need some suggestions on darkening letters on a stained centerline carving

[Jrdarrah]

I'm making a piece 6" x 114" out of red oak that has a centerlined text extending most of the way across. I stained the wood with Minwax Golden oak and was hoping that the carved portions would absorb more stain than the surface so the text would be easier to read. Unfortunately it all came out about the same. I plan on spraying on minwax poly as a topcoat. I need some suggestions on how to darken the letters only preferably without resorting to paint. This is part of a baptistry at our church so I'd like to stick to stain so the grain shows through. My only thought so far is to let the base stain coat dry then spray on a coat of poly. After that I was going to try mixing some stain with some poly and paint that in the carved areas. Since I have a topcoat of poly I figured I could sand any that ended up on the surface without going all the way back to bare wood. Any other ideas would be appreciated. Since I don't want to wreck a nice carving I'm going to create a small test carving to try the ideas on first before commiting them to the final work.

[robbrigg2]

I'm making a piece 6" x 114" out of red oak that has a centerlined text extending most of the way across. I stained the wood with Minwax Golden oak and was hoping that the carved portions would absorb more stain than the surface so the text would be easier to read. Unfortunately it all came out about the same. I plan on spraying on minwax poly as a topcoat. I need some suggestions on how to darken the letters only preferably without resorting to paint. This is part of a baptistry at our church so I'd like to stick to stain so the grain shows through. My only thought so far is to let the base stain coat dry then spray on a coat of poly. After that I was going to try mixing some stain with some poly and paint that in the carved areas. Since I have a topcoat of poly I figured I could sand any that ended up on the surface without going all the way back to bare wood. Any other ideas would be appreciated. Since I don't want to wreck a nice carving I'm going to create a small test carving to try the ideas on first before commiting them to the final work.

You could try a darker stain on a nice, sharp, stiff brush.. just a little at a time so you don't over do it...

[Digitalwoodshop]

The way I do darker text is to stain the text a few times then sand the board smooth and blow out the sawdust from the letters. Stain again and use air to blow the stain out as I wipe. Same with the poly.

Wear a good quality respirator.

AL

[dcalvin4]

This works for me ....to make a font darker i finish the whole project with Spar varnish as it is thick and has a lot of pigment .. I coat it thick and fill up the letters with varnish and when it dries the letters are darker than the surface of the board. Spar var flows nice but takes over nite to dry.. The wife thinks it stinks the house ..An other way is to use your fav. brand minwax water base poly as it has no smell then paint each letter with Painters opaque markers with a medium point found in wally mart.. they are pricey but goooo a long way..like 1 blk 1white 1green 1blue 1 red in a box for about 10 bucks I dont know if this helps but at wall mart it is item 7518 and squew number 7994675180 hope helps
denny

[myshop1044]

I stain the entire board first, let it dry, then come back and add more stain just in the letters with a small brush and let the letters dry. Then I add more stain to get the darkness I want. Oh be sure wipe off the execess stain on the top of the board to keep the same shade .

Myshop1044

[andes]

What I sometimes use is minwax stain marker for things like that. That way you can target the area you want a little darker, by appling serveral coats in the needed area. Which you can find at your local ACE Hardware (that's were I get mine) or on line. Keep in mind that the markes are not a fine tip.

http://www.minwax.com/products/wood_maintenance_and_repair/wood_finish_stain_marker.html#Colors

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17396

http://www.durablesupply.com/zigwostma1.html

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dtools&field-keywords=stain+marker

[earlyrider]

You could use a little artist's acrylic and a small or fine brush, and put it in like a wash or a bit thicker. Any XS or slop can be cleaned off after it dries with a rag dampened with some alcohol. On a long weekend like this, some people could just breath on it.:rolleyes:
Ron

[SteveEJ]

Gel stain of a darker tint than golden oak. Work it in the letters until you get the look you want and then let it dry over night. Apply finish in 2 light coats then heavier coat after that. The light coats are so the solvent in the finish doesn't soften the gel stain.

[Router-Jim]

I'm making a piece 6" x 114" out of red oak that has a centerlined text extending most of the way across. I stained the wood with Minwax Golden oak and was hoping that the carved portions would absorb more stain than the surface so the text would be easier to read. Unfortunately it all came out about the same. I plan on spraying on minwax poly as a topcoat. I need some suggestions on how to darken the letters only preferably without resorting to paint.


I would like to suggest going with a coat of shellac instead of poly. Then consider using a glaze for the letters. After wiping off the excess and allowing to dry you would follow with a top coat of shellac.

[Eagle Hollow]

After the initial sanding, I apply a coat of sanding sealer, let it dry then spray paint (usually black) into the lettering. After that is thoroughly dry, run it through the planer. That leaves the letters very well defined with sharp, crisp edges. Then to what ever stain and finish is appropriate.(Interior or exterior)

[Router-Jim]

After the initial sanding, I apply a coat of sanding sealer, let it dry then spray paint (usually black) into the lettering. After that is thoroughly dry, run it through the planer. That leaves the letters very well defined with sharp, crisp edges. Then to what ever stain and finish is appropriate.(Interior or exterior)

I've used that technique myself when you want the lettering to stand out, but in this case he wants the wood grain to show.

[JDPratt]

Strangely enough I just ran into this problem recently. My solution was to stain the whole board (including the letters) darker than I really wanted the surface to be. When dry, I sanded the top and it lightened the top but left the letters the darker tint of the same stain color. I am sure Ike may have a better solution.

John

[undrtkr]

What I have been doing is taking a syringe, with about a 10 ga needle. Fill with dark stain and flood each letter. Let stand until most of the stain has soaked it. Then carefully blot each letter to remove xs. Then stain and finish the entire board. This has worked very well for me. Lets me keep the same color as the stain OR using black acrylic paint for a sharp contrast. If using acrylic paint, do not blot. Just let it dry before proceeding.