Wood Finishes - A General Overview!

Wood finishes are generally referred to as clear, transparent coatings applied to wood, to prevent moisture ingress and and to enhance it's appearance.

A wood finish is different to paint which contains a colour pigment that will hide the grain. It also differs from a wood stain which is effectively a colouring medium with thinner added that can be wiped off.

Application Of Brush Applied Wood Stain Finish

However, the word 'finish' can be confusing because it's a generic term that is often applied to all types of finish. This is why terms like lacquer finish, paint finish and wood stain finish are used, as they are more descriptive.

If finishes are used as protection, it means they protect the wood against moisture, which can warp the wood, as well as from unsightly finger marks. Generally, the thicker the finish, the better the protection.

Decorative finishes give wood a richer and deeper quality that lots of people find more appealing. The visual impact however, is more pronounced on stained darker woods.

When applying a finish, the first coat is used to seal the wood. This raises the grain and makes it feel rougher. When dry, the surface of the wood should then be lightly sanded by hand until smooth.

Where there are irregularities such as knots, they can be 'stopped off' to reduce their overall impact, using a proprietary knotting solution.

Some finishes like wood stains can be applied by brush, or cloth because they can be easily wiped off. Other finishes can be applied by spraying but more care is needed as spray guns need to be properly maintained to provide a high quality finish.

When the appearance is adversely affected by brush marks, runs and fatty edges, these can be easily rectified by sanding off and re-applying the finishing coat!

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Wood Carving For Beginners!

Polmac (UK) Ltd has been using hand carving techniques, as well as other techniques, to embellish our decorated wood boxes for many years.

There is real craftsmanship involved in hand carving complex patterns on wooden boxes and this takes time but there are some basic skills that you need to learn before you start. 

Wood Relief Carving Leaf Motifs

It's important to use the right tools for the job, so learn which tools are used to accomplish which particular task and practice using them.

Use soft woods like Basswood, because they're easy to carve. This will allow you to learn the basic techniques of wood carving without having to wrestle with a hard wood that's tough to carve.

Polmac (UK) Ltd traditionally uses Linden and Alder which are woods that are soft enough to carve easily and are also ideal for wood staining purposes.

Polmac (UK) Ltd Decorated Boxes

Most importantly, ensure your wood carving tools are always sharp, because then you can cut cleanly and evenly into the wood.

If you take care, it's even possible to cut across the grain. However, remember that it's always better to carve with the grain, rather than against it!

Tip: To prevent the grain from tearing away, cut in from both sides.

Sharp hand carving tools are also safer to use than blunt ones, because with blunt tools you'll invariable need to use more pressure. Accidents can then happen, because by using more pressure, your tools may slip and slide.

It's also important to learn more about the wood itself, particularly the characteristics of the end grain and how it can help or hinder you.

Be ambitious and use your own designs. They don't have to be complicated but it will give you a great sense of satisfaction to produce carvings that you have designed yourself. If this doesn't come easily, don't worry, because the more you practice, the better you'll become.

Start with simple designs, that you know you can easily accomplish and build on that to produce more intricate designs.

You can also experiment with  different kinds of carving to find which ones you really like, such as chip and  relief carving, caricatures, realistic sculpture, wildfowl etc

Wood carving can be immensely enjoyable, so be patient, learn the basics, try out different types of carving and above all have fun!

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