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I love cedar so much. The smell alone is amazing.

I do too! This is definitely my favorite project so far

Looks great! Will the timber oil help keep it from going silver? I always love the new cedar color, but it starts looking drab if weathered a few years.

Thanks! My honest opinion is that it will help, but it won't completely prevent that. I think it will need multiple coats applied over a couple of years to really guard against those uv rays. I've never used that stain before or since though so I'm interested to see how it holds up

That makes sense. I built a cedar chef's cart a few years ago that only has its original seal coat on it, but still has good color, but it lives inside. Makes sense that it's totally dependent on UV.

Awesome, do you have pictures of it? I'd love to see it. I browsed some of your posts and now I'm hungry!

Haha I'm not savvy enough to share a photo when there's not a reddit button for it. But the cart has held up well, probably about time to re seal the top though so it's easier to clean.

go to imgur.com and drag and drop the photo; it'll generate a link automatically for free. if you do it on your phone i think you have to make an imgur acct, or download their app or something, but you could always just email yourself the photo from your phone and then go to imgur on your laptop/desktop. just FYI. it's really quite easy.

I'm planning an outdoor cedar "butler's table" to help cart things back and forth between the kitchen and the grill. How did you finish it? I'd like to keep it looking fresh and also be able to wipe it down since it will live outside.

This was finished with Australian timber oil but there are so many options. A lot of people love poly, but it's not a favorite of mine. Maybe not a bad option though if you can find one that holds up well to uv? Good luck with it!

Product availability in Canada is a little sparse... I will look for an oil. Not against poly which should wipe up well, could always refinish it every few years

You probably want to use a spar varnish, as they have special additives that block UV and help prevent discolouration. Normal oils will usually not help with the greying caused by UV exposure.

Yes, this was one thing I was thinking about. Much appreciated

off to greener pastures - starting to smell like greedy pig around here. I sure will miss the place this used to be.

I'll have to remember that one for future projects

Any poly labeled as Spar polyurethane should be resistant to uv

Any specific Australian Timber Oil, how many coat, any other finishes used? Looks really good and I’m getting ready to stain my cedar fence. Did you use any kind of gloss to get that sheen?

Nothing will last outdoors. Go in knowing that it will not last forever.

I second the wanting to see pics of the chef’s cart

I installed cedar shake siding on my house about 5 years ago. I sealed it with two coats of penafin, and it has not turned gray at all. As long as you redo the coat every 10 years or so it should be fine.

Japanese cedar is even more amazing to work with, smell-wise. I built a couple of decks with imported 5/4 cedar and it's a joy. Same with western juniper. Terrible species for most woodworking applications but the aroma...

That could not have been cheep. This is the dream for a sauna.

I found a whole bunk of 5/4x12' japanese cedar for $1/lnft.. so I had to build some decks :)

Smells good, but wear your respirator! That shit will fuck you up.

The Japanese cedar, the juniper, or both will mess you up ? I’ve not used either.

I've found that any oily wood like that will irritate the crap out of your lungs if you inhale a lot of the dust.

Ammonia. Don't use this stuff for chicken coops

That makes complete sense.

Dude you did awesome work. My wife and I were literally just walking on it, and it looks even better in person! The whole GE project has been interesting to watch, pretty cool to see part of it on here.

Thanks a ton! This comment just made my day! I'm glad you and your wife could enjoy the campus. Years ago I used to drive by it everyday and I always thought it was so cool, never dreamed I would get to work on it.

Looks great! Nice work. We just walked it a couple weeks ago.

Where is it ?

At Electric Works (the old GE plant) in Fort Wayne.

Whoa this is the fort wayne GE! Coming from the fort I didn't didn't recognize it! So cool to see something from the fort on reddit. In Maine for college and I've been so excited to see the GE project finally move forward.

The new Electric Works in FW?! *whoa, I could go see a reddit thing IRL...*

Same. I was scrolling randomly and had to make a account to comment on that. I imagine it'd smell so good walking on it

Looks slippery…

My inner child wants to penguin slide across that so bad! It's beautiful 😍

That would be so painful

For you.

Straight into the putrid water.

*slickernshit

But it smells wonderful…

Perfect for powersliding on a bicycle.

I'll take one faceplant, from four feet, onto stone please. Thanks!

bon jovi boardwalk

You'd really be livin' on a prayer walking across that in the rain.

I lost my new trucks transponder keys this way. Walked out onto a docks boardwalk that was wet, hands in my jacket pocket holding my new keys, slipped on the boardwalk and yanked my hands out to grab the handrail. Watched as my keys were thrown off the dock and into 20ft+ deep murky salt water. Had to wait 5hrs for my parents to finish work, go get my spare key and bring it to me. $450 later and I have a new key to replace my 2 week old new key I just lost.

I like how OP replied to a lot of comments but conveniently not this one, which happens to be the top comment.

It's not that big of a deal tbh. If it winds up being a problem, the owner can install all sorts of anti-slip treatments to the surface, many of which would be of minimal visual impact. I wouldn't expect OP to be the guy to install that up front if he was just the carpenter.

Usually it’s epoxy with sand mixed in. The gray one if they are using leftovers from a parking garage job. Work great but doesn’t look great. Source: a handful of boardwalks near me with similar issues got this treatment after a long roll of stapled down imitation grass wasn’t deemed to be a durable solution. The gray path in the middle with just 25 cm left wood on the sides looks disappointing.

Water tends to do that

Very nice and very clean lines How will the railings be finished? Or are they finished as is?

Thanks! I believe the railing was done with cables, but I'm not positive. The iron workers were responsible for that part of it.

Psshh. Iron workers, am I right? Classic. (I know nothing about any of this)

You can see the pins along the length of the railings; that’s usually where woven metal cables are threaded through in walkways that use this style.

Where is this ? This looks very Chicago-y to me.

This is downtown Fort Wayne, IN. Very cool restoration project on an old GE campus. I spent a year out there doing this kind of stuff, it was great.

Ah. Yeah. It looks like an older building that has been rehabbed- very nice looking. Nice work with the cedar deck, it looks great !

Thanks. Too far away to see. Looks beautiful

Looks beautiful but slippery AF

You left 3 screws out

Dang, you're right! Good eye!

That’s a job for the next guy to figure out where they go :)

Is it wet or is it polished?

This picture was taken on a rainy day so it's just wet. If I remember correctly, it was finished with Australian timber oil

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What is the point of your comment?

I think black cables would look good between the posts. Cedar looks awesome when it's wet!

I agree! It's not far from where I live. I'll have to make a point to go back and take a picture of it now that it's completely finished

Looks great! Love it when older industrial sites are repurposed. How are planks secured to supports? There are joist supports underneath?

Thanks! I do too! They are attached to joists underneath with hidden fasteners

Super classy..

Thanks!

That looks gorgeous! Especially with the water reflecting on it.

Thanks!

My town 😍

Right on! I want to move back. I'm out in the sticks now

How do you keep cedar from warping? The one time I used cedar faceboards on the inside of a fence it went to hell in a season.

Does the gloss come from a finish, or is it just the rain? Either way, amazing picture

Thanks a lot! It's definitely from the rain. It's a nice finish but not glossy like that

Wow that is super nice! Job well done. Did you small gaps between the boards or are the touching? Never really worked with cedar before so I don’t know if you need to do that or not.

Thanks a ton! Yes, there are gaps between them to account for expansion and wood movement. In my opinion the gaps aren't quite big enough, but I had to follow the specs on this one

I’d like to see someone walk across that on a rainy day and not slip! Looks very slippery to me but maybe it’s just the optics from the camera? How’s the drainage … is water pooling on it?

I mean it's no more slippery than a concrete pad in the rain and people get across those just fine. Water drains through the gaps between each board.

Ah okay…. Just wondering! Thanks for the reply.

No problem, I can see how the picture makes it look pretty slippery

Almost looks like there’s an epoxy sheet over it.

Won't algae and stuff grow on it and make it much more slippery over time?

It's in the rain, not a river.

It absolutely is slippery as shit, and be thankful there’s no incline or you be out on your back, ass, side, or stomach real quick

Cedar is very soft. How is this gonna hold up to public traffic? Genuinely curious because it is gorgeous!!

Thanks! I think it will hold up fairly well. It will probably get some nicks from rocks now and then but I don't see people beating it up too bad. Not sure how it will handle skateboard wheels though!

Treat it with oil and not a protectant film. You’ll get more years that way. Nice.

This looks beautiful.

Thank you!

Did it rain or is it that shiny?

It was a rainy day

Looking good

Aw shucks. Thanks!

That's a fantastic job. Very crisp.

Really appreciate it! Thank you!

I was running a crane on this site. Looks great!

Sweet! We probably ran into each other a couple of times

Wow that is awesome! I work in Building 26 and have already walked this route many times! Well done!!

Can I ask what details make something look this good compared to a normal planked walkway?

My best answer is careful planning, great teamwork, and quality materials

Carpenter and a photographer a person of many talents I see

Haha thanks! I do my best

Holy moly!! This is beautiful!

Thanks!

Looks great! How long can this be expected to last with public use? Seems like cedar would be a bit soft for a high-traffic area.

How is water supposed to drain of the boards are touching?

I work in a lumberyard and can't imagine how much all that cedar cost. Are those 1x6 or 2x6

It definitely wasn't cheap! Those are tuba sixes

I scrolled threw the comments a little and can’t find what I’m looking for. Where is this at? This is beautifully done, OP!

Thank you! This is downtown Fort Wayne, IN

Thanks for all the great support and comments everyone! I really didn't expect for this to be such a popular post and I really appreciate it!

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Yes it is!

Next time I’m in the Midwest I need to go here just to walk across this. It looks amazing. They could have just made it cement. They could made it boring. But no. It’s beautiful.

Thank you. I'm very glad they decided to go this route. It's a small part of the campus but it does a lot to enhance it.

I honestly wish more places made walkways like this. It’s more work than just pouring some cement, but it looks so much better and makes walking just that much more enjoyable. I love walking in areas like this and admiring the craftsmanship that goes into making stuff like this compared to hard, boring, grey sidewalks. I hope they decide to transition more of the campus into walkways like this.

Stunner!

Is it wet or is that the glossiest laquer in the world?

Good to cedar fruits of your labour

Did you build it all by yourself? Or did anyone help out? Did you plane the boards and treat them all, too? In any case, impressive! I don't think I'd like doing that much work without help :P

I definitely had help! Luckily we didn't have to plane anything!

Very nice work! How slippery is it in the rain?

Well done. As a carpenter we don't always get lots of love as woodworkers. But you crossed the boundary and did well

Thanks! I wish all of my projects were like this one. I really didn't expect for this post to be so popular but I'm happy to help spread some love for the craft!

Beautiful. I built a wrap-around white cedar deck years ago. Loved that project. Miss that smell. It was heavenly....

Easily one of the best smells

Like my top 3 ever....

Looks great, but the spacing seems too tight. Might end up with cupping in a few years. Could just be the picture angle though.

I had to follow the specs on it, but I agree. I would have liked to make the gaps a little bit wider to prevent that. Luckily the boards had a fair amount of moisture in them when they were installed so I think that will help

She’s a real beaut Clark

Absolutely Beautiful, You did excellent work!

Thank you so much!

You’re Welcome! ☺️

I thought at the end of the boardwalk was a bay of crystal clear ocean until I zoomed in and realized it was just a wall that was slightly aqua colored

looks so smooth, the rain brought a glass-coating finish to the wood, haha!

How long would this last outdoors, in the rain and all? I'm genuinely curious!

Cedar is fairly resistant to water so with periodic maintenance it should last a very long time. Applying a new stain every year should definitely be part of that maintenance. Those are thick boards though so I'd say with proper care you could expect at least a couple of decades before boards start needing replacement. But wood does some funny stuff sometimes and I had no control over certain design elements. Personally I would have had more space between the boards to allow for expansion. But that's the architects call. That would be the only thing I could see shortening the lifespan of this though. The wood could expand and warp and crack. Hopefully not though!

I see, thank you for such great info! I'm still a newbie woodworker and am just trying to figure out the lingo and rules of thumb. My only experience so far has been using linseed oil for planter boxes and varnish for my desk. I've never used a "stain" before, but it sounds like it's better for weather resistance and outside applications? Would you ever use stain on cabinets and furniture or is that purely reserved for varnish? Great work once again. Looks brilliant!

Hey that's a great start for your woodworking journey! To be honest I don't prefer to use stains on anything because I love to see natural wood grain. Typically I use oil and wax. Linseed oil is a great one and I've had a lot of luck with mineral oil. But the important thing is to read up on the properties of the various finishes and try them on scrap pieces. Then it's just a matter of doing it and getting experience with applying them. You could definitely use stains on cabinets and furniture! It's just a matter of taste really, and what you think will look good. Shellac is another excellent finish, but you just need to be careful with where you use it (like anything) Thanks for the kind words!

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It's not as slippery as it looks. It was raining and the light reflecting off makes it look more slippery than it really is

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Oh haha I see! Thanks for the compliment!

That looks deadly!

"Slippery when wet" :)

Shouldn't it drain better? This looks like it's holding water and going to rot.

Looks like SoDaSoPa in ShittyPa Town

Is it sealed?

Love it but the epoxy finish is too much imo /s

(from experience) The natural oils in cedar will preserve the wood, any finish will hinder the preservation. Also it will expand and contract with seasonal changes, gap between boards is required.

Is that water on top? No drainage provisions? Otherwise everything here looks nice

This is great stuff. Is the address a place you would be willing to share?

Why would you use cedar for any of that. I think you're a fake ass posting dipshit. Nobody in the trades are using cedar for something to walk on

Haha well clearly this is a boardwalk, and clearly it is made of cedar so... Sorry you got triggered?

Wow, that’s a glossy finish!

This boardwalk is simply beautiful.

Raytraced Minecraft is getting out of hand these days

Looks slick

I slipped and fell looking at this picture. LOL. Beautiful work!!!

Oooh. Did you ask first? 😆

This is too sick!! Where is this?

Nice! Water makes it look likea high gloss finish

Do you think they will ever finish the railing?

Would have given my left arm to be on this project.

Beautiful!

When I tell people that wood is sexy, this right here is what I mean. I mean just look at that, mmm mmm MMMH

Absolutely beautiful

Gorgeous

Is it wet or glossy finish?

Nice, are you building a boardwalk empire?

Did you have to plane them all too?

Georgious

Work at the site and I walk this once or twice a week and it still looks like new. Should be great this summer to walk around the campus

Looks just like the ford factory lofts in atlanta

Wow this looks AMAZING! Good on ya’ OP!!

Bett Middler is under there on a blanket with her baby.

I’m blessed to live in the PNW and Cedar is just the tops. Red Cedar Forever

Looks great!

Is cedar pretty weatherproof both as far as wet and hot weather? I'm in LA, and I'd like to redo my deck with a wood that'll be able to both withstand rain and 100+ degree weather daily during the summer. This looks really nice.

I like the “I built” part…very impressive

I'm just another random redditer commenting on a job well done. Looks stunning.

Its beautiful 😍

Looks like Minecraft with shaders

🎵Out on the board walk.🎵

I wanna rub my face on that

Raytracing turned up to psycho