[OP]
Member
I just bought a small load of reclaimed cypress. It came from 8' tall pickle barrels. It's old growth cypress, with tight grain, an occasional small hole where the bands that held the barrel together ran, and some interesting black stains here and there.
I'm planning to build a pair of adirondack chairs out of some of it.
How should I finish the chairs? Will the cypress need a finish on it? I don't want anything that will hide the character of the wood.
Thanks
Mark
Last edited by Mark Largent; 03-07-2013 at 4:31 PM.
Contributor
That stuff tends to to be a splintery for a design with so many pieces and corners. If its the true old growth it would last without finish but would grey up and the splinter problem would be more evident. To me the 'character ' of the wood is that it is durable .The chairs are traditionally painted.
Contributor
Just noticed I was only reply.In cypress there is a considerable difference between heartwood and old growth heartwood.If yours doesn't have that extreme brittleness it will actually be better for your purpose . A few years back a friend bought ,by mail order ,some pieces of old growth heart for a small special project. It was full of cracks and loose splinters and he had to spend a lot of time gluing it together before he could really start work!
In Memoriam
First of all, Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean sea. Cypress is a tree/wood.Originally Posted by Mark Largent
If you leave the chairs unfinished and they are not kept under shelter, they will turn a silvery gray over time. UV light will break down the lignins which act as a glue to hold the wood cells together. Rain will then wash away the lignins and the extractives...which give the wood it's color. All that is left behind is the gray-colored cellulose. Some people like that look. If you choose to go the unfinished route, I would seal the end-grain of the legs with epoxy to prevent them wicking moisture.
If you want to retain the wood character, then you are talking a clear finish. To be effective, that finish has to block the UV light while sealing the wood from moisture. Marine Varnishes are the best clear finishes to use outdoors. They contain UV blockers and are long-oil varnishes so that they are flexible enough to tolerate seasonal movement in the wood without cracking. Oil finishes do not last long if exposed to sun and rain and linseed oil is susceptible to mildew.
I use Epifanes Gloss Marine Varnish on my adirondack chairs. It is high in UV blocking solids and is a true spar varnish. It must also be applied in multiple coats to build enough UV protection. Seven coats are recommended and more than that is even better.
Every couple of years, scuff sand the finish to remove the sun-damaged layers and sand away any cracked or flaking areas down to the wood. Then apply another coat or two to build new UV protection. The chairs should be good for another two yearsor so.
Cody
Logmaster LM-1 sawmill, 30 hp Kioti tractor w/ FEL, Stihl 290 chainsaw, 300 bf cap. Solar Kiln
Member
Mark,
Rustoleum has a waterbase exterior spar varnish that I buy at Lowe's. It puts a nice finish on your projects and dries totally clear. I love the fact that it's waterbase and I don't need any solvents for cleanup, just soap and water. I now use it on all my projects and especially for my whirligigs since they are exposed to the elements 24/7. So far color retention is excellent and I think every 3-4 yrs. they may need recoating. The varnish has excellent UV protection. I can recoat about every 1/2 hr. and on small items, I force dry with a hairdryer and can put on about 4-5 coats in an hour. It comes in satin and gloss finish and I like and use both. Hope this helps.
Rodney
Member
For pickling I would recommend vinegar and dill. Sorry, I just couldn't resist.
Bill
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