Finish for Mahogany Garden Gate?

[Golden Christmas Girl]

Hello,

We have just built a garden gate out of mahogany. I have been searching the archives for the group, and there seems to be a number of options for finishing. I am a newbie, so I would appreciate help figuring out the best option. We live in Houston, so we don't have snow but we do have a lot of rain.

Here is what I have pulled up as potential finishes:

do nothing -- let it age tung oil water sealer polyurethane

I don't mind letting it weather to a silver finish, but after all this work, I would like it to last for at least 20 years.

Thanks!!

Doreen

[Edwin Pawlowski]

You can also use Penofin oil. It has UV inhibitors and is for outdoor use. Makes the mahogany a very rich color. I used it on a bench and tables I made this years.

If you go the polyurethane route, use a spar version such as Minwax Helmsman. It has UV inhibitors and remains more flexible.

[Ba r r y]

This is GREAT stuff:

A local cedar furniture and pergola maker

uses it exclusively, as he has for years. I tried it last year when refinishing some wooden spa sides, and it truly is nice stuff. According to the factory owner who recommended it, the tinted offers much better UV protection than the clear version. He did not sell the product when he recommended it to me. I get the stuff from a local paint store. This guy has a LOT of furniture out there, and claims his customers never complain about the protection and ease of recoating the Olympic Maximum product.

Test on scrap!

Barry

[JLR]

searching the

[rcook5]

Spar varnish. I don't think mahogany would stand up worth a darn outdoors if it weren't protected.

--RC

Projects expand to fill the clamps available -- plus 20 percent

[Silvan]

I don't recommend this. I put this on a mystery far eastern hardwood bench. It looked great the first year, but started to crack. The cracks let the wood age. I stripped it, re-did it for the second year. It looked great except where the wood had aged. Then it cracked again, and more wood aged. So I stripped it and re-did it for the third year. It looked great except where the wood had aged. So I stripped it and said the hell with it, and let all of the wood weather.

I'd look into some of that "real spar varnish" the boat builder types keep talking about. This Helmsman stuff ain't it.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It has kept my oak rockers in great shape for five years so far, the cypress bench is perfect after three. Maybe the mystery wood moves more than most?

[Silvan]

Or gets more sun? Mine is in full sun, out in the yard. I don't think wood movement could account for where and how the finish kept failing. Nor could butt rivet damage, for that matter.