Ideas for finishing rough cut Cypress furniture.

[buckeyetd 2]

I build adirondacks part time on the weekends out of rough cut 4/4 cypress. I buy from local sawmills in and around the Tampa Fl area. The lumber is partially air dried and I simply plane it and assemble the wood into outdoor furniture. I've been researching and working on developing a way to treat and finish the wood so I can offer it to customers in a finished form. I've looked into a company by the name of petriwood and penofin. I'm a newbie as far as finishing wood for outdoor use and I know using rough cut air dried lumber is not the norm and is much cheaper than buying kiln dried lumber, having said that, my purpose is to offer an affordable alternative that will perform as well as kiln dried products. If you have used either one of these products or have finished rough cut cypress I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter.

 

Tim Davis, gulf coast chairs

 

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Welcome to TGS. Please fill in your signature. And now that we have that little housekeeping detail out of the way, huge props on the furniture. BEAUTIFUL.

Any of the moisturizing oils will work. We have used alot of Armstrong Clark, but we also have clients who insist on Penofin's rosewood oil.

 

Beth

[James 625]

One issue with cypress it has naturals oils in. So on new wood you won't get much penetration of product . You might have to try many to get a handle on what works or sell natural. It's the most fragrant wood to work on . I was restoring a cedar house . Once I got going on it I found the addition was cedar and the original was cypress. The smell was awesome. The cypress section was over 30 years old and still only took 1 gallon per 200 sqft of ready seal.

[buckeyetd 2]

Thanks Beth for the kind words and I'll look into your recommendations as well. Hey James what kind of sealer did you use on the cypress? Is it called ready seal?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Those chairs...I just keep looking at them. Beautiful.

 

 

Beth

[John T 744]

Beautiful work Tim!! I bet those chairs are going to look unbelievable after their stained. If you think about it post the finish pics of those chairs after you stain them.

[James 625]

Tim , I take care of a lot of furniture . Teak , cedar , pt, redwood, something that begins with a J. All furniture that ends up with people like us has gotten out of control and sticky . Over application of product is the biggest issue. So knowing what you put on and how to care for the finish is the biggest issue with outdoor furniture and when to start over again.

Last year I did about 20 pieces of teak at the end of the year as a trial for he next 20 pieces in spring ( I think more). The tables could not be extended and the chairs couldn't be sat on when the temps hit 90. What a freaking mess but they new it . It went beyond there painter, local hardware store , paint store, handy man, advice from the product they put on,. The estate manager went to a dinner at one of my clients and ate / sat on the furniture I have cared for the last ten years. What a great new client I have and estate to work on . All because of something that couldn't be sat on ! Who wood of thunk ?

With furniture less is best....

What ever is used don't over apply . Wipe off anything that doesn't sink in in 30 minutes . Don't allow much on the undersides at all . Just enhance the wood. With furniture the first finish and when to do the second finish is the trickiest . You cannot treat outside furniture like inside furniture.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

We easily do upwards of 75 pieces of teak per year for our clients. (not including our own) We also do PT, cedar, mahogany, and Brazilian cherry.

I will agree, what you apply you need to make sure you remove the excess of, or you will have a nasty mess on your hands and an unhappy client.

 

Beth

[AquaTek2013 6]

Beautiful chairs! What little I know about cypress is that it retains it's natural oils almost indefinitely. It is naturally resistant to rot and termite infestation which is what makes it such an ideal wood for homes in our southern climate. I don't know for sure but I have always been told not to apply anything to cypress because it would seal it and cause it to rot from the inside out. Has anyone else ever heard that?

[buckeyetd 2]

James I appreciate your input and will for sure apply your advice when I do go to finish these chairs. Thanks John T, Beth and Aqua Tek, I will for sure post some pics of finished chairs. I wasn't fishing for complimets on these chairs but I sure do appreciate them.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

This forum was built by wood geeks and we can't help but appreciate fine craftsmanship and are very quick to compliment when we see it.

With the age of automation and mass production, work like yours is becoming a rarity.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Rod