Very simple stain question.

dntnowood

Im replacing the wood in my truck bed and have a very simple question. I want to put some minwax stain on the wood, then apply Helmsman spar urethane over that. Is there any problems with that? The lowes i went to couldnt even answer that question...

Giles

When I restored my Boston Whaler boat, I was advised to use several coats of shellac. Reason given was that it protected better.

ratherbefishin'

dntnowood, if you're using that truck bed you'd be a lot better off finishing the boards with tung oil. When it gets scuffed up all you have to do is grab a rag and wipe on another coat. Boiled linseed oil is a good option, too. On the other hand, if this is a show truck and you'll never use the bed, a good marine varnish like Epifanes, Sikkens, or Interlux would be a good choice.

Giles, I hate to tell you that you were given about the worst advice possible. Shellac isn't suitable for exterior use. It doesn't hold up to direct water contact, alcohol, or prolonged direct sunlight. The good news is it's fairly easy to remove most of it with rags and denatured alcohol, then you can put on a few coats of marine varnish.

troubleseeker

One thing for sure, whoever advised Giles to use shellac on his boat is a total bafoon...ever see the white ring left on furniture from a damp glass.

I don't know how many fish ratherbefishin catches, but I know that he has been around boats and weather exposed varnish from his answer
For ease of maintenance go with a quality tung oil or teak oil. If you want varnish, there is not a better product on the marker than Epiphanes; not cheap at a little more than $30 a quart plus $15 for a pint of their high quality thinner, but the best IMO. Find it at a true marine supply store, will not be at a big box or typical hardware store.

CAUTION...if you use any type of tung oil product, lay or hang the oil soaked rags out to dry. Do not ball them up and throw in the trash as the oil will generate enough heat as it cures to spontaneously start a fire.

Termite

Good advice in the last two posts. Agreed, shellac would be the worst possible product. It isn't durable at all, and won't work outdoors.

If you prefer a high gloss look, you're just fine in applying spar urethane. It is about as tough as polyurethane, but made for outdoor use. It'll apply fine over stain, once the stain is dried.

sdsester

Never buy paint, stain, varnish, urethane, baked bread, meat, chicken, fish from a box store. Get it where you are supposed to get it.

Go to a paint store. Or for your application a marine store, if you have one near, might be a good bet too.

I agree that an oil finish, with attention to maintenance, would be your best bet for the truck bed especially if it is to be a working one. You will be constantly nicking, scratching, chipping the urethane.

Sometimes less is more. Raced a Cheoy Lee Lion 35 for years. We were always refinishing rails and things with stain and marine varnish to keep them sparkling. The deck itself was teak, original to the boat and had never had a drop of oil or anything else applied to it.