For key stock, the wood is to be nearly all sapwood and free from discoloration and irregular grain. This is a brief introduction to "Basic Finishing Techniques for Basswood Carvings." I tried 2 different kinds. If you are using a darker color you could use a light blonde stain first and let it dry and then use the darker stain to prevent if from blotching. ... How to Stain Basswood 3 How to Refinish Wood to a Blonde Finish 4 How to Change Dark Wood Stains to a Light Color Don’t shake the can. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from The Ohio State University in Ohio. How to Stain Basswood Step 1. Zinnser Bullseye 123 Water-Based Primer (Optional)* – Click here for the current price.. Sander or Sandpaper for Light Sanding – See my post on the Best Sanders for Furniture for a great option under $20 or click here if you’re in a hurry: Low-Cost Mouse Sander. What are other options for a natural look. Sometimes I rub down the surface with lacquer thinner to dissolve anything left in the pores. I hope that you will learn something useful, and if you feel like more, be sure to surf the website and see what interests you. Pay attention to the manufacture label, some of the products are extremely flammable so follow the instructions on how to save them and how to throw away the cloths that were used to puff off the excess product. When you dilute acrylics with water, some of the adhesive properties are lost and the color itself appears chalky, not translucent/transparent.When you dilute acrylics with the purpose-made acrylic medium (matte/satin/gloss), what you see is thinned, vibrant color. Step 3. Cover all of the basswood in the same way. All answers / information provided are related to my own experience and to what works for me. You need to know that is a fact that basswood is thirsty as heck by its nature, and will soak anything like a sponge. What final finish you use. BEHR ® Paints & Stains are Rated by Consumer Reports. Most of the carved basswood I've seen was stained pretty light. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. This site is owned and operated by Maxim Kindyakov. It should give you a rough idea of how your carving will look. Buy Gallons. If you would like to watch a video of me mixing stain and staining one of my basswood relief carvings, please scroll down. It dries hard so it can be sanded smooth before applying paint and keeps the paint from soaking into the wood, whicxh in turn . Lesson contents: single episode; Skill Level: Basic; Learn how to carve the piece shown in this lesson! I stained the sheets of Basswood using Minwax stain/sealer before I cut them, taking care to match similar sheets together. Leave the topcoat to dry completely. Applying stain over a finished surface will not change the color of the wood. Before applying any paint on your carving if you didn’t sand your creation, make sure that you have clean cuts on your carving. Uses for basswood include food containers, caskets, toys and mobile homes. It is a light color, which makes it pretty to use as is, or stain for a deeper color. Stains are normally used on unsealed wood. … From my experience, it is really not the bad staining, in most cases, it’s the bad preparation of the wood before stain/paint that causes an unpleasant outcome. Let it dry, sometimes it will take 24 hours, depending on the thickness of your carving. Dip a lint-free cloth into the mixed stain and wipe it over the basswood in even back and forth strokes over the surface of the wood. If it's a light woodtone that will blend with the basswood you can just start staining IMO. Buy Samples. Wipe down the basswood to remove any loose stain and to even out the color. Open the can of stain and stir it thoroughly with a stirrer to combine any particles that may have settled. LRV: R: G: B: Preview Color. To open the pores in preparation for staining. Turn on your music, or watch a rainy day from your window remember patients is the key to good wood. It is a light color, which makes it pretty to use as is, or stain for a deeper color. You do have time for paint if you use acrylic color coat … Explore the above idea and make it your own. If you do not like the color and want to change it to a lighter tone, you will have to re-carve your project to get rid of the dark stain and then re-apply a different stain. Watch the free Beginner Lesson #13, Carving a Camellia Flower. Apply the topcoat over the entire stained surface in an even layer. Wipe down the wood to ensure it is free of any dust or particles and set it down on top of paper. Some carvers like the rough look of a knife or a chisel. Always apply a finish on top of stained wood. Carving a wooden bowl is something every woodcarver will do at some point in their wood carving journey. To save money when staining, select wood based on the appearance of the grain, and stain to personal preferences. Many interior wood stains and deck stains are formulated with pigment or dye. Apply a coat of shellac to one side, and after it dries, to the other side. Continue by wet sanding it again, but this time on a 1200 grit. Coat again if you want. You can paint your carving without hiding the grain on the wood. If you don’t want that kind of result you need to seal your wood before you use any stain or paint. Basswood can also be painted just about any color with very little trouble. Whether you are using a rag, a ripped-up old T-shirt or a bristle brush, staining large portions of wood is hard to do. Basswood does not absorb stains and finishes evenly. Range of the basswood Everything To Know On Power Carving Wooden Bowls. You don’t need to use a base coat because the surface of the basswood has minimal sap and dips. Once I'm certain that I am working with completely bare … This will protect whatever surface you are working on. Varnish mixed with stain… Gel stain is thicker, providing better control of the color. Paint your carving, or parts of your carving and let it dry. I will sometime use "boiled" linseed oil with stain mixed in. This means you can use acrylic craft paints over a linseed oil finish, oil paints over an acrylic antiquing, and even oil paints over a spray sealed colored pencil base. Buy Gallons. Wetting the wood will bring out all the natural grain off the wood. How to Apply a Faux Stain to Painted Furniture: Barn wood Finish Supplies. Being a huge fan of stain finishes, I decided to do some research regarding refinishing it in a black stain. But if you need a richer stain or something more, stay tuned to find some tricks and tips. Finishing your carving with a sealer will give it a glossy or a matt look … Or you can use a more natural finish, like beeswax odies oil or any other product that you love. With basswood, I'd guess maybe 1/4" because its a softer wood. If its a darker woodtone, you might experiment on scrap basswood (very cheap) by wetting the endgrain so it doesn't absorb as much stain as the sides. Moreover, sanding] it will help the stain be absorbed by your wood easily. woodiswood.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Use a higher-quality brush with this type of stain/finish. You can achieve that with thinner paint. This will remove the fine layer of grain that got raised out of the stain. Watch video: How to prepare basswood wood carving for painting, staining, and finishing * Some manufacturers of high-end venetian blinds still make their products out of basswood. Wipe down the wood to ensure it is free of any dust or particles and set it down on top of paper. Do not smoke near the drying wood or the ashes may get caught on the wet finishes. Use a 240 grit sandpaper-again. I built a large static model of a 1930's commuter cruiser (6 feet long!) Primer sinks into the wood like stain does. But when it comes to staining, blotching can result. Carving A Snake Walking Stick With Scales Tutorial. The topcoat is a water or solvent-based based clear finish used to seal the wood. ... Basswood MQ2-46. However, if you apply a pre-stain wood conditioner, the conditioner will soak into those Basswood pores. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. This will make it easier for Basswood to take on a more uniform looking coat of finish. Only use particle stain on basswood, not dye stain. My best advice is – before you apply any stain on your carving, use a piece of the wood you used for your project, make few cuts in it, apply the stain and let it dry! Usually, I repeat the processes 3 times. The Linseed oil really make the grain in Basswood show up. Open the can of stain and stir it thoroughly with a stirrer to combine any particles that may have settled. The more water you use, the more faded your painting will be, and the grain will show more. Basswood it’s a soft wood, ideal for woodcarving and moreover perfect for whittling just with a knife. Staining your carving is fairly easy. Follow the steps and you will be amazed by the look of your carving. Some carvers refuse to belive the finished piece is … lumber will admit stain in the cuttings. Double check your carving before going on to staining the project. The product will need to be brushed on more carefully, finishing by brushing with the grain of the wood. Sealing your wood plays a major role in achieving the required results when you are staining your carvings. While the functionality of a walking stick definitely comes first, the choice of design also showcases the user’s... Hi there! To stain basswood you need to first sand it in stages until you reach a smooth surface, then paint your carving using water-based or oil-based paint, and after that, you finally apply your choice of sealer to finish your carving. Woods like Basswood, Poplar, and Maple need a single wetting and sanding. Your cloth will simply wipe off the stain blocked from the pores by the existing finish. link to Everything To Know On Power Carving Wooden Bowls, link to Carving A Snake Walking Stick With Scales Tutorial. Standard basswood lumber is relatively inexpensive. Personally, I think, it depends on the carving, some carving may look better if you apply some paint and some others if you just stain it. Sanding basswood proves to be a soothing, smoothing task. It’s a personal preference. Send To Email. Apply your product with a brush or a cloth and then buff off the excess product for a nice polish. Finish It With a Sealer. Basswood is grown through most of the world and is one of the most common woods available. There is a lot to be discussed about the type of paint you need to use, but for now, either will do. 3. So keep reading to discover how you can finish your Basswood craft to … It will give your carving a smoother look. The only threads I've come across regarding staining and basswood is that there is a chance of the wood having a green tint. Some carvers don’t like to paint their creations at all, some others like to paint spots to pop up details on their carving. His work has appeared in “Inc.” and “Business 2.0” magazines and online at Wired. Based in Princeton, N.J., Jim Stewart has been writing travel- and business-related articles since 1987. December 15, 2005. Best to test it on scraps of basswood with the same type surface (gouge cuts or sanded). No luck with either one! I got a pkg of 6 inch basswood plywood sheets from a craft store, cut some pieces to size for my project and sanded them. Keep in mind that in this article we are talking about staining basswood, any other wood may need a different kind of preparation, or the results may appear to be different. Basswood is grown through most of the world and is one of the most common woods available. Find Paints in Store. Send To Email. When you use stains on wood without sealing the wood, the stains will penetrate the wood. If uneven staining appears on a test piece, apply wood conditioner before staining. And it's not necessary to predrill. I know sanding is one of the most time costuming things when you carve, it needs a lot of patients and good music to get through it! Continue sanding with a 180 grit sandpaper. Any pre-treatment for the wood can be used with any paint type. It will give your carving a smooth surface to work through. That’s the meaning of the woodcarving too. This is Martin, the person behind Wood is Wood. Once the stain is applied it is extremely difficult to make new cuts in the carving, stain them, and have them match the rest of the work. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can use water based paints(acrylics) or oil-based paints (oil paints take a longer time to dry, so be patient). You can skip step one if you want a rougher look. So i have my rg550 all black and im getting bored of the straight black look and thought about going for natural.. Because basswood exhibits a uniform texture and beautiful grain, staining it only amplifies its rich, natural wood look. Moreover, if you want a darker finish or let’s say a richer color on your basswood you need to stain it accordingly. As the name suggests, stain can leave permanent discolorations on whatever it touches. Stir the stain in the can before applying it. In cases where you don’t want the wood to absorb the paint, you can seal the wood twice, once before and once after painting it. Wet your carving to raise the grain (Especially when sanding basswood). Still, wood conditioner isn’t a one-size-fits-all problem solver. Sand it and continue to 400 grit sandpaper. See all Brown Paint Colors. Leave the stain to dry overnight and sand the surface very lightly with 250-grit sandpaper. - Stain only provides color, not a finish. Apply a finish to protect the wood from water damage, dirt, or stains. Please keep in mind that I work primarily with BASSWOOD and my answers relate to basswood. Hi! Staining Basswood Trim with Water-Based Finishes Finishers discuss how to deal with grain raise and consider compatibility issues with stains and topcoats. Staining basswood brings out the natural wood grain, and due to its unique composition, basswood happens to take stain very well. Its light color can be easily stained. When you want to stain your Basswood it’s nice to sand it first. Finishing your carving with a sealer will give it a glossy or a matt look (depending on the product you will use) but more important it will protect your carving from weathering. Begin with a medium-grit sandpaper (#120). The reason you’re doing this is because, when you put your finish on, it’s wet and that will raise the nap, so you will then have to sand it to get it smooth. Sand endgrain to 220 grit. But have been hearing alot that its a bad idea to stain basswood. Sand your carving and then brush off sawdust between your grits. A special grade exists for basswood key stock. Buy Samples. The grain and … A tack cloth lightly rubbed over the carving will catch the final dust. At this point you can use danish oil, linseed oil, beeswax, odies oil, varnish or even your own finish. Another strange step. It is lightweight, durable and easy to stain, making it a good choice for home woodworking projects. Use a Scotch-Brite pad or a 2000 grit sandpaper to clean the little fuzzy stuff.