Luckily I am not cat, but a question.......

[Badgerboy]

You know what they say about curiosity and cats but here I go.  

What do those of you who cut portraits or signs glued to backer boards do in regards to the interior cut edges of your piece?  For instance, if you cut a sign and stain the front piece and glue it to a colored backer to make your letters or portrait pop,  do you stain the pieces cut edges to match the front, paint them the color of the backer board, or just ignore them?

I cut this wedding sign and before I remove the template I bean  pondering whether to paint the interior cut edges black to match the backer or stain them to match the front.  Side note, you will notice the final digit of the year is uncut.  This poor couple who have a May wedding pending are having to consider postponing the wedding due the insanity of the Corona virus.  I pray for all the poor folks in the same situation, it has to be agonizing to ponder your options with all the work and emotion that went into such a momentous life event.  

Random thoughts on a rainy Camp Corona day in the shop

Edited March 23, 2020 by Badgerboy

[OCtoolguy]

I thought something bad happened to your cat. Gladly not.

[Badgerboy]

Just now, octoolguy said:

I thought something bad happened to your cat. Gladly not.

Actually I am a dog guy but either way not the situation but thanks.

[dgman]

I don’t stain! For most projects, I use hardwoods. I pick hardwoods that have grain that will pop when I apply oil. For portraits, I use BB without stain. I will either us a hardwood veneer plywood or a painted BB backer. If i paint the backer, I use a flat spray paint. I’ll paint the backer at least a week before I mount it to let the paint cure. Then once cured, I will glue the backer to the portrait with Aleen’s tacky glue. I do the same when I use hardwoods. After the glue is dry, I soak the items in my 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits. Then after the oil dries, I’ll top coat the item with Deft semi gloss spray lacquer. Occasionally, I’ll stain a backer using the same process.

[crupiea]

I do this type of stuff all the time.

I spray paint the pieces.  That way I can get even colors on the side too. You know how it is when you stain that edge, it always is too dark or different looking. 

Spray paint also gives you a limitless amount of colors to choose from. 

[stoney]

What I have done on thicker than 1/4 inch fretwork is paint the interior cut edges the same color as the backer, mostly black, before removing the pattern.   Any paint that might bleed onto the face I sand off after it is completely dry.

[NC Scroller]

I do most the same thing as dgman.  In the times I will stain the piece I let the thickness decide.  If the overlay piece is 1/4" or less I actually stain before cutting.  Then there is no stain on the edges.  If working with thicker wood I stain all surfaces the best I can.