it, and when it's dry, sand lightly to remove any filler residue on the surface. Let water-based filler dry overnight, and allow three days for oil-based filler.

Applying Sealer and Topcoat

Sealer or first coat: Usually, the first coat of finish will act as the sealer, but in some cases, special sealers are helpful. Zinsser SealCoat is a good choice for the following situations: refinished (as opposed to new wood) surfaces, woods that contain anti-oxidants (all dalbergias and some cedars), extremely porous woods, knotty or resinous woods, surfaces emitting odors, dyed woods and any surfaces that may have been contaminated with wax, dirt or grease. If a special sealer is not needed, simply apply the first coat of finish at this point. Touchup: Here's where you touch up any missed glue spots, putty spots that came out too light or color irregularities. Putting touchup under glaze or toner coats helps hide it better. Applying it after the first coat prevents it from seeping into the wood and spreading, and it allows subsequent coats to seal in the touchup. Glaze or tone: You can add color between layers of finish with glaze, a thick pigment stain, or with toner, a clear finish laced with dye. Topcoats: Apply as many coats of your favored finish as is needed for durability and appearance. Sand lightly between coats to remove nibs, brush marks or spray pattern marks. Sand to improve adhesion only if you have waited more than a week between coats of varnish, polyurethane or water-based coatings. Adhesion sanding is never required for shellac or lacquer. With catalyzed finishes, follow the specific manufacturer recommendations. Rub out: It is almost impossible to get a final surface smooth enough, so I always plan to rub out the finish. Sand lightly with very fine paper to level nibs. Rub with 0000 steel wool and paste wax for satin finishes, or use finer grit sandpaper, followed by rubbing and polishing compounds, for gloss.

12 Finishing Flow Chart