Penofin Hardwood Formula

[Dylan Wyatt]

Has anyone used this finish? Success? I am building a ~13' long very robust picnic table from White Ash, I warned the client that Ash has very little in the way of rot resistance, but he had the wood and the picnic table will sit inside when not in use (they have a big front end loader that will move it). I still want to get a good finish on the table. I am not going to put any kind of film finish as I know it will not get the attention it needs as far as refinishing. If this Penofin is not the right finish, I am still very open to options for finishing, keeping budget in mind of course.

[John TenEyck]

I used Penofin Hardwood Oil on my Ipe' deck and it was a huge disappointment; didn't last 6 months before turning into a muddy, moldy mess. So if that's the same stuff you are considering I recommend you reconsider. Any finish requires maintenance so I think you should reconsider the film finish as it will provide more protection than any penetrating finish and ash needs as much protection as possible to survive outside.

John

[matt romanowski]

I want to try Real Milk Paint Company Outdoor Defense Oil on cedar for a project. It's supposed to be great for this kind of stuff being tung oil based.

[Dylan Wyatt]

Alright John, that is the information I was looking for. What might you suggest as possible finishes for a film finish? Obviously I do not want to break the bank, but I want to be confident that I am giving the client a finish that is up to par with the quality of the table. Thanks Again!

[John TenEyck]

Paint provides the greatest protection. But if you want a clearcoat then you should consider an epoxy sealer followed by something like Epifanes Marine Varnish. It will be a time consuming job, and not cheap, either, but will last many years if the yearly maintenance schedule is followed. If you aren't up for all that work or expense, then you might consider SW's A-100 Deep Base #4 (or maybe it's #3). It's their exterior latex paint base. It goes on milky but dries clear, and has a good mildewcide and UV package in it. They will look at you like you have two heads when you tell them you just want to buy the base with no pigment added, but that's what you want. You can apply it over the epoxy sealer, too, for improved performance. This epoxy sealer works well: http://www.smithandcompany.org/

John

[Mike Monroe]

I just used Wolman Woodlife Copper Coat green wood preservative on white oak slats for a garden bench I'm restoring. It's made by Rustoleum. The stuff turned the white oak black, like a dark walnut stain would. Actually it doesn't look bad, I can still see the wood grain. I topped the slats with some Flood CWF-UV wood finish in cedar, a transparent wood stain after letting the Copper Coat dry for a few days. The the CWF-UV cedar transparent stain did not change the dark walnut color but it did give the wood a sealed/top coated look and feel. I used a foam brush to apply two coats of the Copper Coat, it's like water that soaks into the wood. Two coats of the CWF-UV was applied with a cheap bristle ship brush.

One thing about the Woodlife Copper Coat stuff, in their literature they state "Wood treated with this preservative should not beused where it may come into contact with food, feedor potable water.". I'm not concerned about using it on the garden bench because this bench will reside in a flower bed and is just a platform for seasonal outdoor decorations, i.e., no one will sit in it for any length of time, if at all.