Outdoor 3D Sign

[scottp55]

Really came out nice Michael, but like Dave and Dick said..annual upkeep to keep that beautiful Oak from turning black would be my concern
Waiting for the sign guys to kick in...aren't there some epoxy finishes out there that might hold up better guys?
Dad grew up on sailboats during the Depression era, and varnish horror stories from Camden,Maine are what I grew up hearing
A varnish that lasted TWO YEARS, would probably have caused sermons back then about "Idle hands are the Devil's workshop"!
Just a couple more links to confuse you....But there must be something better that varnish to protect that beautiful job?
http://forum.vectric.com/viewtopic.p...finish#p139151

http://forum.vectric.com/viewtopic.p...+finish#p80824

[dmidkiff]

Great job. Finished sign looks great. Best product for outdoor use that I've tried is called PermaCoat. I think I got it from Sculpt Neveuo. It will need annual refreshing but will out perform the spar vanish. I think that Joe Crumley has stated that Sikkens products work very well. I have never tried them.

[mwpfeifer]

Thanks again all for the informative replies. I should have thought about the Sickens type products as there are a number of homes up here in the North woods made from logs or have half log siding as does our home. Keeping these exterior wood surfaces looking good is a never ending project and most folks I have discussed this with have indicated 2-3 years before refinish is about the best one can hope for. I used to get a periodical from West Systems and remember they had done quite a bit of research and experimentation with two part epoxy finishes on various types of boats with some decent success. Think I might dig a little deeper in that area as I have quite a bit of experience working with their products in the past.

[bleeth]

Epoxy is a good base coat but must be covered with a UV inhibitor top coat (Varnish). If maintenance is not kept up on the top coat it will break down.
The three part polys like Awlgrip are great, but poisonous to work with and expensive. I particularly like their Foxfire. It's been discussed previously on this forum.

[Chuck Keysor]

Michael, as noted in my previous post, and corroborating Bleeth's post, "Epifane marine varnish (5 coats) on top of three coats of Smith and Company penetrating epoxy sealer" was rated by Fine Woodworking in 2009 as one of the two best exterior wood finishes they found. This is a two part epoxy, with a top coating of varnish. Chuck

[joe]

Greetings everyone,

Thoughts on topcoats:

Here are a few thoughts about preservative topcoats. There's nothing wrong with weathered wood. As much as I like Mike's carved Retreiver, it's likely to improve with some aged cracks and splits. I like the look of old weathered wood. For the past year I've been using old worn out wood to add some texture and personality to my ranch signs.

Most wood will move, expand and contract with temperatures. Hard coat varnishes, epoxies, and catalyzed poly paints and stains are the first to give up the ghost. What we need are flexible coatings with UV protection. That's the reason Acrylic Latex paints last so well. A few of the Epoxy manufacturers finally caught on and are making their products more flexible. O, by the way, you can add about twenty percent to epoxy to make it more rubber like.

One of the reasons I'm so fond of Sikkens is it comes in lots of shades. You can get it from Dark Walnut to light natural shades. I use these for blending. Seldom does a sign leave my shop without some kind of shading. And sickens works like a dream over latexes and HDU.

[pappybaynes]

Joe, do you a Sikkens clear coat on your signs? And if so which one?? Thanks
Dick