OT woodworking question

[skatz]

I have some patio chairs, supposedly Brazilian cherry (I have my doubts) that I have to re-oil annually with BLO. It is a PITA to do, plus it does not seem very effective. The wood has always seemed dry and brittle from the time they were first purchased. Last year a friend was sitting in one of the chairs, and simply sat back in it, and the back of the chair broke off, the wood simply split.
So the question is if there is a better finish I can apply that wouldn't require annual application and might actually keep the wood from disintegrating?

[B King]

If in fact the chairs are cherry, that's not the best choice for outdoor furniture. It's a little late for that I know. Some questions. Are the chairs exposed to direct sunlight or are they under cover? Direct sunlight is a killer for the wood and the finish. UV rays will break down just about any finish. Any finish should have UV protection. Use a finish that penetrates the wood (oil does that). They require less surface preparation and don't crack over time like finishes that remain on the surface. That being said, any finish will require re-coating after 1-3 years. Are the chairs covered during the off season when they're not being used? If not, they should be.

Next time, try teak.

[edgecreek]

Jatoba, for marketing purposes know as Brazilian Cherry, is not at all related to our American cherry. It is dense, strong, and unfortunately as you found out brittle. It is highly resistant to rot and insects. Unless you see obvious decay in the area of the break I would attribute the failure to poor grain selection in the construction. As B King said a penetrating oil finish will give the best protection. A varnish with a tung oil or Danish oil base would be my suggestion.

[charlielaub]

There is a brand of marine finishes that I have used on outdoor wood type products that you might check into. Comes as a 1gal can under the brand name "Penofin", with some variants specifically for hardwood, etc. Lasts a long time (2 years). The only downside was that it was slightly sticky until it was fully dry, but I probably could have wiped with mineral spirits after a few days to remove the heavies on the surface.

Example:

https://www.diyhomecenter.com/penofin-exotic-hardwood-formula-exterior-penetrating-oil-finish-1-gallon?custcol_pnf_color=36&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI76-ejuej4wIV0brACh2lugf3EAQYAiABEgIFHfD_BwE

[EngineeredChaos]

I have about 1,000 square feet of IPE decking and find that the Penofin Hardwood that charlielaub liked to is the best product for exotic hardwood. Tried at least 4 different sealers and this is the best and you can reapply without having to strip old stuff off. I seal the surface of the deck every year and railings every other year. Horizontal surfaces wear out much faster. The key to application is to put a light coat on in the shade and then let it sit for about a half hour. Then, rub off as much excess as possible with lint-free rags. If you leave too much on it will be sticky. My deck is 15 years old and still looks like new.

[skatz]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I looked back at the ad for the chairs, and it now says Brazilian eucalyptus, not cherry.
I have a new quandary. Where I purchased them offers a lifetime guarantee, and they have offered to either refund or replace them. Should I ask for a refund and look for something else? Or go with the same chairs?
I'm sure teak would be much better, I'll need to look into costs.
Thanks again.

Steve

[Carbon13]

I had a similar situation with a set of patio furniture (I think it was eucalyptus as well but they sold it as some form of teak, definitely wasn't teak). Very brittle like you described. It was absolutely beautiful furniture but I had to apply tung oil every season and even still, had to sand it down and refinish it every other year it seemed. I finally gave up, sold it for good money and bought a set of aluminum furniture with a faux wood finish. Threw some nice cushions on it and have never looked back.

[Millstonemike]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I looked back at the ad for the chairs, and it now says Brazilian eucalyptus, not cherry.
I have a new quandary. Where I purchased them offers a lifetime guarantee, and they have offered to either refund or replace them. Should I ask for a refund and look for something else? Or go with the same chairs?
I'm sure teak would be much better, I'll need to look into costs.
Thanks again.

Steve

Go with teak. From The Craftsman Blog:

• Teak – A rock hard tropical wood that is fantastic for decks and porches because it is one of the hardest woods around. Its hardness allows the wood to be left natural outdoors with no finish and not rot away. That same hardness makes cutting and machining it very difficult and time consuming. You’ll need to pre-drill any fasteners because of its hardness.

[chocolate_soymilk]

Epifanes spar urethane is what I see most people use. It's a marine varnish that has UV blockers incorporated into the mixture.

[skatz]

Agreed teak would be better, but at about 4-5X the cost.

[djg]

Paint?

[skatz]

Must be the large economy size chair!

[Millstonemike]

Agreed teak would be better, but at about 4-5X the cost.

True, But you'll never have to replace it, never have to spend money on finishes (or have to refinish them - they'll weather to a nice grey). You could buy just a few now and the rest later as your existing chairs fail (assuming you can find a brand that will keep the same design over a few years).

[Psycoacoustics]

True, But you'll never have to replace it, never have to spend money on finishes (or have to refinish them - they'll weather to a nice grey). You could buy just a few now and the rest later as your existing chairs fail (assuming you can find a brand that will keep the same design over a few years).

Ahhh, Teak still benefits from a good oiling. My .02.

Have Fun, Mark