Finishing Techniques for Wood Crafters. Lora S. Irish
Wood naturally changes color with age, developing a darker tonal value patina. White pine, which has a very clear, white color when freshly cut, becomes a deep golden-yellow within a decade. Birch and basswood, both common pyrography woods, darken to a soft taupe or beige-brown color.
As wood ages, it can affect the quality of a work. For example, if you work a pyrography project with very pale tonal values, over time those values can become faded and completely lost. Painting will also be affected as
the wood slowly darkens and overpowers pale and pale-medium colored areas.
You cannot prevent wood from aging. However, you can take several easy precautions to minimize the effects of aging:
• For pyrography projects, check what patina coloration changes a wood will develop before you begin burning. If the wood will darken dramatically over time, work the burning in strong mid-medium to black-dark tones, avoiding the pale tonal range.
• Use a sealer that provides UV light protection. This reduces the oxidation that causes wood to develop a patina.
• Do not display or hang your work in full sunlight, for the same reason.
• Avoid using oil finishes on woods that have naturally dark patinas. For example, birch plywood can take on a soft beige tone when coated with Danish oil finish or tung oil. It naturally develops a deeper beige tone through aging patina. When combined, these two factors can totally block out mid-tone values within a few years.
“After the Rain” (top) was burned in 2017, whereas “Country Church” (above) was burned in 2001. Both were burned on birch plywood, and time has created a deep golden patina on the older piece.
Tip: You can buy a set of wooden tools designed for sculpting clay that will work wonderfully for burnishing—they can get into the sharp angles and deep carved areas of a project.
Burnishing can be a finish in its own right—no paint needed.
Burnish wood with a harder type of wood.
Burnished wood is very smooth and pleasant to handle.
Burnishing
This book is primarily about paint finishes, but sometimes the very best finish is no finish at all.
This particular Whittle Fish sat untouched on my table as I was working on this book and painting and finishing countless other fish just like it. It is not that I ignored it or avoided it; I simply never came to a painting process that seemed right for this particular body. The body shape was so streamlined that it seemed any painting would take away from its simple form. So I decided to use the simplest finish possible—burnishing— to complement that simple shape.
To burnish, use a small piece of wood, in this case a wooden spoon, to rub the entire surface of the carving using a medium pressure. You should feel the pressure against the wood, but your fingers and hand should not feel cramped. Rub the entire surface several times until the carving has an even, smooth-feeling, soft sheen. Burnishing is a wonderful finish for any carving that will be heavily handled; the finished result just feels great in your hand.
Burnishing works best when the item used to burnish is a hardwood such as ash, birch, or maple. For basswood practice pieces like this one, for example, a wooden spoon made of poplar or birch works very well. To burnish a hard wood like walnut, I would use an even harder wood like maple.
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