Jamie asked 2 years ago
Hi, I have hand carved a piece of oak with the bark left on the top and bottom edge. It is to be fixed outdoors, there are so many options to preserve it but I don’t know what to do, either yacht varnish it or oil it, or how about a sealer??
Advice from an experienced person would be much appreciated.
Regards Jamie
William Stewart Staff answered 1 year ago
Hi Jamie
You can oil it using a hardening oil like Tung, Danish, or Linseed Oil, but you’ll need to seal it with polyurethane once the oil has dried and hardened off; otherwise, you’ll be re-oiling it regularly: Tung Oil, Danish Oil or Linseed Oil.
If you use a marine varnish, it’s UV resistant and designed for extreme weather conditions. You can get marine varnish in matte and low-sheen finishes if you wish.
A lot depends on the look you want, but marine varnish is the safest and least time-consuming route for my money.