Finish?

in the direct sunlight, is there something else that may work, short of re-sanding and finishing every couple years?

Not really, as per resanding every few years, however....

Do a one-time good sanding, now, and finish with any good marine finish. Every few years, lighly sand and apply another coat of marine. The subsequent light sandings and recoatings should be a snap, compared to the one-time substantial refinishing.

Maybe, surprise her with a few inexpensive decorative dishes/plates, to use as pot saucers/holders, to help prevent water spillage & spotting.

I've used scrap wood to make pot "plates". Simply square/hexagon, flat, no concave contour, beveled edges to dress them up, a bit. These aren't always quite fitting for elegant decor, though.

Sonny

a piece of scrap granite or glass.

--------------------------------------------------------------- Epifanes.

Take a look at Jamestown Distributors web site for data then find a marine chandlery in Toronto to purchase.

Have fun.

Lew

Froz, if I may, are you in the woodworking business, in any way, and be near Lake Ontario, near High Park? If so, for either question, email me - cedarsonny at aye oh ell dot com

Sonny

You have mail.

idea in the direct sunlight, is there something else that may work, short of re-sanding and finishing every couple years?

Every few years, lighly sand and apply another coat of marine. The subsequent light sandings and recoatings should be a snap, compared to the one-time substantial refinishing.

pot saucers/holders, to help prevent water spillage & spotting.

concave contour, beveled edges to dress them up, a bit. These aren't always quite fitting for elegant decor, though.

I knew it was a mistake to make the ledge so wide. :-) Scrap wood may work, it is only about 4 1/2 inches wide, hoping for a more elegant solution, and trying to avoid tipping, our cats like it back there in the summer too.

If I had any yep and more elegant than scrap wood.

Thanks for that, I'll have a look after/maybe I see a few more ideas.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Lew Hodgett wrote:

--------------------------------------------------------------- "FrozenNorth" wrote:

------------------------------------------------------------------- When it comes to clear marine finishes, you have Epifanes and stuff that wishes they could be Epifanes when they grow up.

Pricey, probably $35-$40 US for 750 ml, but worth it.

Lew

a glass place and granite yard toss out hundreds of lbs of this every day. they'll probably just give you some.

How about a piece of clear plexiglass, with an added lip? Remniscient of what is commonly used on top of kitchen table tops.

Bill

That's what I did and it works fine. I also glued on back and side splashes. Art

Seems like a rare case where using a good spar varnish indoors might be a good idea.

How about a piece of glass over the wood, for the months you're using it as a greenhouse?

I'd try some dewaxed shellac. It's a lot more resistant to water stains than people think. And if it does need refinished you don't need to sand. Just wipe on another coat or two.

Mixing it yourself is best, but Zinnsers SealCoat is almost as good.