Patch box

DAK4442 said:

In the past I've used Aqua Fortis with heat to color, then linseed oil followed by several coats of ting oil. With a nice 0000 rubdown in between coats. I do that with all the furniture in place...

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Yep, that's the way it's done. I use a propane heater to darken the wood after the Aqua Fortis. I guess you also must have whiskered the stock too. I use boiled linseed oil thined with turpentine. A coat a day for a week, a coat a week for a month, a coat a month for a year, and a coat a year for a lifetime... that's the old adage.

That is awesome to me.

Doc, I do always raise the grain a couple times before I start. I used to use the heat from a stove burner to heat treat for color. I had problems scorching some of my fine carving so I've switched to a hand held heat gun used to strip paint and will never go back...so much more control of the heat...

DAK4442 said:

In the past I've used Aqua Fortis with heat to color, then linseed oil followed by several coats of ting oil. With a nice 0000 rubdown in between coats. I do that with all the furniture in place...

Click to expand...

So, are you saying that you fill the edges of your engraving with unavoidable over-runs of stain and finish and then rub it down with steel wool?

Actually I don't use stain. I apply aqua fortis (almost clear liquid) to the wood with a small piece of paper towel. After it dries I use a heat gun on the wood which brings out the color and figure of the curly maple. Then several thinned coats of boiled linseed oil (very light rub down with 0000 between coats. Then several coats of tung oil (0000 between coats) until I get the desired finish. All finish is "hand rubbed" one drop at a time and the stock is very lightly rubbed with 0000 after completely dry taking care around all inlays. Finally a few coats of paste wax. Stock finishing can take me a couple weeks depending on the desired finish? If I get it right I can close my eyes and run my fingers over the stock and not feel the inlays? I've contemplated engraving after finishing BUT any clamping or the inevitable slip with the graver would cause too big of a problem with the finish for my liking? I wish I had better sample photos to post but this was all I had on my phone?

Beautiful job on engraving the patch box. I have engraved the both on and off the the gun. It is a much easier job to do the engraving off the gun but you do have to be particular in removing the work from the gun and then to make sure the work is fully supported so that no changes in form are chaused in the engraving process. Then make sure you put the patch box back on in the same sequence that it was removed. I do all of this before any finish or stain is applied to the stock just in case any adjustments have to be made.

DAK4442 said:

Doc, I do always raise the grain a couple times before I start. I used to use the heat from a stove burner to heat treat for color. I had problems scorching some of my fine carving so I've switched to a hand held heat gun used to strip paint and will never go back...so much more control of the heat...

Click to expand...

I have one of those now also. I use it for all sorts of things. Handy tool!

I made it home for one day this weekend and had just enough time to finish up. On to the side plate...

Dan,
That looks awesome.

Todd