Start by sanding the surface thoroughly and wiping it down to remove any dust.
Clear coat over wood burning.
The majority of my carvings are painted.
Create a homemade sealer by thinning the polyurethane with mineral spirits and use this for your first coat.
When choosing a wood finish apply a small amount to a piece of wood that matches your flooring or furniture to make.
Tung oil provides a rich beautiful finish that may darken the wood but unlike stains tung oil penetrates and hardens within the wood to offer protection.
A fresh coat of paint can give almost any wooden piece such as furniture cabinets or room trim a much needed face lift.
About 3 coats of tung oil are required to offer the same amount of protection as a single coat of polyurethane.
Stir the finish in the container before application.
As you can see from the photos below this burned finish results in a beautiful rustic look.
What could be easier than that.
Go a step further and apply a clear polyurethane over the painted surface to help protect the paint as well as the underlying wood.
I use krylon spray uv resistant clear matte as a finish coat on painted carvings.
Whether you choose to stain your wood project or not it is important that you protect the wood with a clear finish such as polyurethane.
It is the only type finish sealant recommended for outdoor use.
Burn the wood with a propane torch lightly sand it and then properly seal the wood with a clear coat.
About as tough a coat as you can get although poured epoxy might be tougher.
Sand the surface once more then apply your final clear coat.
Starting with a bright shiny new board three steps later you have a rustic masterpiece.
Follow up with 2 coats of undiluted polyurethane straight from the can.
While wood stains add color and bring out the beauty of the wood clear finishes protect the wood and enhance its beauty.
The only disadvantage of using it is that since it is very thin tung oil must be applied in multiple coats to be effective.
At the same time keep the can with something like polyurethane spray moving at a steady pace to get an even coat.
Apply tung oil liberally then wipe off the excess with a clean rag.
I use only two finishes.
Will really yellow up your wood however if that s an effect you want based on your subject matter composition or preference it can be an advantage.
Use a synthetic or natural bristle brush or an application pad to apply the finish according.
For many years when i decided to do a few pyrography pieces.
Focus on keeping the spray tip an equal distance from the surface as you move it along.
The goal is to apply just enough finish to wet the surface without creating runs.
Applying spray on clear finish to wood you can apply most types of clear finish to woodwork with a brush but don t ignore the benefits of spraying.
I had been burning fur feathers eyes etc.
The method is quite simple.
If you skip the brush you can get a stroke free coating in a fraction of the time and you can get even coverage in crevices in wood that has turned or carved contours where a brush can t reach.
Apply the finish in thin coats.