I am putting new wood in my open trailer, it is #1 grade kiln dried pine, it sits outside in the sun and rain and rare snow, what would you recommend to seal this, i am not concerned about the long future I am 77 so I will let someone else worry about this.
Thanks
Rick
Marine grade Minwax polyurethane spar varnish should last a lifetime on that.
Usually these rot out where they fit in the channel at the back as they sit nose high on the jack and allow water to run back there. In addition to some sort of sealer, I would drill some drain holes in the channel to let the moisture out when you replace the wood.
I'd go with Sikkens Cetol Marine but the most important thing you can do is seal the ends as good as you can.
Thanks for the suggestions, the ends were good, it rotted out where the Torx screws went into the frame, it rotted from the bottom.
Thanks
Rick
Sealing wood only works up to the point the seal is broken. Scratches,
cracking, wear of the surface that allows ANY water to get inside the seal
will allow the wood to swell, and the whole deal is off. Now you are worse
off than with nothing on the wood. At least then it can breath.
To "seal" wood, use a ZERO body sealer. This will have NO skin or shell
on the surface. I use linseed oil, thinned 50/50 with mineral spirits, just like
they did in the Model T days. Cheap and failproof, it repels the water at the
surface because it is soaked into the wood. Not some hardened membrane
on the surface just waiting to be broken. AND it can be applied over and
over and over again as needed. I did 3 passes on my TT bed. Given that it
enjoys a garaged life, I will probably never need to do it again in my lifetime.
I refinish old oak furniture with the mixture. I use boiled linseed oil and turpentine 50/50. Works great on any wood. I have used it on the wood handles of tools I use outside. Something similar has been used on wood shake shingles from homes built 90 years ago. If applied every few years, the shingles last "forever."
I am in a dilemma with my 12 all wood body that was made around 15 years ago but never painted. The lack of moisture in the Arizona air is sucking out all of the moisture from the wood. If I use boiled linseed oil on the body, inside and out, will I have a problem with the primer in a few months when I get ready to paint the car? Frank
Frank, applying linseed oil will not stop the wood from equalizing its moisture content in the climate it's in, humid or dry. As for painting, it depends on the kind of paint that will be used to finish it, and how it's applied. Properly applied, linseed oil would make an excellent "primer" for alkyd enamel. The oil would want to be thoroughly dry before proceeding with color finish coats
By the way after 15 years, that body is a naturalized Arizona citizen. It's as dry now as it will ever be.