Oak Award Plaques

[Vilas Schroeder]

I am helping on some oak award plaques that appear to be laser etched. Trying to get the etching darker than the face to get better contrast, tried staining, but the stain would weep in the open grain areas. I also tried sealing face with Target's sanding sealer first, etching and than painting with a black latex paint, same problem of weeping in the open grain areas. Being oak is so porious, any ideas on how to minimize the weeping? Thanks

[Rich Engelhardt]

Here's how I do things like that:

Two or three coats of clear finish on the whole thing - depending on the clear. Two coats of poly or varnish is ok, three coats of Seal Coat may be needed.
Spray can of flat black for the recess.
Wipe overspray off the face with a rag dampened with mineral spirits.
Final coat of clear over everything to even out the sheen.

The timing is a bit tricky. If the flat black dries too much, it wil streak and be difficult to remove from the face.
If it doesn't set up long enough, you'll pull it out of the recesses.
You'll just have to play with it on some scrap to ge the timing right.

Take a plunge router and cove bit and make some test runs in some oak scraps to simulate the etching as best you can.

[Scott Holmes]

Instead of paint I use a dark brown gel stain. Easier to use a small acid bruch and then a rag to wipe the flat surface.

I am doing a set of laser engraved plaques right now and that's the easiest way I have found to darken the etching. I finished the wood before the laser was done. This time there was a bit of heat damage, last time there was no damage from the laser.