California current air quality standards have eliminated the manufacturer's recommended oil-based formulations. After the first dozen tables and chairs we had used up our stock of "SuperDeck" stain. Per the recommendation of Dixieline's paint expert we completed the job using a "Penofin" brand product labeled:

Penofin

Penetrating Oil Finish

Cedar

One-Coat Formula

90% UV Protection

UN1263

It appears on the Dixieline receipt as:

DESCRIPTION	MFG #	SKU	UPC	PRICE	U/M
PENOFIN 350 CEDAR OIL FIN. GAL	F3ECMGA	382948	733921-000292	$26.98	EA

The Penofin is less volatile and requires more care in application. It also smells funky :-) The one-coat formula means you shouldn't go back and fiddle with it after it starts drying. Wipe off the excess within a few minutes or you end up with a gummy mess. Allow a few days for the tables to dry completely.

For the purposes of future comparison, we marked the handful of tables and benches that were finished with the new Penofin stain. These have a "P" in blue magic marker underneath the table tops and bench tops. Since the top surfaces were pretty much cleaned down to the wood, there was no compatibility issue between old and new stain. However, the legs and undersurfaces need to be restained at some point. Will the Penofin cover the SuperDeck? Even though it is a less volatile formula, Penofin is still oil-based, so there is hope.

As of November 4th, 2007 these items remain to be addressed:

• Clean up mud-slick on patio bricks left from powerwashing
• Stain the legs, braces and undersides of all
• Check / tighten nuts and bolts on all
• Clean, stain and tighten 2 benches at restrooms
• Many of the tabletop boards have come unglued

Stu and Lou will reglue (and screw?) the tabletop boards in place and tighten the hardware. We will resume an annual maintenance cycle schedule in the spring of 2008 at an OSS work party.

The tables and benches should be inspected annually, in the spring. Inspection checks for:

• Dirt buildup
• Degradation of stain finish
• Cracked, broken or loose wood
• Loose or missing hardware

The inspection determines how much maintenance is required that year. If hardware is missing or boards are broken or loose, these need to be fixed first. The process described below is a full-scale refinishing effort. Newer finishes promise better UV protection and may hold up for a couple of years instead of just one. Maintenance might be as simple a light washing to get dirt off and tightening a couple of joints.

Power-wash the tables and benches on the Thursday or Friday before the Saturday work party. This allows them to dry before staining, but not accumulate much new dust. Remember to grab the two benches from the restroom area.

Borrow or rent a power sprayer. Recently, Ben Platnik has provided this. Connect to the hose bib and outlet outside the northeast corner of the kitchen. Do the washing (just water, no soap or solvents) in that area so the runoff goes down the drain in the patio bricks.

Tips for power-washing:

• Be prepared to get wet and filthy
• Use distance to control pressure
• Start further away and move in slowly as needed
• Move steadily in one direction when working close
• Lift away from surface to stop or reverse direction
• Clean the resulting mud-slick from patio bricks, afterward

If the spray nozzle gets within a few inches it will shred wood in a fraction of a second! Working distances of 18" down to 6" should do the job.

Flip the table or bench upside-down, spray the legs and braces clean. This should only require a gentle pressure. Use a bristle brush for cobwebs - the spray doesn't grab them well. Remember - spider thread is the strongest stuff in the universe, way tougher than wood.

Flip right-side up, spray the top surface and edges clean. This may require more pressure (i.e. move the nozzle closer to the surface).

Once cleaned move the tables and benches to the west side of the kitchen to dry overnight. This leaves the north side of the patio empty for the preparation and staining to follow. Finally, use the power-washer to wash the patio bricks and flush the drain.

With annual maintenance, one person can wash everything in three hours (about 10 minutes per table and bench set). Most of the cleaning is required on the top surfaces which get the UV exposure and accumulate dirt. A cursory spraying underneath should be sufficient. If the finish is severly degraded it can take four hours just to strip the tops down to the wood.

At the Saturday work party, 1 or 2 people prepare the tables and benches for staining. Preparation includes brushing off any leaves or dust that have accumulated since the washing, tightening assembly nuts & bolts if needed and moving the items over to the staining area.

• Flip upside down:
  • brush off dust
  • tighten nuts & bolts
• Flip right-side up:
  • brush off dust
• move to staining area

At the Saturday work party, 2 people stain the tables and benches. The preparation team will bring tables and benches from the west side of the kitchen. Stainers will deliver them to the drying area on the north side of the kitchen. Staining involves these steps for each table and bench:

• Flip upside down (on 2x4s):
  • Wipe on stain
  • Wipe off excess
• Flip right-side up:
  • Wipe on stain
  • Wipe off excess
• Move to drying area

First, set up a work area at the northwest corner of the kitchen. Put down a drop cloth to cover an 8' x 10' area. This allows two people to work around a table without knocking over the paint can. Lay a couple of 2x4s down in the middle of the area. They should be parallel, about 4' apart. These keep upside-down tabletops out of the drippy muck.

Get one of the shallow plastic stain buckets from the shed. These are round blue buckets, about 12" diameter by 5" deep with a metal loop handle. Clean it out. Open a one-gallon can of (Penofin) stain. Use last year's leftover from the shed first. Stir thoroughly with a paint stick. Pour about a quart into the bucket. Place the lid back on the gallon can and set it out of the way on the corner of the drop cloth for refilling the stain bucket as needed.

The actual staining is straightforward. Put on a pair of nitrile gloves to protect your hands. These should be in stock in the shed. Each stainer needs a clean cotton cloth which should last through the whole job. Dip the cloth in the stain bucket then wipe stain onto the wood surface. Apply evenly. Use the same cloth to wipe up the excess within a few minutes. The underside of the tables get very little UV exposure so very little new stain is needed, year to year. The top sides have the sun beating down on them constantly and lots of grime to get blasted off with the power-washing, so they will absorb more stain.

The one-coat formula means you shouldn't go back and fiddle with it after it starts drying. Wipe off the excess within a few minutes or you end up with a gummy mess. Beware of drips under the table edge! Do a final check for thick spots before moving each piece to the drying area on the north side of the kitchen.

Clean-up: Pour any leftover from the stain bucket back into the gallon stain can. Seal the lid on the can. Label the can with the date it was opened. Wipe off the stain bucket with a dry rag so it isn't a sticky dustball next year. If the drop cloth is heavy-duty plastic, salvage it by wiping up the stain drips with the stain wiping cloths. Let the drop cloth and staining cloths dry in the sun. Then throw the dried cloths away.

Park all the tables and benches on the north side of the kitchen to dry. Place them against the concrete murals leaving room next to the kitchen building for folks to walk through. Get the large ropes from the shed and tie and drape them around the perimeter of the drying tables. Using magic marker and cardboard or scrap wood, post a couple of large signs at the perimeter reading "Fresh Stain".

Allow several days for the stain to dry before use. Remember to return two of the benches to the restroom area.

Who	Task Description	Hours
Inspector	Inspect all tables & benches	1
Buyer	Find/rent/buy: power-washer, rags, stain/sealer	1
Washer	Power-wash tables and benches at least 1 day prior	3~4
(1~2) Preppers	Dust off. Tighten hardware.	3~6 = 1~2 * 3hrs
(2) Sealers	Apply stain, wipe dry.	6 = 2 * 3hrs
----	TOTAL PERSON-HOURS:	14~18

Item	Source	Material Description	Qty & Units	Cost
1	Rent or Borrow	Pressurized sprayer (power-washer)	$50/day	$0 ~ $50
2	Dixieline	PENOFIN 350 CEDAR OIL FIN. GAL	1~2 gal @ $27	$27~$54
3	Dixieline	Clean cotton cloths	2 cloths	$1
7	Toolshed?	Nitrile gloves	2 pair	$1
4	Toolshed	Stiff bristle brush	1	reuse
5	Toolshed	Stain bucket - blue plastic 12" dia x 5" deep	1	reuse
6	Toolshed	8'x 10' drop cloth	1	reuse
8	Toolshed	Heavy rope to cordon of wet tables	40 feet	reuse
----			BOM TOTAL:	$28~$105