Finishing questions

[Manos1984]

Hello I'm new to scroll sawing, received a Dewalt for christmas and finished my first major project and am not sure how to finish it. It's a walnut cross with oak plywood backer. I was thinking of just using boiled linseed oil but dont know if I should glue the backer on first or put the finish on first. What would be best to finish it with? Help me please. Thanks Mark

[wdkits1]

Hi Mark

Very nice scrolling there.

I like to use Minwax spray-on Satin Poly to finish my projects.

Apply several thin coats spraying from all directions to get in all of the hard to get areas. 

[NC Scroller]

Wow an exceptional 1st piece.  Boiled linseed oil while it will help "pop" the grain is not in it's self a protective finish.  For items like that I prefer to dip the piece in Deftoil, or Danish Oil, or Tung Oil before attaching a backer.  Then if I want more sheen or a harder finish I will spray Poly like Mike suggested above.

[heppnerguy]

my  suggestion would be to make the backer board black. You could either stain it or spray paint it. You would find that it would make your piece really stand out. try placing the cross without the backer board on something black and you can see what I am suggesting.. Nice cutting. post when it is finished

 

Dick

heppnerguy

[tomsteve]

great work!! i have different finishing techniquesfor different projects. on something like that, beings how its walnut, i would get the backer attached then spray an oil based poly, which will darken the walnut.light coats with different angles of the nozzle to TRY and get into the nooks and crannies. however,i dont get overly concerned with getting all the nooks and crannies as i dont want too many mils of finish.

i find there isnt much difference on walnut if i dont use BLO first.

Edited February 11, 2016 by tomsteve

[TripleJScroller]

You've done an amazing job with this!  I really like that Walnut and think all you need is some poly on it as others have said.  I kind of think that the backer would look good slightly darker, maybe try boiled lindseed oil on that.  Again, excellent cutting!!

[woodduck]

I agree with Dick I would paint the backer black,I think it would really make the project pop,Very nice work for your first major work.

[hotshot]

Goodness, you do not look like you are new to this hobby.  Good job!

 

-----Randy

[Scrappile]

Most of mine I bathe in a mixture of 50% Mineral Spirits and 50% BLO.  Straight BLO or tongue oil takes a long time to try.  The MS thins it out and it sinks deeper into the wood and dries quicker.  Still takes a couple days to dry.  After dry I usually spray several coats of Deft simi-gloss. 

[Lucky2]

Mark, I would apply the finish to the cross, before attaching the backer. The way I would finish the cross, I would dip it into a tray of 50/50 mixture of paint thinner and poly. My reason for finishing it this way, is that it will give complete coverage to the inside cuts. I really dislike looking at a cutting such as this, when I can see interior cuts that don't have any finish on them. I find that it makes the cuts always look dusty when not finished properly. Yes, you can always use spray cans or some other type of spray system, but, I find with those types of finish you usually end up with excessive amounts on the top of the item. After I dip an item, I wipe the excess off with a cloth. Then I let it dry for a day, after that I apply the backer board which is already partially completed with the first coat of finish. When I have the two pieces glued together, I apply a final coat of finish.

Len

[Dave Monk]

That is a super looking job! dave

[WayneMahler]

Great job on your first piece. Looks like you have been doing it for a while. As for finishing. I would agree with the statements above. Some oil then poly. Once again, Fantastic job.

[Manos1984]

Thanks for the comments I started this the day I received my saw and learned a ton cutting it as I used several different types of blades on it before I found what I liked. I do like it with a dark background so I think I will use some ebony stain on the backer or maybe paint it. Thanks Mark

[danny]

Wow!  I remember my beginnings.  You talent is among the Best.  Meant to be.  Good Luck in your Scrolling Venture.  Go far....  Danny  :+}

[amazingkevin]

Hello I'm new to scroll sawing, received a Dewalt for christmas and finished my first major project and am not sure how to finish it. It's a walnut cross with oak plywood backer. I was thinking of just using boiled linseed oil but dont know if I should glue the backer on first or put the finish on first. What would be best to finish it with? Help me please. Thanks Mark

Your love for scrolling really shows ,Excellent job!

[oldhudson]

There are lots of good suggestions here. I'd say you should do some practice finishing to try some of these. There are certainly others like shellac that haven't been mentioned. There are lots of choices. You can even glue a sample together after finishing to see how it holds with various finishes. I've been woodworking since 1980 and I'm still learning and trying new ways to make and finish projects.

 

Excellent cutting!