Randy Johnson - How to make outdoor & garden furniture: instructions for tables, chairs, planters, trellises, & more

HOW TO MAKE

Outdoor & Garden
Furniture

HOW TO MAKE

Outdoor & Garden
Furniture

INSTRUCTIONS FOR TABLES, CHAIRS, PLANTERS, TRELLISES & MORE

from the Experts at American Woodworker

Introduction by Randy Johnson Editor, American Woodworker magazine

W hether youre a summertime or wintertime woodworker, taking a break from your shop to enjoy some time out-of-doors is always worthwhile. It gives you a chance to shake the dust out of your hair and enjoy some time with your family and friends. Your time outside can be made even more enjoyable when it includes a few projects that youve built yourself. The outdoor projects in this book include designs for yard, patio and garden. Some of them are easy to build with a minimum amount of time and materials, while others provide a chance for you to build your skills and show off your talent as a woodworker. All of the projects will provide added enjoyment to your time spent out-of-doors.

If youre new to woodworking, consider building one of the planters on ). Be prepared to stretch yourself if you tackle one of these larger projects, but you can be sure of one thing: all the projects in this book were designed and build by the editors themselves and will provide years of service if properly maintained.

This brings us to the important topic of finishing. Some woods weather nicely without a finish, but most woods, even those naturally resistant to decay, benefit from the addition of some type of finish. Thats why weve dedicated an entire chapter (.

Randy Johnson, editor

by BRAD HOLDEN AND RANDY JOHNSON

O utdoor finishes have one thing in common; they all require maintenance. Of course, paint is unequaled at protecting the wood from its two biggest enemies: moisture and ultraviolet (UV) light. Moisture causes the wood to rot, and sunlight bleaches out its natural color. Still, who wants to cover-up beautiful wood with paint? If you want the wood to show through on your outdoor projects, you need a clear finish.

There are three basic clear finishes for outdoor furniture: exterior oil, exterior varnish, and an epoxy sealer with an exterior varnish topcoat. Application ease and service life are the two major differences between these finishes.

Of the three clear exterior finishes, exterior oil is by far the simplest finish to apply. Just flow it on, let it soak in, and wipe off the excess. Unfortunately, oil offers the least amount of protection and it must be reapplied every season. Exterior varnish, on the other hand, is more difficult to apply: up to 8 coats have to be carefully brushed on. While exterior varnish offers excellent protection from moisture and UV light, it has to be recoated every few years to maintain that protection. An epoxy sealer with an exterior varnish topcoat is the most durable outdoor finish and can last for many, many years. However, the initial application does take longer then exterior varnish.