swirt

Great project.

I've got the perfect bench to serve double duty as a great toddler bench (complete with a vise), and also serve as a very adaptable saw bench. My son (18 months) uses it all the time as a workbench and if I ask nicely, I can use it when I need to rip something.
Here's my...errr HIS new-fangled saw bench. http://www.timberframe-tools.com/tools/saw-bench-toddler-bench/

I was surprised that the recent FWW article didn't test any Sikkens product.

I have used Sikkens Cetol 1 on my cedar outdoor furniture for more than 10 years. The finish on my cedar table (under cover) still looks like an indoor furniture grade finish despite heavy use for 7 years.

The same product on cedar adirondak chairs (fully exposed to sun and rain and snow - NY climate) holds up for at least 3 years before needing an additional top coat. When fully exposed, the finish wears off but doesn't crack or split like a poly. It breathes and moves with most wood movement. So every few years I take a little steel wool to it to remove the grime and put on an additional coat. They still look great and the only place the finish has failed was where my labrador puppy (now 8 yrs old) made some teeth marks in the arms of the chair. In those spots the wood darkened because the finish failed.

I'm intrigued by what Alec said about the mill finish. He said, "I mill everything with a chainsaw mill. Though backbreaking, the surface finish is quite good compared to any other kind of mill,..."

I hadn't heard that of chainsaw mills. I would have thought that a bandsaw mill would leave a better finish (and waste less wood due to the narrower kerf).

Does a bandsaw mill really leave a good finish?