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Calling all woodworking fellas..

747mopar

747mopar

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I do quite a bit of woodworking but almost all of it is interior furniture, cabinets, etc so this exterior stuff is pretty new to me. Here's the question, we have a huge 42"×8' solid Mahogany front door with sidelights and it's a bitch to keep looking nice, looking for ideas on what to finish it with? First time I had to do it I called the manufacturer and got the stain color and type of clear (marine grade polyurethane), I'm only getting about 2 years out of it! It's a bitch to strip, touch up the stain and re clear! The sun rises facing right on it, I know that's the big problem and adding more shade would help but until we replace our roof that's not happening. Any suggestions, maybe an oil so at least I'm not stripping poly, maybe a better clear?
 
Beekeeper said:
This some good stuff I’ve used it on doors and porches with good results. I would be worth giving it a try.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cabot-Wood...tain-Actual-Net-Contents-128-fl-oz/1000515529
Click to expand...
That's what I was wondering about, our whole house is popular siding with oil stain and it's really easy to maintain. If it gets to looking rough there's hardy anything to sand off just add another coat. I think it's Olympic semi transparent, I've never used the clear.

Thanks
 
Clear Awl Grip has been used in the marine environment for decades on teak and mahogany. You can add a flattening agent if you want less shine. I’ve seen teak exposed to the sun and weather last 10 years before any lifting begins. Just a thought. Any clear epoxy that has a good UV stabilizer would possibly work also.
 
I was a furniture maker by trade and I found out in all my years that wood on floors and outside is an ongoing maintenance pain in the neck. I love wood and worked mostly with English brown oak, Mahogany, Oak and Cherry. Mahogany was my favorite because of color, workability and grain. I made the pistol grip gear shifter for my Coronet out of Mahogany. There is no good answer to your question. While Mahogany and Teak wood will last a long time in a faded state, keeping it looking like new is a job. I had friends with old Mahogany boat and it was a yearly labor of love, not my kind of love. UV is not your friend and if exposed to the weather you will be maintaining it. You could try this, your best bet would a marine product in my opinion. After all my years of working with wood for a living, I don't even like it anymore!! LOL. My house is nothing but vinyl and plastic!! Good luck!! https://www.totalboat.com/product/gleam/
 
Road Rat said:
Clear Awl Grip has been used in the marine environment for decades on teak and mahogany. You can add a flattening agent if you want less shine. I’ve seen teak exposed to the sun and weather last 10 years before any lifting begins. Just a thought. Any clear epoxy that has a good UV stabilizer would possibly work also.
Click to expand...
Good to know, I'll check it out.
 
Hey-O said:
I was a furniture maker by trade and I found out in all my years that wood on floors and outside is an ongoing maintenance pain in the neck. I love wood and worked mostly with English brown oak, Mahogany, Oak and Cherry. Mahogany was my favorite because of color, workability and grain. I made the pistol grip gear shifter for my Coronet out of Mahogany. There is no good answer to your question. While Mahogany and Teak wood will last a long time in a faded state, keeping it looking like new is a job. I had friends with old Mahogany boat and it was a yearly labor of love, not my kind of love. UV is not your friend and if exposed to the weather you will be maintaining it. You could try this, your best bet would a marine product in my opinion. After all my years of working with wood for a living, I don't even like it anymore!! LOL. My house is nothing but vinyl and plastic!! Good luck!! https://www.totalboat.com/product/gleam/
Click to expand...
I get that but I personally like the "real" look, I don't like fake stone siding, fake wood siding, houses with only the front side bricked, etc. Our wood siding has been super easy to maintain, maybe every 5 years if that, takes very little time to do and it still looks great but this damn door...

I would think marine products would be the best route as well but like I said, I'm new to the exterior stuff.
 
When you say the door is Mahogany, I think Boats! Unfortunately, Mahogany and Teak have oils in them that
doesn't play well with clear top coats. If you want a front door that always looks nice and beautiful, buy a
High quality fiberglass unit. If that's not an option, use a semi transparent stain such as Sikkens, but not
any type of clear coat.
 
I do this stuff for a living, every day. First off, no polyurethane. Never.
If you have to have a shiny finish use Marine grade spar varnish. Thin your first coat.
The best finish is made by Sikkens. It’s two parts. An oil that looks like it may be teak or linseed oil, and a protective top coat.
Easiest and still good is linseed oil or teak oil. Renew it every year, it’s easy. You can do your door in less then an hour. Soak it in then wipe off excess that doesn’t soak in or else it will peel just like urethane.
 
Last edited:
I used Sikkens Cetol clear on my very expensive Simpson door and sidelights. I has held up very well, but I built a porch roof to keep it out of the weather. It still gets the western sun exposure.
 
I have made outdoor wooden tools for....a few years. These guys have been in the business ever since I've been looking for finishes. Their products are MADE for wood to be submerged. I have no practical experience with them, but I have heard good things.
https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/product/product-detail/97636
You may want to try these guys too...until very recently, they supplied my favorite wood finish, and I just found out it is no longer available. Story of my life. Damn.
https://www.gemini-coatings.com/painting-professionals/
 
zyzzyx said:
When you say the door is Mahogany, I think Boats! Unfortunately, Mahogany and Teak have oils in them that
doesn't play well with clear top coats. If you want a front door that always looks nice and beautiful, buy a
High quality fiberglass unit. If that's not an option, use a semi transparent stain such as Sikkens, but not
any type of clear coat.
Click to expand...
My thoughts, I never use poly on anything except floors. No top coat just a light stain since the sun will bleach it out each year. I made my door 31 years ago, 2-1/2 thick 6 double sided panels mahogany, (nobody kicking in my door) Still red on the inside but brown-yellow on the outside from only 2 months of sun a year. Might strip it this year, I did clear spar varnish originally. Looks like an old boat lol
 
I’ve lived on boats at least 10 years, any varnish had life of 2 years at best in the sun. People have been putting clear Awl Grip on teak and mahogany for years and years.

64C37C97-C0B0-4ADC-8626-DE55DA6A54F3.png
 
Varnish ten years ago ain’t nothing like 40 years ago, in fact NO paint is the same today as 40 years ago!
 
Ceedawg said:
Varnish ten years ago ain’t nothing like 40 years ago, in fact NO paint is the same today as 40 years ago!
Click to expand...
But some have gotten better, today you just have to research everything.
 
Mark Barnes said:
I have made outdoor wooden tools for....a few years. These guys have been in the business ever since I've been looking for finishes. Their products are MADE for wood to be submerged. I have no practical experience with them, but I have heard good things.
https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/product/product-detail/97636
You may want to try these guys too...until very recently, they supplied my favorite wood finish, and I just found out it is no longer available. Story of my life. Damn.
https://www.gemini-coatings.com/painting-professionals/
Click to expand...
Interesting, epoxy is usually pretty tough stuff.
 
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