well this Adirondack chair is one of my favorites actually I built it myself from AK it personalized it down here looking a little tired now though so I want to revive it and make it look more like it did when I first built it Sun and rain exact quite a toll on outdoor furniture over time breaking down almost any finish so my first step here is to remove loose flaking or powdery residue from the surface for this piece I'm using 80 grit sandpaper and an orbital or vibrating sander you can see how quickly and easily it cleans up the surface once the sanding is complete I wipe the chair with a clean soft cloth to remove dust from the surface I'll be applying a 2-step finish on this piece staining will be the first step as the name implies stain imparts color by penetrating into the surface I normally begin at the top of the project and work downward in order to catch any drips or splashes you can see how the wood is soaking up the color much like a dry sponge would absorb water while stain can be applied with the cloth I usually prefer using a brush since I find that allows me to thoroughly and uniformly coat the surface as soon as the stain has penetrated the wood but before it has had a chance to dry I begin wiping it with a clean dry cotton cloth here's where it's important to move in the direction of the grain to avoid streaking I keep wiping until there is no wet stain left on the surface then allow the chair to dry overnight this is a tack cloth it's designed to pick up dust and dirt from the surface before finish or top coat is applied the top coat we'll be using is the spar urethane from Minwax which is designed for exterior use I've chosen a semi-gloss Sheen for the chair so a thorough stirring is important to distribute the flattening agent evenly to make pouring neater I snap out a plastic spout and slowly pour the polyurethane down the side of a clean container this minimizes the formation of bubbles the best way to load the brush is to dip it into the finish about half way then slap it gently on the container sides to remove any excess when applying a clear top coat like this it's best to begin at the top and work down word in order to catch drips brush in the direction of the grain using long smooth straight strokes until the coating is uniformly distributed as always a good quality brush will pay dividends and result in an even finish that's free of marks and loose bristles when I finished apply the top code I set the piece aside and let it dry overnight from weather-worn to beautifully restored this chair is ready to face the rigors of another outdoor season and offer me a comfortable place to sit and relax