Sealing crepe myrtle balusters?

[uptop]

I ended up with about 60 crepe myrtle branches at least 1" or thicker in diameter, and because I had to remodel my front porch anyway I thought I'd use them for the balusters. I started stripping the bark off the first few with a shave horse and draw knife because I wanted to use a clear coat of something over the white-ish wood.

So: What should I use to seal these debarked branches? They'll need to stand up to rain and wind, with something clear.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[chris_goris]

See what Sikkens has for that type of application, find a local dealer and talk to them. I ahave found nothing that holds up better outside than their products.