Staining a wooden swing?

[anchor man]

I recently put together one of those cedar bench swings up at the lake and was deciding whether to stain it or leave it natural. I don't want another messy project dealing with stains and brushes and all that. Is there a good spray on stain out there that wood give it a nice finish without all the mess?

Thanks

[bigdog]

Whatever you do don't use a solid color on any seating area, it can come off on your clothes. I like to use the oil based CLF I believe its called. They have it at Fleet Farm.

[solbes]

We just bought one this summer as well. If they still used the good cedar wood found in the center (red color) you could easily let it go natural. Unfortunately most of the cedar you buy today is the stuff that is not nearly as rot resistant and is white in color.

If you want it to last I would stain it. I used a brush and Olympic brand semi-transparent oil, with 2 coats. You want some tint to it to protect from UV damage. It took maybe 4 hours total. Should last 3 or 4 years before needing to be restained.

I actually was looking for one made out of pressure treated but couldn't find one. I usually stain it anyway and P.T. wood holds the stain better.

[beer batter]

We've had a cedar swing at the lake for about 5 years. Oil based is the way to go. We use a brand called Penofin, it's a rosewood oil based stain. Not cheap, runs around $30/gallon. Our swing sits out in the elements year round and that stain holds up well staining every 2 years. Stain every inch of it, never any issues getting clothes stained as long you let it dry.