OT - Wood Clear Coat

I want a hard, clear finish on a fruit cleaner. It is oak and maple - nice looking grain, but it must be washable for food safty etc.

It's called a Cranberry Bounce Board Seperator. The pattent on the machine says 1932, but I think the machine is from the 50's or 60's.

Any info would be appreciated. I'll post pics when its running.

Thanks, Grant

• Yellow Point Cranberries

Because the urethane hardens, the sun's action on wood causes it to crack. The cracks wick water under the film and the result turns black. Never use urethane out of doors.

Spar varnish has resins which don't completely harden. When the wood swells and shrinks, the finish cracks, same as the urethane, but the sun welds it back together again to some degree. This makes the finish quite durable out of doors. Don't under any conditions use spar varnish for bookshelves.

Hope this helps.

Rod

This cleaner is used in the packing shed so it won't be in the sun at all. I may give it another coat tomorrow.

Will post pictures when I start to pick fruit in a couple weeks.

By the way Rod, caught any fish for smoking lately? We just had some fresh Coho yesterday. My friend and father inlaw went out to Ucelulet on the west coast of the island last week. They brought back a pile of Springs, Coho and Halibut - I think there was over 300 lbs of fish total.

Grant

• Yellow Point Cranberries

My personal favorite finish for outdoors is Z-Spar Captain's Varnish. It has a UV inhibitor so it can stand the sunlight much longer than most urethane finishes. It does not peel and is easy to refinish.

Generally the terms "urethane" and "polyurethane" are used interchangably. Polyurethane is a good, waterclear coating with good water resistance and a long life.

However, polyurethane degrades rapidly in UV light. Therefore it is not good for use outdoors in the sun. Manufacturers add UV inhibitors (to get rid of the sunlight problem) to polyurethane and beef up the solids and sell them under the name of "spar urethane". "Spar varnish" is a class of finishes that has been used for years on boats (and is slightly yellowish).

No clear finish lasts forever in the sun. If you are going to store it inside for the rest of its life any of the urethanes or polyurethanes are probably OK. If you want authenticity, I would look at spar varnishes or oil type finishes designed for outdoor use. Or you can use the tougher spar polyurethane.

The choice is up to you

HTH

Cliff (VA)