Re: Minwax ClearShield or Helmsman Spar for Exterior door?

Not the exact help you're looking for - but I finished up an outdoor redwood bench some time ago. Put 3 coats of ClearShield over the wood - not over stain. I am impressed how well it's held up under the intense sun up here. ClearShield gets a thumbs-up vote, for protection, from me.

It did impart a "tint/tinge" to the wood - I'd strongly suggest you buy a small can and see if your stain maintains the lovely hue you desire!

Mark, You have two 'basic' choices . . . depending if you want 'regular maintenance or 'low maintenance' as your end result.

Almost any 'clear' finish will need regular & periodic inspections & maintenance. It's easy to keep it looking good, but any failures in the finish MUST be 'caught' in time or it's a rapid down-hill slide. 'Stain - Epoxy - 2 to 6 coats of a UV additive Varnish' is what I consider a 'typical' Long Term & Easy Maintenance clear finish.

For a very forgiving, almost 'Zero Maintenance job . . . 2 to 3 coats of a good Latex.

Regards & Good Luck, Ron Magen Backyard Boatshop {I just finished a 'temporary' main hatch from 3/8ths 'SuperPly' and 2 coats of ClearShield. The boat is on a mooring in the 'middle' of the Delaware River. Drop me a note around November, and I'll send you a photo of what it looks like after several months.}

PS: ClearSheild seems to be a 'short-oil' product . . . gets hard. SPAR varnishes are 'long oil' products . . . they NEVER really get 'hard'.

I know that painting is the 'easy way out' but I just can't get myself to cover this beautiful clear oak with paint. I've priced 8/4 clear oak before and it just doesn't seem right to cover it like I would poplar. But ask me again in a year when it's time to recoat it.

{I just finished a 'temporary' main hatch from 3/8ths 'SuperPly' and

Let me see if I got this right, Ron. Short oil is fine on something like a stable plywood hatch like yours. But long oil is best for my solid oak front door which is more likely to expand and contract with heat and humidity.

I will bug you this fall for that photo.

Mark, I quite agree, about the beauty of 'clear finished' wood. Even when it is something as 'plan Jane' as Philippine Mahogany or the 'SuperPly' plywood.

For the 'Epoxy - Varnish' technique it may take one or two weeks {allowing for up to a week of 'cure' for the epoxy, and 24-hours between varnish coats} for the job to be completed. However, maintenance then becomes a simple matter of a light sanding and application of a slightly diluted coat of varnish {WHEN, depends on YOUR environmental conditions & amount of exposure}

Your almost correct about 'short oil' vs. 'long oil'. In the case of the hatch, it's not so much that it's stable, but that it will be 'handled'; taken off, folded, stowed, moved, etc. On a hot day, 'spar' could get soft enough to take fingerprints, allow 'tearing', stick to something, etc. That is also why I cringe when people talk about using 'Spar' for benches, or objects that will be sat upon during summer months. If you think having bare thighs 'stick' to a 'leatherette' seat in a bathing suit feels stupid . . .

It is also a 'test' of the ClearShield . . . MinWax claims UV protection, and Home Depot is a lot closer than a run to 'downtown Philly' if I need a quart - or don't want to use some of my 'Marine stock' for a 'Yard & Garden' project.

Regards & Good Luck, Ron Magen Backyard Boatshop

SNIP