Guess this is the right place to post this. Eventually I will be making some house signs - with number. These will be placed on a stand - rebar or metal tubing stand on a tire rim - no telling how low it will take to get one done, my older son said he would weld it (he has had my welder for years), but it's been weeks now and no stand. He's "busy".
Anyway, the plan is to make several signs, hang one on the stand for awhile, then swap for another design. Which means it could be weeks, or months, 24/7 outdoors.
So, I need a protective finish on them. I don't recall ever making anything that would be outside 24/7 that was not painted. Normally I wouldn't ask, just put on a batch of layers of thinned Titebond II for a finish. But the Titebond would leave a sort of amber color on the white parts of the signs, and I don't want that.
So, need to know of something that will work. I've searched, a lot, mostly gotten conflicting info. Spar varnish seems to be popular, and I could live with that, but it's been 50-60 years since I last used varnish, and don't know if it would dry clear, or tinted, or not. I do want something that will dry clear, and will hold up for say 6 to 12 months outside, should be adequate, if I remember to swap the signs out. I like the idea of water base poly, but don't know how it would last outdoors. Oh yes, the signs will be 2 layers of 1/2" plywood glued together, with a paper design glued on.
So, any real life advice on this for me?
Anyway, the plan is to make several signs, hang one on the stand for awhile, then swap for another design. Which means it could be weeks, or months, 24/7 outdoors.
So, I need a protective finish on them. I don't recall ever making anything that would be outside 24/7 that was not painted. Normally I wouldn't ask, just put on a batch of layers of thinned Titebond II for a finish. But the Titebond would leave a sort of amber color on the white parts of the signs, and I don't want that.
So, need to know of something that will work. I've searched, a lot, mostly gotten conflicting info. Spar varnish seems to be popular, and I could live with that, but it's been 50-60 years since I last used varnish, and don't know if it would dry clear, or tinted, or not. I do want something that will dry clear, and will hold up for say 6 to 12 months outside, should be adequate, if I remember to swap the signs out. I like the idea of water base poly, but don't know how it would last outdoors. Oh yes, the signs will be 2 layers of 1/2" plywood glued together, with a paper design glued on.
So, any real life advice on this for me?