Steve Sanford wrote:
Mark~ Sounds like you've gotten sound advice here. Friends gave us this bench earlier this year. It needed a single slat replaced.
The treated slats were quite dry and open-grained. So, I primed it with a thinned coat of grey oil primer, then top-coated with a solid Cabot stain (oil). I use this stain on most of our outdoor wooden furniture because it's so soft and easy to re-coat every few years. No scraping, just light sanding - like my shop!
BTW: The #1 machine for any wood shop is a table saw. Even a portable "bench top" model makes ripping easy. Not to rub salt in the wound, but I picked one for free - roadside - last Summer. It's up at our camp now. Keep your eyes peeled!
All the best,
SJS
Mine looks similar. Little longer (4?) and the carat iron end pieces are very ornate. Over the years it has developed a nice patina if this is the correct word. Got all the boards done and now time to stain the boards and install.
