[Irishman]

I'm almost finished of a Big Foot face and I would like to use my small torch to put some color into the hair, whiskers, and perhaps the face. The wood is poplar...very pale and very green. Any tips on how to do this correctly (website links, etc). I don't want him to look like he was burnt in a fire ...but rather make the carving shades of brown and black. Once torched, I was wondering if I could use oil to help preserve and seal it...or would the oil cause the burned areas to run.
Patrick

[brianh]

I usualy burn twice if the wood is really wet I let it surface dry for a day or so then I hit it with the torch and burn any remaining fuzz off.

I sand with a homemade flapwheel most of it right back off, it softens the edges without destroying detail.

Then I burn again to the shades I want, I have never had a problem with the burn running with a finish.
There is a picture of the type of sanding wheel I use in the "Chainsaw tips and tricks thread"

The little pencil torches are great for real small areas like eyes.

[Pete Rieger]

I burn almost all of my chainsaw carvings, I burn then use a nylon brush across the grain to work the black into the grooves.For highlights I wire brush and /or sand,reburning and recarving where necessary. Be prepared for cracks in green poplar, get some finish on it pronto.I have had soot streaks from the spar varnish carrying loose soot with it as it flows, but I brush on heavy applications.Clean it as best you can with compressed air or a vacuum to minimise loose soot before applying a finish. Wear a good mask when brushing the soot or you'll end up with a snoot full of carcinogens.look forward to seeing your results.

[Irishman]

Thanks for the advice and tips fella's. I should be doing the burning process by the weekend. I'll share the pics when I'm finished. The sanding/brushing was something I was wondering about. I don't want the soot causing problems. Now I just have to get a chainsaw!
Patrick

[psychomikeo500]

i have burned the first bear, however i wonder as to how soon i can put wood protector over it.

[Pete Rieger]

the sooner the better, helps seal in moisture and slows drying and cracking.

[Irishman]

I'm not too keen on the results but here is the result of my torching job. He is a cross between a big foot and an ape...and something else. I torched him, brushed the soot, cleaned him and burned him some more. I just couldn't get the texture I was looking for. The hair and whiskers took the brunt of the burning and I tried to brown the rest of the face but its inconsistent. If there is a way to improve him, I'm open to suggestions.
Patrick

[twoclones]

I like the way buring shows of the grain on your piece. Lots of strength in the nose as well...

Depending on what I'm going for, I sometimes sand after buring. This usually to either highlight the high spots or to remove all but the shading in the low spots.

I've also used rattle can spray varnish to spray burned areas before applying a finish. This helps prevent the soot from being smeared onto un-burned areas.

[squbrigg]

Aaah Patrick, it's too bad the torching didn't work out. I believe it takes away from your carving in this case. Do you have a Plan B? Perhaps burning in the more traditional manner is what may work. I know it is a long and weary process on a carving that size, but I think the results would be worth it.

Bob

[Irishman]

Thanks Bob and Butch. I chalk this us as "lessons learned". I want to move onto other pieces so I did a little more burning, brushing and sanding to try and get the effect I wanted. I then put lettering under the carving with a foot print burned in.
I should have experimented with a smaller piece to find out how this is actually done. I can now appreciate how chainsaw carvers get the effect they are looking for. Oh well, carvings can't always go the way you expect. Thanks for following along.
Patrick