Hey left coasters!

Question about finishing redwood carvings.

I got hold of 5-6 pickup loads of nice redwood (seasoned 3+ years on an asphalt).

I love the color and want to preserve the natural color and grain as much as possible. Any suggestions on what to use for finishing?

I've played with polyurethane, which makes the color really pop. I've heard that varnish and poly finishes crack after a few years. What other options are good for redwood?


Thanks in advance.

Here's my opinion based on what's happened to me. It's fair to say I've learned everything the hard way.

When applied undiluted, any of the surface finishes such as polyurethane or varnish will eventually crack and discolor due to exposure and the continued shrinking and expanding of the wood as the relative humidity changes around the carving. Those finishes also seal in the moisture (if the wood is not dry) and that often leads to a cloudy finish- also known as "blushing".

The best results I've obtained have come when I diluted (thinned) the finish by half or more so that it penetrated into the wood and does not sit on the surface. Multiple coats will eventually give you a shine.

It's best to let the wood dry, but that can be a long process and can take years. Second-growth redwood will actually lose about half its weight over time. That's a lot of water to seal up in a chunk of wood, so I have applied the hard finish to the visible portions and left the relief cut and bottom to be finished with regular wood oil, like shingle oil. It's volatile and requires some maintenance from time to time, but that's all part of its being wood and not marble.

Thanks for the sage advice. I haven't been carving long enough to see the mistakes coming yet.

I've got some marine grade spar varnish. I'll try to thin it out and see how it soaks in.

I've tried some other "natural" or "clear" deck stains that have a yellowish color.

That old redwood is so nice, I want to keep the grain.