White oak finishing

[Jim Dunn]

Making a dutch door and the picture is of the top half. The door will go on a garden shed I'm still building. The door will have southern exposure to sun, probably 10plus hours a day in the summer. Any suggestions for a finish?

The panels are what concerns me the most as rain could enter the slot the panels are setting in. Used a conventional stile and rail bit set to make the doors. I am going to use space balls to keep the panels centered, no glue. The rails will be reinforced on the inside with a 1/4" all thread running across the stile,rail and then the other stile, top and bottom.

The door is only 13/16" thick as I wanted it to be as light as possible.

[Steve Schoene]

Leaving them unfinished will work OK, they will weather to a nice grey. Best finish is light colored opaque stain or paint.

Clear finishes mean lots and lots of regular work. The only clear finishes that would even have a chance are marine grade spar varnishes. This means Epifanes High Gloss Clear Varnish, Interlux Schooner, or Pettit Captain's. No other single part varnishes, regardless of the nautical sounding name will last nearly as long. Be sure to begin with the 6 full coats called for in the instructions. But, even with the best varnish, you will need to sand lightly each year and apply an additional refresher coat, and every 6 years or so strip it off and start all over.

You want to lose the treaded rod. It willl merely work against the natural wood movement, leading to crushed wood under the washers after the first wet spring, and a loose rod the next dry fall. Well fitted M & T joints with a water proof glue will be plenty strong. If the joints are at all "loose" then make the glue epoxy, with a little filler mixed in to give it a little body so it works well as a gap filler.