I wonder if the rounded stretcher shoulders was intended to make assembly slightly more forgiving, or if it was purely aesthetic. It does have a softening effect, but I’m not sure I would have noticed it, at least not initially.
Thanks, Ron. I wondered the same thing. Or, perhaps because the lower edge of the stretcher was very close to the bottom edge of the leg where it joins. Leaving it square might have left a visible sharp edge.
Pottz commented 2 days ago yeah id stay with an oil finish for sure, last thing you wanna have do is sand all those contours. and a good applied once a year is fairly easy maintenance. ive always used penofin myself.
Thanks for the suggestion, Pottz. I used Penofin on some outdoor furniture once upon a time. I wonder if I have any left? If I do, I'll try it on a scrap.
HokieKen commented 1 day ago Looks great Ross! For my part, I don’t like the rounded shoulders. Breaks the continuity of the assembled piece.
I like GF Outdoor Poly for stuff that will set outside. For Oak I have used a sealcoat of shellac then applied gel stain pretty heavy-handed and let it sink into the grain. Then remove the shellac with alcohol and it will leave the grain darkened but the faces natural. Then topcoat. Definitely experiment on scrap though!
Thanks, Ken. I appreciate the finishing suggestion. I'm reluctant to go with poly just due to the sanding required before a recoat. But I'll consider this.
