Kind of off topic-Outdoor finishes for Cedar.

[John Murphy]

Hello.

Sorry that this is kind of off topic, but I know there are lots of sign people here that may be able to help me out.

I have some Western Red Cedar signs to finish. Some require a simple clear finish. My question is "What is best clear finish for Western Red Cedar, that will stand up to the elements for a long period of time?

Thanks in advance for your help.

John

[Phil]

Cabot's products are rated very high by Consumer's Report. They have a new line "Australian Timber Oil" that I've tried recently but the sign hasn't been outside long enough to have a good test by me. http://www.cabotstain.com/products/prod ... tings.html

[John Murphy]

Thanks Phil.
Can you put that over painted letters as well?

John

[PaulCNCMann]

I've been using either linseed oil, or UV rated Varathate

[Phil]

John,

I haven't tried it over painted letters. I'm sure it would depend on the type of paint used. You might want to contact Cabot via their website and/or experiment with the timber oil over paint. It makes sense to me that oil paint would be the right choice. If you experiment please post the results.

[tkovacs]

Check out the results here:

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ ... x?id=24929