What type of wood is my first question.
Any pictures of the project in process?
Here is where i also need assistance. Knowing the wood itself. Unfortunately, im not good at that yet. Also, some apps that can tell you by pic are really expensive in my experience. Does anyone have some kind of reference they use to figure it out? This was the neighbours wood he brought to me and he didnt know. Im glad he didnt ask me what it was haha. What the heck, we cant know everything 
Heres some pictures. (Ontario Canada)
Looks like plain sawn maple to me based on the wood grain on the left in the third picture.
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I don’t know what the wood is. But, Kev’s points earlier apply. I’d leave it au natural to develop a natural patina.
Picnic tables, I’ve had some experience. The first I built in 1977 from redwood heartwood. 8 feet long with 2 8 foot benches. I stained it but no “finish” per se.
It’s still in use, my daughters yard in Oregon. More gray then red but looks nice, works well.
My utilitarian finish is boiled linseed oil. Easy to apply & relatively inexpensive, looks good on better wood projects but also seals up particle board and MDF quite well.
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Thats fantastic Griff. Oregon have much snow though? Im assuming maybe not too much? Im on the boarder of Ontario and NY. We may see a few feet per year over the course of a winter. Lots of months where it falls and melts but for about 3 months the snow will sit without melting and be subject to about 0 to -22F.
In picture two, you can see 4 boards plained and one all natural. It may be a nice look for some but i think the buyer would prefer the clean sanded look better.
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I believe its Maple, yes
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My dad and I built a pergola type structure for a grill cover and went to the only lumber place in town that had pieces large enough for a 16” span without requiring a center support (280lbs pieces). They have a lot of experience and said after trying everything over the years that the only product that worked great for outdoor wood was Penofin. We used it, and 2 years later without recoating yet (I know I need to and will soon) it still looks the same and is well protected. It’s a stain/oil/protectant and comes in a few options, including natural no color.
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What a beautiful job James G! You should be proud of that project! Thanks so much for your info. I will try some. Im up for trying anything and learning. This is exciting.
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Gosh, James G, that stuff is hard to get in my area. I can order but its pricey. Can i ask, there are two that seem close to what i want or maybe exactly what i want.
Suggestion on these two please:
I’ve only used the blue and silver can (it’s called the premium workhorse and apparently uses rosewood oil, but not sure if it’s more of a marketing thing). It is pricier but I figure recoat every few years instead of every 6-12 like a Thompsons, may even out. From reading about those two above, it seems the first may be better for an area of sun (UV protection leaning) and the second if you’re in an area with lots of rain/water (water protection leaning).
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Fair enough. Thanks. Its about 100CAD on amazon.ca and will not ship from amazon.com but they seem to be out anyway. Price is not really an issue if the product is quality. Ill pay good money to send my work out with good quality. Thats all i want, good quality and good quality projects. Thanks again
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Oh man, it’s about 60 USD at a place nearby my home, which is still pricey. You speak truth to quality though.
If time is money… spending time and effort to go around the best option is not my game. You can spend years trying to reinvent the wheel when people are telling you a wheel is pefect
Hmmm, that’s an option I hadn’t heard of, thanks. Two years would be nice, I’ll see if I can find a can nearby.
James G, can i trouble you with one more question…maybe one haha.
How did you apply this Penofin?
Any time, I learn a ton from you and the others in the forums. They told us to apply it after a basic cleaning of the surface just so there’s no dust/debris. Paint brush or rag, I used a brush since it was raw sawn large pieces. Then after 30-40 minutes after it penetrating you wipe off the excess with a rag. Then a few hours later or the next day, a second coat of the same. I’m very pleasantly surprised with how well and long it’s lasted with just that one 2 coat application.
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2 coats of Rubio Pure. Then top off with a two coat ceramic. Maintain with Rubio conditioning oil.
I also think it depends on the species of wood. I used boiled linseed oil and paste wax on quarter sawn White Oak and love how that looks. Tried that on Claro Walnut and was not happy with results.
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Terrific overall discussion and information here by all.
Good call on the Penofin. I’d forgotten to include it despite recently using it to seal my Kebony Deck.
Application was done with a roller and brush, just as you would paint a wall. They have a clear and an Ipe color for decking. This would be an excellent option for outdoor tables. It does take a while to dry and finish matrixing in the wood. It definitely made a difference in the behavior of water on the decking. It too needs to be reapplied every 6 months to 1 year depending on exposure.
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Back to the discussion of materials:
Using decking material for outdoor furniture is a good idea. It’s already designed for outdoor use and generally there are a variety of ways to attach it. (Clips, cleats, et…).
Having recently done a Kebony deck I would definitely consider it for a table project. It’s not cheap, but that’s where you need to sell your client on the longevity of the product and it’s look.
If you are building a custom one off table for a client, you need to charge a real amount of money. Outdoor furniture is already expensive and Custom outdoor furniture should be astronomically expensive due to the time and materials involved.
Using quality materials is only helping your current client and future business. (Even if that client is your significant other )
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