DIY question

[Baitball Blogger]

I scored some nice crate wooden boxes at Michaels and hope to pile them on top of each other and make a hanging orchid garden out of them. Question: These are obviously going to be subjected to a lot of humidity. Is there a protective coat I can spray or paint of them to help them last longer? I like the paint color as it is, so it would be a clear coat of something.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

1. Marine varish or laquer

Either can be found in clear.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. Thank you!

[hamsterjill]

3. I use a lot of Helmsmen's polyurethane.

I am an amateur, at best, but I have made some outside cat trees for my cat rescue, as well as some shelters for cat colonies. In my experience, the Helmsmen brand has held up better than others. Just my completely unprofessional opinion. You can buy it in cans to brush on, or it also comes in a spray.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. I will look for it. Thanks.

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. In addition to the above.....

check out "MINWAX" wood finishes. They've been around for EVER! and they have some excellent products. You can stain them in a shade you like then apply the Polyurethane like suggested above.

minwax.com

[csziggy]

6. I've never liked the Minwax polyurethane

It is thinner than some of the other brands - so thin that a light sanding in between coats removes too much of the finish and sometimes some of the stain or paint underneath. I think the one I liked best (but it's been twenty years since I did much woodworking) was a Varathane poly - https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/varathane/

Whichever brand I used, on both my yellow pine floors, the cabinets I made from the leftover pine and the oak computer desk I'm still using, the finish was glass smooth by the time I put on five coats with sanding in between each.

On the other hand, the shelves I had made for my office that were finished with Minwax feel rough and some parts seem almost as though they have no finish. The guy that made them swore he put six coast of Minwax poly on and sanded in between, but I am still not happy with them. Someday I may try to refinish them but it will be a big project.

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. Spar varnish

I've used marine type polys in the past with great success. I'm not promoting Minwax's poly's, just their stains.

I'll agree 100% that there are better brands of clear urethane out there
Edit to say I'm not promoting anything, actually. Just offering a suggestion to the OP

[csziggy]

8. I do like Minwax stains - tried some others and wasn't happy

But the OP said they liked the paint color, just wanted to protect it and the wood, so they won't need stain.

There are so many choices it's hard to recommend one product. If the items are going to be exposed to the weather, yes, spar varnish is good. Rustoleum produced Varathane offers one in their range of products. I've only finished things for inside use - floors, cabinets, etc. so I haven't used a spar varnish.

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. I've never had a problem with a product that was designed for either marine or aviation use.

It seems those two applications in particular require durability well above and beyond what is needed for coating a couple of crates, hence my recommending them.

You're right, there are waaaay too many available products to keep abreast of, but sometimes if you step out of the zone you're looking at, so to speak, you'll find product lines that kick the shit out of what you find at Home Despot! Shop at a paint and body shop supply store for wax and polish for your car, for instance.

Here's hoping the OP finds the right product!