The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Refinishing Old Wood [Update] [Lock Please]
Figgy
Fighter of the night manChampion of the sunRegistered User regular
Fighter of the night manChampion of the sunRegistered User regular
So my fiancee, her brother, and her father built a tree house in their backyard many, many years ago. Her mother and father later got divorced. The tree house stood as a sort of reminder of her happy childhood days as she grew up. A few months back, her mother decided it was time to tear the old thing down--it wasn't safe, and the last thing she needs is some neighbourhood kid sneaking in and getting hurt/killed. The trouble is, my fiancee did not know this was happening, and she only learned about it the next time she went to visit her mother. She was upset that she wasn't there to watch.
Unbeknownst to her, I managed to salvage the trap door.
I'd like to do something with this. Specifically, I'd like to refinish it and have a phrase engraved in the corner. Something along the lines of "In childhood, we press our nose to the pane, looking out. In memories of childhood, we press our nose to the pane, looking in." Or something else.
I've already got a quote on what it would cost me to get it framed, but I'd like to do the refinishing/engraving myself. What would I use on this wood? I don't want to stain it necessarily. I figure I'll wash it, sand it down a tiny bit, and put a coat of something on there. Urethane? What would give it a clean, almost shiny look? If it made it a slightly different shade, that's fine too.
Any ideas?
Unbeknownst to her, I managed to salvage the trap door.
I'd like to do something with this. Specifically, I'd like to refinish it and have a phrase engraved in the corner. Something along the lines of "In childhood, we press our nose to the pane, looking out. In memories of childhood, we press our nose to the pane, looking in." Or something else.
I've already got a quote on what it would cost me to get it framed, but I'd like to do the refinishing/engraving myself. What would I use on this wood? I don't want to stain it necessarily. I figure I'll wash it, sand it down a tiny bit, and put a coat of something on there. Urethane? What would give it a clean, almost shiny look? If it made it a slightly different shade, that's fine too.
Any ideas?
Figgy on
0
This discussion has been closed.
Posts
If the answer is a yes, Find someone else who has the skills to do it, Or possibly laserprint it, you can then get fancy with the font.
Once again GREAT idea.
Would you recommend staining it? There are very light/clear stains that simply enhance the wood grain, right?
Also, should I do something about that crack? It's going to be framed anyway and hung on a wall, but it might be in the family room, which sees humidity levels around 70% occasionally during the summer months (when we don't have the dehumidifier running). I'm concerned about further cracking.
I have very little engraving experience, but I'm leaning more toward having it printed on there. I seem to remember some sort of transfer paper that exists where you kind of line up a letter, rub the back, and it goes on.
Also, wouldn't applying urethane without prepping the wood just result in a blotchy, bumpy, sticky mess?
The humidity is less of an issue, especially if you're talking about a weather-beaten trap door. I'm assuming that you'll be hanging this inside the house, in which case it is in a more controlled environment than it's used to and should be fine.
I've washed it and sanded it. It was gloriously filthy. I'm going to use graphite paper to trace on the phrasing and then start applying coats of polyurethane. Is there a preferred method of how to apply the coats? The directions say to do three coats, 20 minutes apart, and then a fourth coat in 24-72 hours.
Time is somewhat of the essence, as the framing place has a 50% off sale going on right now. Then again, they have that sale all the time.
For paintings in progress, check out canvas and paints
"The power of the weirdness compels me."
I'll second the teak oil idea, but If your going to use ink get some hairspray and go over the writing first before you start writing, I draw on t-shirts and it stops the ink from bleeding.
Edit:
Not sure what you mean by 'engraving'. Were you planning on chiseling the words in there? I would probably lean away from chiseling on that material, which appears to be some type of white wood. You'll just end up with a lot of tear-out and illegible words.
I think you have the right idea with printing it on there.
Totally seconding the paste wax; that stuff does awesome things for wood! Even if you use teak oil though, I love me some water-based poly to help give a protective coat. I've never been the biggest fan of teak oil on white woods. It turns Ash very yellow, for example. It can be great for some woods, and others not as much.
I've been doing a coat of poly every few hours and it's starting to look really nice. The printing ending up indenting into the wood a little bit because I was pressing so hard, so it almost looks like it was burned or etched into the wood. It's coming along.
It looks a lot shinier in these pics because of the flash.
This thread can be locked.
3clipse: The key to any successful marriage is a good mid-game transition.