Mar-K has ongoing testing of several bed wood finishes.
http://www.mar-k.com/wood_finish_testing_ii.html We coated test boards with ten different finishes and installed them in a test fixture outdoors with 24/7 exposure to the Oklahoma weather. In general, we have found that coatings need some kind of seal or primer coat for maximum durability. In the first series of tests, marine varnish by itself lasted only two or three months before defects appeared. The same varnish applied over epoxy lasted nearly a year.
We currently have two samples coated with Helmsman over seal coats of Pelucid. One is Pine and the other is Oak. After a year, the pine has still no defects showing and the oak has minor cracks begining to show. Pelucid is an excellent product and is probably suited for bedwood if it is coated with a high quality UV resistant topcoat.
Mar-Ktech
