Not sure if this is the right place for these questions. If not, please let me know.
My wife has asked me to make a couple of outdoor side tables. This will be my first outdoor project and I have a couple of question about joinery and finish. We live in Florida and I will take these tables in during the rainy season since it’s normally too hot to sit outside anyway. However, they will get rained on and the sun can be pretty punishing.
The tables will be similar to the one in the pictures. For wood, I’ll use Jatoba since it seems to be decent for outdoor use and I have enough on hand for one of the tables. The top will measure 20” X 20”.
Joinery: I’ll use mortice and tenon for the frame. For the top, I’ll mill a slot in the side pieces and tenons on the slats. I’ll space the slats using the narrow edge of Popsicle sticks. My first question is, is glue (Titebond III) adequate to hold the slats or should I use stainless steel screws up through the bottom of the sides and through each slat? An alternative, and a lot more work, would be to use dowels instead of screws, again up through the bottom, and glued in place.
Next question. Should I attach the top with pocket hole screws (stainless steel) or should I use shop made buttons like on a larger table? I have no idea if there will be any movement in the top due to the rain and sun due to the spaced slats.
Final question. For a finish I’m thinking a satin spar varnish (or should I use spar urethane?) for its UV protection. Any better finish?
As always, thanks for your help.
My wife has asked me to make a couple of outdoor side tables. This will be my first outdoor project and I have a couple of question about joinery and finish. We live in Florida and I will take these tables in during the rainy season since it’s normally too hot to sit outside anyway. However, they will get rained on and the sun can be pretty punishing.
The tables will be similar to the one in the pictures. For wood, I’ll use Jatoba since it seems to be decent for outdoor use and I have enough on hand for one of the tables. The top will measure 20” X 20”.
Joinery: I’ll use mortice and tenon for the frame. For the top, I’ll mill a slot in the side pieces and tenons on the slats. I’ll space the slats using the narrow edge of Popsicle sticks. My first question is, is glue (Titebond III) adequate to hold the slats or should I use stainless steel screws up through the bottom of the sides and through each slat? An alternative, and a lot more work, would be to use dowels instead of screws, again up through the bottom, and glued in place.
Next question. Should I attach the top with pocket hole screws (stainless steel) or should I use shop made buttons like on a larger table? I have no idea if there will be any movement in the top due to the rain and sun due to the spaced slats.
Final question. For a finish I’m thinking a satin spar varnish (or should I use spar urethane?) for its UV protection. Any better finish?
As always, thanks for your help.

