finish for outdoor swing

[lc]

We had an old outdoor swing with the overhead canopy given to us. Its made of ceder and in rough shape . I am going to strip the old finish off today .

It's confusing with all the trends out there on finish protection for outdoor projects .

I am more familiar with furniture refinishing therefore I am looking at all my pro friends for advice on what the best outdoor finish would be best to use.

[Mojo]

I was just reading about this in one of my wood magazines. It indicated the toughest finish is an epoxy.

A bit pricey but it is supposed to last for years.

This may help:  http://www.ehow.com/list_6665240_types-outdoor-wood-finishes.html

Chris

[byhammerandhand]

If  I wanted an "in the wood" finish, I'd probably use One Time.   It's a 100% solids, UV cured finish.   I used it on my granddaughter's swing set after the factory finish failed in the first year.   She just turned 7 and it's time to do it again, next year.
At that time, it only came in gallons, but I see now it's in quarts.
https://onetimewood.com/our-products/



If you want more of a film finish, you use exterior paint.  Paint without any pigments added.   The uninformed retail person will give you all sorts of reasons why it won't work, but it does.   One of my suppliers actually buys the paint in quarts and re-labels it (in order to placate the manufacturer).
http://www.hardwoodlumberandmore.com/Articles/ArticleViewPage/tabid/75/ArticleId/26/Paint-On-A-Clear-Finish.aspx
https://www.hardwoodlumberandmore.com/eStore/tabid/127/rvdsfcatid/79/Default.aspx

Minwax Helmsman is a terrible product and is likely to last less than a season with any sun exposure.

[lc]

I'll check those out ., the  In The Wood  finish looks interesting I see they carry a stripper also .

I had never heard of it before but in Ontario I see there are a couple of places that carry it . I don't want to paint the ceder ., I think natural would be good unless having a pigment lasts longer ?..

[Mojo]

They carry a stripper ????

Where and how much.............:)

( Sorry been into my pain killers early this morning ).

Chris

[Bob T]

Refinishing an outdoor swing set involves some of the toughest decisions you can have when it comes to finish.  Any "see thru" surface finish like clear epoxy, lacquer, clear urethane, and varnish will eventually fail.  The sun's UV will penetrate the clear finish getting to the wood beneath and start to breakdown the wood which will eventually turn loose of the clear finish causing it to crack and fail just like it did to a wooden sailboat I built out of beautiful African Mahogany  (epoxy with UV blockers added).  

If you decide to go with an oil finish, like boiled linseed oil, you might wind up with stains on your clothes after setting on the oil finish.  Also, most oil finishes have no UV resistance, but they can become unsightly after UV exposure.  Boiled linseed oil (and similar based finishes) tends to turn the wood black as it ages, making your beautiful swing look awful just like it did to my beautiful mahogany front door.

If you go with an opaque finish like urethane, enamel, or latex, you loose the beauty of the wood, but the finish will hold up better.  Be careful with latex as stuff can stick to it, like vinyl cushions etc..  

Be careful with most stain finishes as the finish might come off onto clothes that come into contact with it.

The good news is that cedar is naturally rot resistant.  I've seen cedar fences that have stood for decades.

There are a couple possibilities, you can sand the cedar and just let it weather naturally.  It will likely turn dark grey/black first (might come off on light colored clothes), then turn light grey as UV ages it over the years.  You can skip the dark grey/black stage by applying a wood bleach soon  after sanding.

Sorry, but I don't have any really good recommendations.

[byhammerandhand]

I used their stripper on the swing set.   It's lye-based and worked well.  Rolled on with a roller, let sit a while and rinsed off with a power washer on low.   As with all strippers, but especially lye, skin and eye protection is important.

One Time is made in Cleveland, OH, right across the lake from Ontario.