Finishing Techniques to Highlight Figured Grain

[Edward Bartimmo]

Have you ever noticed in the woodworking magazines that the "finishing guru" is never the "woodworking guru". Admittedly, I am the same way with my turning. I can turn, shape and sand a piece to a silk finish, but then stall out at 90% done...because the next step is finishing. There are some finishing ideas that I would like to try but hesitate to experiment on a finished turning.

I have heard discussions about ways to highlight and emphasize the figuring in wood (burls, curls, etc). The proposed techniques have ranged from applying an undercoat of oil to applying a dye that will penetrate into the figurng creating more depth and contrast. However, not a lot is written on the topic. What are your ideas of techniques that you have used successfully?

What type of finish (lacquer, poly, waterlox, etc) can be applied over an oil finish (watco, boil linseed, tung, etc)?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

[Prashun Patel]

Do you have an online subscription to Fine Woodworking? Jeff Jewitt - a "finishing guru" - wrote an article called "Pop the Curl in Curly Maple"

http://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=2577

You basically use diluted dye to highlight the porous figure. Then you sand back aggressively, which takes the dye out of everything but the figure. Then you dye to color the piece (if you wish) then you oil, then you topcoat.

I'd venture that most people around here find that a little too much work; the easy way to pop is to oil with BLO (it's amber color absorbs preferentially into the curl preferentially, causing it to 'pop'.) Then to top.

[Edward Bartimmo]

Do you have an online subscription to Fine Woodworking? Jeff Jewitt - a "finishing guru" - wrote an article called "Pop the Curl in Curly Maple"

http://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=2577

You basically use diluted dye to highlight the porous figure. Then you sand back aggressively, which takes the dye out of everything but the figure. Then you dye to color the piece (if you wish) then you oil, then you topcoat.

I'd venture that most people around here find that a little too much work; the easy way to pop is to oil with BLO (it's amber color absorbs preferentially into the curl preferentially, causing it to 'pop'.) Then to top.

Shawn,
Thanks. I was just about to pull my references from other woodworking disciplines. The dye technique is exactly the one I was thinking about trying. I am not looking to change the wood color so much as just highlight the figured grain. From my experience with dyes water-based would be best because will penetrate deeper whereas alcohol-based will evaporate on surface to quickly. Requires a finish such as lacquer to lock in the color.

What type of top coat would you suggest over an oil undercoat?

[Prashun Patel]

What are you building? That'd probably dictate my choice of topcoat. Also, I'm not 'guru', so take my advice with a grain of salt.

It's said that you should seal dye in with dewaxed shellac. If yr planning to use a waterbased topcoat, I'd do it. Failing to seal can result in the topcoat lifting and diluting yr dye.

If yr using an oil topcoat like oil based varnish, then I've had luck just using BLO as the 'sealer'. Dye, sand, BLO (let dry), then top coat.

[Thom Sturgill]

+1 on shellac as an intermediate. It will bond to just about anything and act as an undercoat to just about anything. If you like gloss finishes (they sell) Tung, BLO, or other drying oil, friction finish - top with shellac, again friction finish - then lacquer. I use semi-gloss lacquer and polish it to about 12000 grit or buff using either the Beall system or Don Pencil's PL compound. I haven't tried dyes yet.

[Frank Van Atta]

+1 on shellac as an intermediate. It will bond to just about anything and act as an undercoat to just about anything.

Beat me to the punch . . . +2 for shellac.