The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Anothe re-finishing question

I've been keeping track of the bed finish test at the Mar-K site, seems that black Por-15 has held up the best. What I was thinking was would clear Por-15 work as well? I'm looking for possible opinions before i tear mine apart to redo it.

bump

ok, I'll opine - I think the black would have better UV protection, the clear would be more affected by UV

Bill

In doing the research for the finish testing we came across the http://www.smithandcompany.org/ website that describes the CPES we used in the test. There are several interesting articles on what it takes to protect wood from the elements. Regarding the difference between pigmented and clear products protection, the pigmented product designed for exterior use blocks UV and the clear products work by absorbing UV. After a time, the clear has absorbed all it can and it begins to break down. The pigmented (black) product continues to protect as long as the coating film is intact. It appears that clear can provide good protection until its absorbers quit working, then it needs to be sanded and recoated. Note that not all pigmented products provide UV protection.

Mar-Ktech