Cleaning carving prior to painting

Fred Zavadil · #21 03-26-2008, 04:44 PM

Have to agree with Mark and Hi Ho, no water on my carvings! They are usually very clean - I keep sanding, so no need to clean them.
To prepare them for staining or painting I first use a mixture of varnish (about 40%) and paint sealer (about 60%) and put a lot of this on the carving - as much as the wood takes. Then, I let it dry, usually about 24 hours. After I use steel wool to clean all the little fuzzy stuff on the carving and put another layer of mixed varnish (this time about 80%) with paint sealer (20%) and let it dry again. This prepares the wood for painting or staining - it works very well for me.
Fred

mark yundt · #22 03-26-2008, 05:04 PM

You got it Fred!!!

doris · #23 03-26-2008, 05:36 PM

i dont wash my carvings either... i did once on a very early piece, and looked at it with a loupe after wards, it looked like it had grown fur...UGLY... that made me decide washing is wrong, ... now, i simply wash my hands often, in particular after stropping or sharpening, and no washing of carving necessary. always looks clean when i am finished with carving...

mark yundt · #24 03-26-2008, 10:38 PM

I guess that's why your carvings look so good Fred.Attention to detail. I had never heard of washing a carving before I got on this website,,I was flabbergasted to read that.

Kenny_S · #25 03-28-2008, 06:06 PM

Tell us why a person shouldn't wash a carving Mark.

JIM QUILICI · #26 04-01-2008, 09:06 PM

If you don't wash it ( the carving) how do you get the fuzzies off........lol
jim

Kenny_S · #27 04-01-2008, 11:40 PM

Maybe they are magical or perform Voodoo on the carving.

LA.DUSTY · #28 04-02-2008, 07:55 AM

Jim, Fred has already answered your question in his post. I have read in another post on the board that this is the method he uses for basswood. I would like to know if he uses it for other types of wood.

Kenny, I am not Mark but I will try to answer your question, if I am wrong, please, somebody correct me.
I have noticed that some of the very good carvers do not hold their carvings in their hands while carving - this is obvious from Mark's, Fred's and Doris' posts and WIPs. I guess, this is why their carvings are clean and do not need to be washed before finishing. I am a really bad carver and wish I could do what they can; if they are magical or perform Voodoo on their carvings, I want to take lessons in magic and Voodoo too.....because there is nothing but MAGIC in their work.
God Bless,
Dusty

mark yundt · #29 04-02-2008, 09:32 AM

I can't speak for the others as well but thank you Dusty,your answer is thoughtful ,insightful and on target. I too thought Fred had answered the question,here and in several other posts,and my answer is found throughout the 1300 posts over the last year and in the many "tutorials" I have been involved with.
Being a personal fan of Freds work,,,I'd be hard pressed to find fault with his results. If those are the results he gets with the techniques he uses,,well,,far be it from me to suggest otherwise.When I find work I really admire I have a tendency to imitate what the artist did to achieve that look rather than try an reinvent the wheel. If it works for them,,then I'll try and make it work for me.
And don't be too hard on yourself. Not a single one of us started as carvers doing what we can do today. It takes time,effort adjustments,,and a willingness to learn,observe and incorporate ideas that others have found in ways to do something.
Seeing the insight in your answer leads me to believe you will do well with carving.
Thank you again.

Fred Zavadil · #30 04-05-2008, 11:01 AM

I have received several e-mails asking about my finishing and would like to answer some of them here.
Almost all of my carvings are figural statues, the wood I use for these is basswood - it is accessible, easy to carve and does not have a strong grain. The method I described here, is used for preparing BASSWOOD for staining or panting. It works really well for me in these cases. Please do not take it as the only method how to prepare all kinds of wood. It might not work. I am definitely not an expert on finishing, especially on other woods, and keep experimenting and listening to those who are more experienced the same way as many of us on this forum.
I will show the exact process of finishing when I will do my next carving (it will take some time since there are some other things I have been working on), with the names of used products.
Fred