What finish for outdoor maple table?

[Hypnotic Chimera]

Hello experts

I have an outdoor table in maple wood that was untreated when it arrived this year.
I used a couple of coats of Cuprinol Ultimate Furniture Oil, because that's what I use on my teak outdoor furniture (same table and chairs for over 15 years, so seems to do a job!), and it's what I already have in the shed...

It gave a nice tactile and visual appearance. It's lovely. Trouble is that it isn't very "protective". The table sits under a grapevine and right now the grapes are ripe and the birds are in there gorging themselves. And consequently, we have purple guano that would stain the table, so I've removed the table and placed it elsewhere. (It'll be going away for winter soon anyway...)

I was thinking that it might benefit from a bit more protection. I would much prefer to stick with an oil product, because it is the least of the "binding" coatings in the sandpaper when it comes time to sand down and recoat.

I'm new to the woodwork scene, and have only just learned that you can mix your own oil/urethane varnish mix for finishing - question is whether this would be something that would be acceptable for an outdoor maple table?
Or are there any other more experienced suggestions - or maybe just sticking to oil and remove the table at this time of year is the optimum approach?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Fitzroy]

Maple species are mainly classified as Class Four - Slightly Durable. Typically Maple would not be used for outdoor furniture and taking it inside for winter is a smart move. Many film type products for external use have a disclaimer regards use on horizontal surfaces, frequent standing water is very hard to manage.

I have a bench made by a friend and he used multiple coats of yacht varnish on it, it has impressively lasted 5 years before a few of the joints are showing some water ingress and discoloration. However, it also quite a varnishy colour due to so many coats and stripping it back would be a tough task.

Sorry not much help telling you what to use but some experience that may help.

F.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Maple = non-durable. As Fitzroy suggests, it's a very poor choice for outdoor furniture with a life expectancy of five years or less in ground contact. Away from ground contact life expectancy is significantly longer, but it discolours very quickly, and goes black and mouldy. Meticulous finishing with something like yacht varnish, proven to offer very good protection would be good, plus refinishing every 6- 12 months would be a decent bet.

A better bet still would be to get the table reclassified as an indoor table ASAP and situated as newly reclassified, similarly ASAP, and appropriately finished/polished immediately after that... if at all possible. Slainte.

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

Thanks for the great responses

I now have a similar question about Acacia. How to treat that, and is it an outdoor candidate?

Also, where can I find info about the classes of wood that were mentioned?

 

[TRITON]

The Wood Database is a good resource, but what you need to do is narrow down not the timber, but the price.
Oily timbers are your friend for outdoor stuff, so look with that in mind.
Obviously premium would be teak, but many companies who make outdoor furniture will use something like Iroko, which has similar characteristics of teak, and a similar grain pattern, but are a fair bit cheaper.

https://www.wood-database.com/

Heres also some examples for you to get an idea of durability of certain timbers that often get used outside.
https://www.patchett-joinery.co.uk/blog/best-timber-for-outdoor-use/

Oil finishes are excellent for outdoor use, and maybe something like Teak oil would stand you well.
In my mind, its either oil, or bare timber, as long as the bare timber is something oily to begin with.
I've a bench to make for the garden and I've set aside some Afromosia for it. Afromosia is really similar to teak so the bench will more than likely outlast me.

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

The Wood Database is a good resource, but what you need to do is narrow down not the timber, but the price.
Oily timbers are your friend for outdoor stuff, so look with that in mind.
Obviously premium would be teak, but many companies who make outdoor furniture will use something like Iroko, which has similar characteristics of teak, and a similar grain pattern, but are a fair bit cheaper.

https://www.wood-database.com/

Heres also some examples for you to get an idea of durability of certain timbers that often get used outside.
https://www.patchett-joinery.co.uk/blog/best-timber-for-outdoor-use/

Oil finishes are excellent for outdoor use, and maybe something like Teak oil would stand you well.
In my mind, its either oil, or bare timber, as long as the bare timber is something oily to begin with.
I've a bench to make for the garden and I've set aside some Afromosia for it. Afromosia is really similar to teak so the bench will more than likely outlast me.

Excellent resources - thanks for that - sorry I missed it previously, dunno why I didn't see a notification?

We have a decent quality teak "main table" and chairs on our deck, under a parasol, now well over 15 years old and going strong. I normally strip and re-coat every year or two with Cuprinol "Ultimate Furniture Oil", which from experience is a longer lasting finish than plain teak oil, before the surfaces of the teak begin to whiten/grey off.

We now have a new small round teak table in replacement of the maple one for outdoors in our little cosy corner - at least it was sold as teak - but has a lovely variegated mid-brown and light-brown mix - I presume this is heartwood/sapwood interface. I really is lovely and I've used the Ultimate oil on that too, but it is now stored away for winter until we start to use the cosy corner when the weather picks up next year. (Partly just in case it isn't actually teak - but since we're not using, it we may as well store dry.)


I see from your second link that Acacia is highly durable for outdoor use - so that info gladdens me

 

[TRITON]

Cuprinol "Ultimate Furniture Oil" I dont think is that good, and all it does is provide is money to cuprinol as its well overpriced in comparison to teak oil by a very large margin.



Personally Im not a fan of things like "ultimate oil" mainly as i see it as just being an overpriced product aimed purely at separating someone from their money, when other traditional finishes are just as good.
Im not going to state that its rubbish, it will pretty much do what it says on the tin, but it is overpriced for what it is.

But if it works for you than fab, go for that. Though for outdoors linseed oil will stand you better and be considerably cheaper