burned signs

[knight_toolworks]

these burned signs were interesting lucky my customer just brought me the blanks already burned. but they are not square or flat so I made a rectangle jig and used shims to make sure it did not move and did not rock. I used a 5/32 downcut bit to cut it and had to guess on depth too it is a two sided sign. I had them use the fix rot epoxy to soak in and lock all the charcoal in place. the last one is just black sintra I thought looked cool.
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/A8345B7D-1C6F-4A64-8B57-CBFBC542044C_zpsfngjoffg.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/knighttoolworks/media/posting/A8345B7D-1C6F-4A64-8B57-CBFBC542044C_zpsfngjoffg.jpg.html)
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/2E1C723F-AFA8-4BF6-856A-CA3DBE798F44_zpsm7ohnwie.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/knighttoolworks/media/posting/2E1C723F-AFA8-4BF6-856A-CA3DBE798F44_zpsm7ohnwie.jpg.html)
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/FD2F8DA8-E33F-4899-A8E7-A93763D9C5BE_zpsqhvoe1fg.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/knighttoolworks/media/posting/FD2F8DA8-E33F-4899-A8E7-A93763D9C5BE_zpsqhvoe1fg.jpg.html)

[Burkhardt]

........the last one is just black sintra I thought looked cool......

If you like such design, search for "scherenschnitt" in Google Images (https://www.google.com/search?q=scherenschnitt&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=k6sTVLqLEpCpyAST-4CwBw&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=1920&bih=943).

A lot of this kind of art is 100 or 200 years old and all copyright has expired (you can limit the search to "licensed for reuse") and was popular back then in Germany and Switzerland (and with the Pennsylvania Dutch). They used to be cut with scissors from black paper and may make pretty inlays. This is how you do it without CNC. (http://www.uelihofer.com/images/scherenschnitt2.jpg)

[scottp55]

Thanks Steve, Just started playing with my propane torch(1.25" "brush" oxidizing flame head I bought years ago to solder the copper flashing that runs full horizontal on exterior of house) on "Plain Vanilla" Sugar Maple, and Just getting fond of the "perfect Marshmallow" deep caramel color. You can get it almost "Black" and it still won't transfer the black to your fingertip. Haven't carved yet though, but nice to see the contrast works like I thought it would.:)
G., Thanks for that search, some of that style would work great with this!
Also perfect for inlays:)
ALSO, time to resurrect our attempts on Springerle cookie molds now!! Thanks a bunch:)
scott

[knight_toolworks]

I wanted to find out how they burned the wood it is pretty deep in places. messy to handle too.
I love the link I will make one of those as a sample in my shop.

[scottp55]

Steve, when we were kids(and complaining about our low allowances-I was about 12) Dad had us make Decoupage boards to sell. The first step was to char the wood like in your first pics. Dad had an old brass gasoline? blowtorch, the kind where you filled the cup under the head with gas and then lit it and it preheated the head and pressurized it at the same time. Our pine came out looking like those pics and then we wire brushed and sanded.
Last time Dad was here, we played with eliminating Maple fuzzies and giving the wood a little "Character" at the same time(Needs work), and were just barely touching it with the flame set pretty low and no carbon transfer to our clean fingertips.
Dad wanted to pursue it, and then saw this thread, so it Kinda counts as Work:)
Just a TurboTorch hitched to a propane tank slightly larger than a BBQ tank. TurboTorch is a model T-6 LPG-JT with regulator model R-LP. Used it for weeks straight when doing copper flashing, and have played with silver and gold smelting over the years and love it for tons of stuff.
#'s stand for seconds of direct/steady flame exposure set at a medium/low(sorry no pressure gauge) on a Sugar Maple rip. Tried to leave left original, right sided sanded to 220G, touched a $2.69 3" coarse wire wheel to the more Burnt ones. Took lots of pics.
Groove is just a small palm veiner for contrast.
Got to go and buy impact wrench/Allen sockets/welding rod now:(
Thanks for the idea of playing with wood/fire instead of trammelling:)
What could we use instead of "fix rot epoxy"?

[Brian Harnett]

I use fire a lot on my carvings and signs great way to soften the hard edges and add color.
http://i.imgur.com/1rxN9Q3.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2LcmA1u.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/EnV3RMc.jpg

[scottp55]

Brian, What kind of flame and head is that!!!:) Mine's pure blue with NO yellow, but love your results.

[Brian Harnett]

Scott, it is a cheap harbor freight torch with a turbo lever hooked to a bbq tank.

[knight_toolworks]

here si the first one al finished.
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/IMG_0396_zps16d3aa5c.jpg (http://s154.photobucket.com/user/knighttoolworks/media/posting/IMG_0396_zps16d3aa5c.jpg.html)

[scottp55]

Steve, Found that interesting simply by the 24 Trackers attached to the Pic I have now Blocked.
Thanks, new to this computer stuff.
Why 1/8" ? Z-discrepancy between top board? Glue' clamping shift? Looks like font was accurate?
Like the effect, and there are a couple of people interested:) (Well, besides me).
Like the "Softening" Brian.

[knight_toolworks]

the customer glued the boards up and burned them. so they were not too worried about it being flat and even and square. :D but it works ok. part of it is uneven burning too.

[scottp55]

Steve, Just find the contrast and texture possibilities interesting, Have seen similar , But VERY "Fake" looking signs in 3 different restaurants this summer within an hours drive. They could use something like this "Look", But not my area of expertise.

[knight_toolworks]

I agree I like how it is not perfect it just makes it harder to cut.

[scottp55]

Better than me, touching this inlay with a torch and red ocher and changing the dimensions "Just enough" not to fit the female "cut" already carved! :)
I was interested in how It would look:mad:

[elcar903]

interesting work keep it up.

[scottp55]

Steve, Looks like you got 2 Scott's playing with fire :)
Didn't burn this plain vanilla much at all(black does not come off on finger).
Too bad I don't have a Macro lens as I'm looking for the owner of the Celtic "Tree of Life" shown, and that font height is only .124" which is the smallest I've done and is still very legible because of the Black in a .05" pocket.
Got to be careful that the font allows you to VCarve into the white layer(about .015"), had to go a Kyocera 30degree engraving for that one.
"Made in Maine" was .05" depth with a 45 degree of the above bit.
Thanks for bringing it to our attention as Dad is quite "Taken" with it:)
Nice finish for the "100% Natural" crowd
scott

[shilala]

It's good you didn't burn too deep, brother. I had to take my vcarve deeper and deeper and deeper until I got the desired effect on that sign I did.
You're working so small it'd really screw you up if you got carried away with the burn.

[scottp55]

Yeah, That's why I did that stick and timed the amount of flame exposure and then took a VGouge to it. Gave me a good idea of how deep it went and what the surface looked like. Of course another wood will be different. Could keep dropping bit angle, but that only works so far on fonts and graphics. Does seem to alleviate Maple "Fuzzies" at that depth though, maybe stiffens/hardens fibers so they cut clean?

[shilala]

Yeah, That's why I did that stick and timed the amount of flame exposure and then took a VGouge to it. Gave me a good idea of how deep it went and what the surface looked like. Of course another wood will be different. Could keep dropping bit angle, but that only works so far on fonts and graphics. Does seem to alleviate Maple "Fuzzies" at that depth though, maybe stiffens/hardens fibers so they cut clean?
Maybe it heats up enough to drive out water, at least deep enough for your cut?
I had zero fuzzies in poplar, but that's cause the top was burned. I never get fuzzies down in the cut.

[Xray]

Nice work, I'm a big fan of burning for effect.
I use a propane fed forced air heater ,,, I have found that the key is to use it like paint, keep the piece moving and better to do 2 or 3 light applications rather than 1 heavy. If you see thick wisps of smoke its too late, unless you like it extra crispy.

[scottp55]

Thanks. Yep, Got a 1" "brush flame" head and key for me was rapid passes starting and ending off material. Next time I'll let it cool in between my "coats" as it's pretty thin and already taped/surfaced/sanded before I hit it.
Whodathunk excess carpet tape would catch on fire so easy? :)
Still playing but need a method for consistent/uniform layer in my case.
That "Crackle" look on Steve and Scott's is nice though, but I like not getting carbon all over everything(especially wheels/hands) and being able to carve small.
A ways to go before I get it down.

[shilala]

Scott, I never got charcoal on anything at all. Not even my fingers. But I stabilized the blank before I worked it.
I thought for sure the charcoal would break off and mix with the stabilizer and make a slurry of slop. Didn't happen. The whole process was cake.

[scottp55]

Yeah, But you should see my cakes! ("Easy as pie" is an oxymoron for me too:)
Felt experimental yesterday, and my dry-rotted snake is resting on garbage can so mixed up some Gorilla Wood Glue(almost never use the stuff) with some rubbing alcohol for kicks and giggles--DON"T, but does make an interesting "Pink Glop" that I putty knifed into a TOTAL punk area. TB Original made a water clear mix that soaked VERY deeply into a punky fissure crack---be interesting what they look like today:)
Got some West Marine coming, and some Elmers you showed and some Minwax wood hardener.

[shilala]

I think you're gonna be thrilled with the ease of use and the results you get out of the Elmer's, Scott. I know I was far more impressed than I ever imagined I'd be.
When I squirted it in the bowl I thought "you gotta be kidding me."
That's why I thinned it. But after using that little bit, I just squited it straight out of the bottle. You'll be amazed at how far it stretches.