Octagon Picnic Table

[Danno30008]

Hey:

I am looking for some tips and suggestions about building an octagon picnic table for my deck. I had a nice glass top table and left the umbrell up during a rainy/windy day and now all I have is a bunch of small glass pieces to pick up.. I would like to build one without benches and am guessing cedar or redwood..Also, I would like to put several coats of some type finish to protect from the sun and rain in Atlanta. So, which wood would hold up and look the best and what finish do you guys with much more experience that I have recomend?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Take care
Dan

[old_guy]

In addition to cedar and redwood, cypress and white oak also work well outdoors.

General Finishes (and I imagine other manufacturers) make an oil finish designed for outdoor use. It has UV protection which is pretty essential in an outdoor finish. You have to renew the finish every year or so, but it retains the natural wood look.

When making outdoor furniture, its also a good idea to seal up any end grain that will come in contact with the ground -- otherwise water tends to wick up into the grain. I've used epoxy to do this.