carving then finishing

[ltdann]

After reviewing my jack brooks carving vid and looking and  looking at some of the pictures of the great carving I see here, I have a question about technique.

Specifically, after carving and prior to finishing, the edges are nice, crisp and defined.  How do you keep that way when you apply AF or Ferric Nitrate and have to scrub back? 

I guess the same applies when putting sealer and final finish and sanding/scrubbing between coats?

When I did my Lancaster, I all but obliterated the carving scrubbing back.

[Black Hand]

Specifically, after carving and prior to finishing, the edges are nice, crisp and defined.  How do you keep that way when you apply AF or Ferric Nitrate and have to scrub back? 

You don't scrub back. I use 0000 steel wool to catch any stray whiskers, but since I whiskered before applying AF, there really aren't that many

I guess the same applies when putting sealer and final finish and sanding/scrubbing between coats?

Once again, 0000 steel wool or 320 grit lightly.

When I did my Lancaster, I all but obliterated the carving scrubbing back.

Were you using 40 grit?
I wouldn't go near a stock during finishing with anything more aggressive than 0000 steel wool or 320 grit used very lightly.

[smart dog]

Hi Dan,
Sorry I did not get back to you regarding your last PM.  I've been really busy in the shop, lately.  You should not need to sand between coats of finish. The trick is not to paint finish on and then let it dry.  Instead, seal the stock first, as I described previously to you, and then paint, wipe, or rub on light coats. Let the finish sit for a few minutes, and then wipe all the excess off. That way you have little or no build up that has to be smoothed by rubbing, particularly around carving. You can create a low, medium, or high sheen this way but it takes time because you are adding a little at a time. There are times that I want a high finish that is rubbed back with rottenstone.  I always lubricate the abrasive with linseed oil and I use a toothbrush to rub back areas on and around any carving or crisp edges.

dave   

[ltdann]

Were you using 40 grit?
I wouldn't go near a stock during finishing with anything more aggressive than 0000 steel wool or 320 grit used very lightly.

LOL, no.  I was using Kibler's Iron Nitrate.  It turns the wood a ugly green, kinda like pressure treated wood.  After you run the heat gun over it, it turns a very deep brown.  You have to scrub it back to get the curl to pop.  In my case, pretty aggressively it turns out.  If I had scrubbed around the carving, there'd just be a brown blob around the tang area.

Smartdog,

No worries.  I knocked back the finish on the recent Jaeger build with rottenstone.  Much cleaner look to it.   I hadn't thought of using the toothbrush trick with it, though.  Thanks!

[Black Hand]

You have to scrub it back to get the curl to pop. 

Actually, all you need to do is add finish for the curl to pop. Try it on a scrap piece of wood to convince yourself....
I was skeptical myself - added AF, waited (green stock) and heated the wood. Looked muddy but I proceeded to add finish - it was like magic. All that curl just appeared from that muddy-looking wood...

[M. E. Pering]

When using aqua fortis (which I always do), on a scraped finish, I knock it down with a piece of burlap which I rub a bit of Tripoli buff onto.  This seems to remove fibers, as well as burnish the wood.  I never use steel wool when it comes to the finish, since it can have strange effects on the finished product.  True burlap, however, is almost like using steel wool... It is very rough, and high amounts of silica in it.

[Curtis]

LtDan, it sounds like you may benefit from diluting the iron nitrate some before using it.  Different pieces of wood can react with the stain differently - some darker and some lighter.  I find it very useful to test different concentrations of Aquafortis on scraps of wood that came from the stock you will be staining.

Curtis

[smart dog]

Hi,
As others have written, there should be no need to rub back ferric nitrate stain unless you want to create a rubbed out look in spots or the concentration of your stain was too great and produced color darker than you desired. The curl will show up just as nicely without any rubbing back the stain.

dave

[Adrie luke]

I use Scots Brite.
When the wood stain is dry I use Scots Brite.
I push the Scots Brite hard over the wood and then the stain begins to shine and the wood feels very soft.
I also do this with the carvings and it makes the carvings look softer.
You have to try it to see how hard you have to push and nothing will change.
The stain stays equal.
It is safer then steel wool because steel wool is sharper.

[Jerry V Lape]

Another method is to apply the AF with scotchbrite.  And definitely test with diluted AF.  I turned one piece of super curly sugar maple black and it did take sandpaper (400 grit) to bring up the colors.  However the result was worth the extra effort and I will probably do it again but with multiple applications versus the concentrated AF. 

[Old Ford2]

Hi,
To get the color, stain, and overall looks, I keep as long a piece possible from the stock as I band saw the stock from the beginning.
When done inletting, sanding, cutting etc. on the gun stock, I sand, stain, polish that scrap piece of wood originally cut from the stock. This gives me the exact coloring that I will get on the stock that I was working on.
One piece of maple will stain and color completely different from another piece of maple.
You even have to check end grain for color variance, because you will get some end grain on the stock as you carve and shape.
Fred