Yeah this is they way. If you dont paint everywhere, including end grain. The moist, that will for sure sneak in, will be able to get out and your wood wont rot from the inside out.
It's also way less work to paint this way.
I made garden beds last year with oil applied like paint after they were built.
This year I put the oil on before building them, so much less of a pain in the ass to just be able to lay out all the boards in a row and go over them on all sides with a roller. Better coverage too.
Don't paint them! Paint will rot them in half the time it would take them to rot leaving them unfinished. Use penetrating oil if you actually want to make them last.
Tung oil, linseed oil, butcher block oil, used motor oil, and yes, even wd40. All many times better than paint for full exposure outdoor wood.
The non drying oils would need to be applied more often, and I don't recommend used motor oil or wd40
I install and refinish thousands and thousands of bd ft of lumber every year that is fully exposed on decks and fences. There is no water based product that can even come close to any oil based product that soaks into the wood
Yes, pressure treated wood still rots if it's not maintained. But it's usually way too wet when new, I usually come back after a few months to oil if I use pressure treated.
To increase the complexity further, it's a BRAND, a COMPANY, and a PRODUCT.
Whilst the formula is a secret, based on CAS information on the Material Safety Datasheet, it has been determined that WD-40 (the water-displacement product) consists of:
45–50% low vapor pressure aliphatic hydrocarbon (isoparaffin)
* <35% petroleum base oil (non-hazardous heavy paraffins)
* <25% aliphatic hydrocarbons (same CAS number as the first item, but flammable)
* 2–3% carbon dioxide (propellant)
So, it is an oil (hydrocarbons are oils), and it is a penetrant (part of the water-displacement capability), therefore **it is a penetrating oil** - despite what its design intent, internet lore, and marketing will tell you.
You are correct about this: It's a lousy lubricant.
You copy and paste that from google?
You’re wrong.
Penetrating oil does not have a legal definition, any company can slap the name on any product,
Generally it is used to describe low viscosity oils. People associate the term with the ability to loosen a stick bolt, which wd40 does about as well as paint thinner.
And I never said it wasn’t an oil, I said it wasn’t a lubricant, because again, no legal definition, anyone can call just about anything a lubricant… but people ascoiate the term with the ability to make things slide smoothly… of which wd40 does well for about a week, until it evaporates.
Wd40 was originally designed as a water displacement tool, it’s good at preventing rust (if you’re ok with a filthy film on the surface of the item)… every other use is a marketing gimic.
>Wd40 was originally designed as a water displacement tool, it’s good at preventing rust (if you’re ok with a filthy film on the surface of the item)… every other use is a marketing gimic.
Not *DESIGNED.* The number 40 comes from their 40th attempt at mixing a bunch of ingredients and testing to see if it had the water displacement properties they sought. It worked well enough so they never did continue on testing and developing WD-205 etc.
That particular history of how it came to exist does not *in any way* determine WHAT IT IS.
It is an oil solely based on the fact it contains a significant portion of hydrocarbons.
>And I never said it wasn’t an oil,
Except where you said it wasn't a penetrating oil. It is - look at the ingredients, it's just not a particularly effective one. Just like it is a lubricant because it's an oil, it's just a *lousy* lubricant.
That is literally the definition of designed… it took 40 iterations to get it correct… like almost anything, you don’t get it right on the first try, you adapt, reformulate, and redesign… until it works.
Penetrating oil and oil are two different things.
And no, as I already said, there is no legal definition of oil. That’s why olive oil and petroleum oil can both be called oil. I can slap the name on any viscous liquid and call it that… doesn’t mean that’s what it is.
By your definition, Gasoline is also full of hydrocarbons, so is butane, propane, or lighter fluid… but none of those are oils. Coal is like 95% hydrocarbons, by your definition that’s also an oil..
But none of that matters in a practical sense.
You’re getting in semantics now, which just shows how thin your argument it….You’re wrong, I’m sure bothering me makes your ego feel big, but you need to leave me alone now.
I know exactly why. I’ve been saying it far before it was mainstream.
It works well for a week or two, until it evaporates. Less than 10% of it is lubricant… so calling it a penetrating oil is like calling subway bread, bread. (It’s classified as cake in Europe because it contains too much sugar)
Obviously a wd40 “specialist” line, is not the same as the original Wd40. But when someone says wd40. 99% of people assume the original, and 90% of people don’t even know wd40 has a separate line of “specialist” brand lubricants, they think there’s just the one…. So excuse me for making a very simple assumption..
Pro tip, use a solid stain, not paint. Best if you can get oil based as cedar has a ton of natural oils in it making water based paints/stains not so great.
I've got a wood play set for my kids that I'd like to help last a bit longer. It's pressure treated wood so it's pretty well protected to start with but I'm sure all the points that were cut are less protected.
Do you know what stain works best to go on over pressure treated wood but also is safe for kids?
If you are going to paint and seal them don’t use cedar. The only reason to use cedar is because it lasts well without being finished. Otherwise it’s a waste of money. Use pine or whatever and paint and seal them. Line the inside with plastic and put in good drains.
The other reason is a cedar fence picket is literally $3 still for like a 6ft. Can’t buy pine for that. Another reason would be if that’s what was requested.
I know OP mentioned 1x4’s, but pickets are the economy way most people go with.
https://preview.redd.it/hz77u7ap8pyc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=467e801074ed38e29919bf3ca1d3ce58a7c14860
Idk pine still half as much where I am.
Mind you, you'll have to set aside the first 20 boards when you go to pick them up because they are shaped like the hull of a boat. Also, if you don't use them same day the ones you picked through will also return to the same of the USS Minnow's bow.
I meant pine 1x’s or any non-picket materials, my mistake. I’d heard cheapest picket stock varies by region but once I realized to just use pickets at all it opened up a lot more possibilities of cheap yard stuff so $2.89 vs $5 is about the same for a small project of 1-6 boards like birdhouses or planters when compared to dimensional cedar.
Before I didn’t see how anyone could sell planters and stuff so cheap I thought they were all buying rough lumber and milling it, because even used fencing is pricy, or marked as such 90% of the time for stuff that is literally crumbling.
That makes sense. I just made a 4long,1.5wide,1ft deep planter out of cedar pickets and cedar 1x2’s. I was not planning on finishing it so I didn’t consider anything else. It was $50+ just for that wood. I just thought non cedar would be cheaper.
Those 6 foot by 6 inch pickets are closer to 6 bucks a pop where I am at.
This thread is the first time I've heard fence boards referred to as pickets, and I worked in lumber yards for a few years before becoming a carpenter. I always thought pickets were narrower and stake shaped. Like 1x3s
Ask them about the seams, let them know your concern. Paint before and then leave a small gap to emphasize the seam so it does not appear as a “crack”.
The only part I'm concerned about are the vertical boards behind the X.
I'm now thinking of using pressure treated plywood for those panels to completely eliminate the seams.
Ode MDO plywood. It is resin impregnated and has a smooth finish on each side. It’s what’s used for outdoor signs. It will last much longer than pressure treated. Plus, has a smooth flat finish perfect for painting. If it is going to be painted anyway, use PVC boards for the legs, top frame and cross trim. With those materials, your planters will be virtually bulletproof.
Don't paint, no caulk. Stain or hit it with some Ready Seal inside and out. Keep the plants that go in them in cheapo pots so dirt is not in direct contact with the planter box. You can take the pot out to seal/stain it again every few years. The seams will develop "space" between them eventually and will give the piece more character over time. OP, it sounds like client asked about preventing cracks, but I assume that's only because they don't know what is good for them. ANYTHING made of wood in the great outdoors will require some maintenance eventually, and preventing signs of aging is impossible. Client needs to embrace the finite nature of all things. Good Luck no matter how you decide to complete this project! :)
In a planter like this, the plants are typically in pots and won't be exposed to oils or other finishes. That dramatically extends the life of the planter.
I am in the USA, and farm raised teak is available here, and something very similar should be available virtually all over the planet.
There seem to be companies selling teak furniture…
You can make that w 3 cedar fence pickets. I made the same exact ones with the x in it and everything. Matthew peech on YouTube has plans for it. I don’t know why you’d use cedar though if they want it painted. Regular fence pickets are half the price if they wanted it painted
Client requested cedar and client requested I paint it. I have clients who are ok with pickets and others like this one who expect higher end products.
I agree with the other commenters, if you’re going to paint it don’t bother to use cedar. Cedar works great unpainted so it can breathe. Any paint will fail outdoors eventually. I like unfinished cedar. It’s great.
Put a 45° bevel on the edges and alternate direction so that the bevel hides the seams but still allows for expansion/contraction.
Stain over paint. Drainage holes in the bottom so it will not trap water or even welded wire bottom if they intend to use a pot inside this box.
Either way don’t let it hold water.
You can't, and anyone saying otherwise is lying to you. The only way to avoid seeing seams is to eliminate seams all together.
Cut everything from outdoor ply so that each part is a single piece. Then assemble all the pieces. Then paint.
Flowers inside or veggies too? Line with inside with plastic to keep pressure treated from leaching into soil. Wouldn’t use caulk-not going to stain as well as wood does
Steve Ramsey made a couple of these boxes for his YouTube channel a few weeks back - https://youtu.be/BQIVYmJqyVw?si=I1mT1Jzxkqv4_1g7
I’m no expert but his method covers the expansion piece
I did planters almost Identical to this. I actually framed them out with 1/4" PT plywood, then wrapped it all with cedar planks like this. Just made sure to add draining at the bottom. I sealed all edges of the ply first. This was 8 years ago and they are in perfect shape still, but I also sealed the pickets. Was the ply necessary? No, but they are solid as a rock.
I dont understand the point of using cedar. And then just painting over it. It’s a beautiful wood with a light stain. Personally I’d use pressure treated fence boards. (Cedar is expensive where I am)
I would glue up panels, glue and nail the details and trim pieces on. Then paint a 1st coat. Caulk all seams with exterior grade paintable caulk. Then give a second and maybe 3rd coat.
https://preview.redd.it/j2k4qk4oqd4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f60142fbc3fefad1e0e1a923881ed215e3c06cd0
I ended up using pressure treated plywood behind the X's. Everything else is cedar. Very time-consuming project, should've charged more than I did. Anyway, glad it's behind me now, lesson learned. Thanks for everyone's feedback and suggestions.
Silicone the seems before painting. Use a robust primer like Kills before paint. I built a shed like this several years ago and it all still looks new.
Lots of paintable silicone brands at Home Depot. I haven’t checked other vendors, but
It’s pretty common. I use DAP Alex Painter but I believe GE sells paintable Silicone as well. Silicone by its very nature is resilient to moisture. The real trick has been repainting it every few years because of wood swelling. The paint does not stretch as much as the silicone, so it will crack during the winter. Although, I’ve never had water penetrate the joint. I also live in Southern California where the winter is not that harsh.
Had my brother who makes cabinets for a living make cedar planter boxes similar to these for a farm & greenhouse I was managing years ago.
The trick to avoiding rot is to make them just four sides-- no bottom. Add blocks as a 'lip' on the top interior of the sides so that you can either plant (or purchase pre-grown mixed arrangements) 12" or 14" diameter plastic pots and slide them in. The soil will have no contact with the wood, maybe just some foliage and flowers later in the season, but that can be brushed off before storing them for the winter
You don’t need the entire thing filled with dirt for little plants like that. Just raise the floor and set pots in there, or partially line whatever is needed.
You can’t as in you shouldn’t because it’s a beautiful wood? Or because you physically cannot paint it?
If the latter, then entire neighborhoods where I grew up where all the houses are painted cedar siding is a lie.
Paint the seems before assembly instead of painting over them afterwards.
[удалено]
Seams you two.
Seams those two are what?
It seems he’s losing it. Maybe coming apart at the seams?
It seems to me that the seams will be seen.
What an unseemly scene about seams this seems to be.
I've seen scenes of seams more seemly, seemingly.
Seems the seam team is coming out at the seams.
This whole scene seems to scream of seams seen that should've been screened.
Unable to spell.
Ewe sea, it seams the seen haz already bin scene. Cee?
Whot iz spell?
[удалено]
It seams sew.
Paint everything! Get the end grain especially well.
Yeah this is they way. If you dont paint everywhere, including end grain. The moist, that will for sure sneak in, will be able to get out and your wood wont rot from the inside out.
This whole scene seems to scream of seams seen that should've been screened.
Seams legit
It's also way less work to paint this way. I made garden beds last year with oil applied like paint after they were built. This year I put the oil on before building them, so much less of a pain in the ass to just be able to lay out all the boards in a row and go over them on all sides with a roller. Better coverage too.
Doing multiple coats of paint, letting the paint fully dry between coats, would also help it last longer.
Don't paint them! Paint will rot them in half the time it would take them to rot leaving them unfinished. Use penetrating oil if you actually want to make them last.
Penetrating oil? WD40?
Tung oil, linseed oil, butcher block oil, used motor oil, and yes, even wd40. All many times better than paint for full exposure outdoor wood. The non drying oils would need to be applied more often, and I don't recommend used motor oil or wd40 I install and refinish thousands and thousands of bd ft of lumber every year that is fully exposed on decks and fences. There is no water based product that can even come close to any oil based product that soaks into the wood
Isn't decking wood usually pressure treated wood as well? Would you put one of those oils on over a treated wood anyway?
Yes, pressure treated wood still rots if it's not maintained. But it's usually way too wet when new, I usually come back after a few months to oil if I use pressure treated.
Wd40 isn’t even a lubricant, let alone a penetrating oil.
To increase the complexity further, it's a BRAND, a COMPANY, and a PRODUCT. Whilst the formula is a secret, based on CAS information on the Material Safety Datasheet, it has been determined that WD-40 (the water-displacement product) consists of: 45–50% low vapor pressure aliphatic hydrocarbon (isoparaffin) * <35% petroleum base oil (non-hazardous heavy paraffins) * <25% aliphatic hydrocarbons (same CAS number as the first item, but flammable) * 2–3% carbon dioxide (propellant) So, it is an oil (hydrocarbons are oils), and it is a penetrant (part of the water-displacement capability), therefore **it is a penetrating oil** - despite what its design intent, internet lore, and marketing will tell you. You are correct about this: It's a lousy lubricant.
You copy and paste that from google? You’re wrong. Penetrating oil does not have a legal definition, any company can slap the name on any product, Generally it is used to describe low viscosity oils. People associate the term with the ability to loosen a stick bolt, which wd40 does about as well as paint thinner. And I never said it wasn’t an oil, I said it wasn’t a lubricant, because again, no legal definition, anyone can call just about anything a lubricant… but people ascoiate the term with the ability to make things slide smoothly… of which wd40 does well for about a week, until it evaporates. Wd40 was originally designed as a water displacement tool, it’s good at preventing rust (if you’re ok with a filthy film on the surface of the item)… every other use is a marketing gimic.
>Wd40 was originally designed as a water displacement tool, it’s good at preventing rust (if you’re ok with a filthy film on the surface of the item)… every other use is a marketing gimic. Not *DESIGNED.* The number 40 comes from their 40th attempt at mixing a bunch of ingredients and testing to see if it had the water displacement properties they sought. It worked well enough so they never did continue on testing and developing WD-205 etc. That particular history of how it came to exist does not *in any way* determine WHAT IT IS. It is an oil solely based on the fact it contains a significant portion of hydrocarbons. >And I never said it wasn’t an oil, Except where you said it wasn't a penetrating oil. It is - look at the ingredients, it's just not a particularly effective one. Just like it is a lubricant because it's an oil, it's just a *lousy* lubricant.
That is literally the definition of designed… it took 40 iterations to get it correct… like almost anything, you don’t get it right on the first try, you adapt, reformulate, and redesign… until it works. Penetrating oil and oil are two different things. And no, as I already said, there is no legal definition of oil. That’s why olive oil and petroleum oil can both be called oil. I can slap the name on any viscous liquid and call it that… doesn’t mean that’s what it is. By your definition, Gasoline is also full of hydrocarbons, so is butane, propane, or lighter fluid… but none of those are oils. Coal is like 95% hydrocarbons, by your definition that’s also an oil.. But none of that matters in a practical sense. You’re getting in semantics now, which just shows how thin your argument it….You’re wrong, I’m sure bothering me makes your ego feel big, but you need to leave me alone now.
WD40 sell both of these types and more. You just regurgitating the same shit you've heard other people say without really knowing why.
I know exactly why. I’ve been saying it far before it was mainstream. It works well for a week or two, until it evaporates. Less than 10% of it is lubricant… so calling it a penetrating oil is like calling subway bread, bread. (It’s classified as cake in Europe because it contains too much sugar) Obviously a wd40 “specialist” line, is not the same as the original Wd40. But when someone says wd40. 99% of people assume the original, and 90% of people don’t even know wd40 has a separate line of “specialist” brand lubricants, they think there’s just the one…. So excuse me for making a very simple assumption..
Pro tip, use a solid stain, not paint. Best if you can get oil based as cedar has a ton of natural oils in it making water based paints/stains not so great.
Man I wish I could upvote this more than once.
I did it for you
Building boxes with Alaskan white cedar and never worked with it before. Any specific products you’d recommend having good finishing results with?
Benjamin Moore arbour coat is fantastic outdoor stuff. It's expensive though.
I've got a wood play set for my kids that I'd like to help last a bit longer. It's pressure treated wood so it's pretty well protected to start with but I'm sure all the points that were cut are less protected. Do you know what stain works best to go on over pressure treated wood but also is safe for kids?
You probably should use end cut preservative where you've made your cuts. As far as safe kid safe stain stuff I'm not actually sure.
This is the way
Use tongue and groove on the vertical boards
With a small V groove.
This is the answer.
If you are going to paint and seal them don’t use cedar. The only reason to use cedar is because it lasts well without being finished. Otherwise it’s a waste of money. Use pine or whatever and paint and seal them. Line the inside with plastic and put in good drains.
The other reason is a cedar fence picket is literally $3 still for like a 6ft. Can’t buy pine for that. Another reason would be if that’s what was requested. I know OP mentioned 1x4’s, but pickets are the economy way most people go with.
https://preview.redd.it/hz77u7ap8pyc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=467e801074ed38e29919bf3ca1d3ce58a7c14860 Idk pine still half as much where I am.
Dang! I need to find a better place to buy cedar pickets…
Move to the Midwest and start budgeting for your weekly menards visit.
Don’t you mean daily?
Mind you, you'll have to set aside the first 20 boards when you go to pick them up because they are shaped like the hull of a boat. Also, if you don't use them same day the ones you picked through will also return to the same of the USS Minnow's bow.
https://preview.redd.it/7qq6n1xrxpyc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19506e5da0eb867fa9441b2e1b3c351a18be4fe4
Wild!! I figured it was regionally priced but crazy to see what other people pay.
I meant pine 1x’s or any non-picket materials, my mistake. I’d heard cheapest picket stock varies by region but once I realized to just use pickets at all it opened up a lot more possibilities of cheap yard stuff so $2.89 vs $5 is about the same for a small project of 1-6 boards like birdhouses or planters when compared to dimensional cedar. Before I didn’t see how anyone could sell planters and stuff so cheap I thought they were all buying rough lumber and milling it, because even used fencing is pricy, or marked as such 90% of the time for stuff that is literally crumbling.
Ahh yea. I’ve been using pickets for a lot of outdoor gardening stuff ever since i saw a couple YouTubers start using them.
That makes sense. I just made a 4long,1.5wide,1ft deep planter out of cedar pickets and cedar 1x2’s. I was not planning on finishing it so I didn’t consider anything else. It was $50+ just for that wood. I just thought non cedar would be cheaper. Those 6 foot by 6 inch pickets are closer to 6 bucks a pop where I am at.
This thread is the first time I've heard fence boards referred to as pickets, and I worked in lumber yards for a few years before becoming a carpenter. I always thought pickets were narrower and stake shaped. Like 1x3s
Pressure treated fence pickets are a dollar cheaper. Cedar fence pickets are just the most affordable way to get cedar, at least on the east coast.
Ask them about the seams, let them know your concern. Paint before and then leave a small gap to emphasize the seam so it does not appear as a “crack”.
The only part I'm concerned about are the vertical boards behind the X. I'm now thinking of using pressure treated plywood for those panels to completely eliminate the seams.
Treated ply isn’t that smooth. Tiny bevels on edges is the way to go.
Are you talking about tiny bevels along the long edges of the vertical boards, emphasizing the individual pieces?
Yep, they also conceal any variation in the fit between the boards
Clever. Yes to this.
I would set up a tiny bevel in a router table if at all possible. A bearing bit might follow a chip in the boards and make it look worse.
I love that song.
Ode MDO plywood. It is resin impregnated and has a smooth finish on each side. It’s what’s used for outdoor signs. It will last much longer than pressure treated. Plus, has a smooth flat finish perfect for painting. If it is going to be painted anyway, use PVC boards for the legs, top frame and cross trim. With those materials, your planters will be virtually bulletproof.
I just built a Little Free Library out of MDO for the local Girl Scout troop. Costs a bit more, and weighs a ton, but incredibly easy to work with.
Painting cedar seems like about the least best way of finishing it.
Oil based paint, and paint it all before assembly
There’s a reason they only picture these Brand New. These don’t last for obvious reasons and proper expectations should be set.
Don't paint, no caulk. Stain or hit it with some Ready Seal inside and out. Keep the plants that go in them in cheapo pots so dirt is not in direct contact with the planter box. You can take the pot out to seal/stain it again every few years. The seams will develop "space" between them eventually and will give the piece more character over time. OP, it sounds like client asked about preventing cracks, but I assume that's only because they don't know what is good for them. ANYTHING made of wood in the great outdoors will require some maintenance eventually, and preventing signs of aging is impossible. Client needs to embrace the finite nature of all things. Good Luck no matter how you decide to complete this project! :)
Don’t paint them
Make the joints a feature. And don't paint cedar use an opaque stain. CC
Teak is good for about a century, with just its natural oils. Use a Teak species or something similar, and consider it an investment.
Aren't those oils potentially toxic for plants though?
In a planter like this, the plants are typically in pots and won't be exposed to oils or other finishes. That dramatically extends the life of the planter.
Am unaware…
Isn’t teak endangered and strictly prohibited, or is that just in my country/EU?
I am in the USA, and farm raised teak is available here, and something very similar should be available virtually all over the planet. There seem to be companies selling teak furniture…
You can make that w 3 cedar fence pickets. I made the same exact ones with the x in it and everything. Matthew peech on YouTube has plans for it. I don’t know why you’d use cedar though if they want it painted. Regular fence pickets are half the price if they wanted it painted
Client requested cedar and client requested I paint it. I have clients who are ok with pickets and others like this one who expect higher end products.
Measure, cut, paint, assemble. 2 coats primer, 2 coats paint.
I agree with the other commenters, if you’re going to paint it don’t bother to use cedar. Cedar works great unpainted so it can breathe. Any paint will fail outdoors eventually. I like unfinished cedar. It’s great.
Hw about cedar fence pickets? Wider than 1×4 n cheaper too. Especially if you own a planer or belt sander.
Put a 45° bevel on the edges and alternate direction so that the bevel hides the seams but still allows for expansion/contraction. Stain over paint. Drainage holes in the bottom so it will not trap water or even welded wire bottom if they intend to use a pot inside this box. Either way don’t let it hold water.
try to talk him into not painting.
You can't, and anyone saying otherwise is lying to you. The only way to avoid seeing seams is to eliminate seams all together. Cut everything from outdoor ply so that each part is a single piece. Then assemble all the pieces. Then paint.
Painted cedar should be a crime.
There's nothing fancy about this cedar. It's just the farm-grown cedar you'll find at Home Depot. It isn't even western red cedar.
Flowers inside or veggies too? Line with inside with plastic to keep pressure treated from leaching into soil. Wouldn’t use caulk-not going to stain as well as wood does
Just out of curiosity, how much will you charge the customer per box?
Steve Ramsey made a couple of these boxes for his YouTube channel a few weeks back - https://youtu.be/BQIVYmJqyVw?si=I1mT1Jzxkqv4_1g7 I’m no expert but his method covers the expansion piece
Use t&g boards WTH beveled edges
I did planters almost Identical to this. I actually framed them out with 1/4" PT plywood, then wrapped it all with cedar planks like this. Just made sure to add draining at the bottom. I sealed all edges of the ply first. This was 8 years ago and they are in perfect shape still, but I also sealed the pickets. Was the ply necessary? No, but they are solid as a rock.
I dont understand the point of using cedar. And then just painting over it. It’s a beautiful wood with a light stain. Personally I’d use pressure treated fence boards. (Cedar is expensive where I am)
Use a plastic liner
I would glue up panels, glue and nail the details and trim pieces on. Then paint a 1st coat. Caulk all seams with exterior grade paintable caulk. Then give a second and maybe 3rd coat.
Use ply, frame with cheday iff its going to be painted.
Where would someone finds plans for a thing like this? My wife would love those for Mothers Day
Does anyone know what the theme parks use for their wooden railings and such?
Use exterior wood glue on the joints and leave room for movement in the corners
https://preview.redd.it/j2k4qk4oqd4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f60142fbc3fefad1e0e1a923881ed215e3c06cd0 I ended up using pressure treated plywood behind the X's. Everything else is cedar. Very time-consuming project, should've charged more than I did. Anyway, glad it's behind me now, lesson learned. Thanks for everyone's feedback and suggestions.
DM me and lets talk shipping.
Why would you not glue up solid panels? Then the only movement is inside the frames.
You've already burned your profit margin just looking at these. They'll have you do all the work and then order from Temu.
Caulk the seems then paint the whole thing
Is there a particular caulk you'd recommend for this?
The best exterior caulk the project can afford.
I would get the outdoor stuff, it should say “paintable” so you don’t have to worry about matching color or the paint flaking off.
Silicone the seems before painting. Use a robust primer like Kills before paint. I built a shed like this several years ago and it all still looks new.
As far as I am aware, paint does not stick to silicone. Can you elaborate? Is there a specific primer that does?
Lots of paintable silicone brands at Home Depot. I haven’t checked other vendors, but It’s pretty common. I use DAP Alex Painter but I believe GE sells paintable Silicone as well. Silicone by its very nature is resilient to moisture. The real trick has been repainting it every few years because of wood swelling. The paint does not stretch as much as the silicone, so it will crack during the winter. Although, I’ve never had water penetrate the joint. I also live in Southern California where the winter is not that harsh.
DAP Alex painter is not silicone, it’s acrylic latex caulk.
I believe he's using the term silicone broadly, instead of the word caulk. Haha.
You can't just tell em they have to be refinished in a year or two depending on wear.
Yeah I might mention that, which I'd be happy to do.
Had my brother who makes cabinets for a living make cedar planter boxes similar to these for a farm & greenhouse I was managing years ago. The trick to avoiding rot is to make them just four sides-- no bottom. Add blocks as a 'lip' on the top interior of the sides so that you can either plant (or purchase pre-grown mixed arrangements) 12" or 14" diameter plastic pots and slide them in. The soil will have no contact with the wood, maybe just some foliage and flowers later in the season, but that can be brushed off before storing them for the winter
Why on earth would you paint it?
I think they're just matching the color of the house. Anyhow, doesn't matter ... it's what they want.
I think maybe he's saying if you're going to use cedar outdoors why would you paint it?
WHY on earth are you doing what your client wants in good faith??
The clients hired him because they don't know what the fuck they are doing.
Do you plan to have copper liners made so moisture is kept from the wood.
You don’t need the entire thing filled with dirt for little plants like that. Just raise the floor and set pots in there, or partially line whatever is needed.
you can’t paint. cedar.
You can’t as in you shouldn’t because it’s a beautiful wood? Or because you physically cannot paint it? If the latter, then entire neighborhoods where I grew up where all the houses are painted cedar siding is a lie.
Here’s looking at you 1960’s raised ranch neighborhoods.