decorating elf tool and spirit stains

[Shay Vings]

I've been playing around with this gadget using spirit stain before and after texturing. Not sure where I am going with it though, as it all looks a bit messy. Thought about using acrylic paint but presumably the paint would clog the cutter blades?

Is there anything on UKWF or the web which explains the best sequence of operations for using colour over/under texturing, and the final finish on a textured and stained piece ?

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi

Les Thorne does a demo where he textures using an Elf cutter in a Dremmel type tool, he then sprays with Chestnut Ebonising Lacquer, once dry he carfully hand sands the high spots and applys spirit stain. I think he has called it (or perhaps someone else called it for him) his Harlequin Series. Not sure if there is anything on-line about it. Could be on his DVD but I'm not sure?

HTH

Richard

 

[Elaine]

george fowraker or mark raby are your guys to ask. They do a course down in Burnham-on-sea too. check out georges website. I have found playing about with it helps too, some of mine have been terrible, althought they do look better after polishing etc

 

[Blister]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MARK-RABY-FIN ... 3667717121

.
.
http://www.mickhanbury.com/index.html

Both these gents do what you are looking for :wink:

 

[Paul Hannaby]

Generally I would use the texturing first and then add colour. The problem with the spirit stains is controlling where you apply them because they tend to bleed so acrylic paints might help here.

Another way you could try is to use brush pens to apply the colour if it is only a small area. These will get round the problem of colour bleeding into the cut depressions left by the tool.

Or, another option - flood with colour with the spirit stains then use a coloured wax to infil the texture. That works well too.

 

[Shay Vings]

Richard - Thanks and I did indeed see Les demo and have tried it with good results. However, I want to try spirit stains from the Chestnut sample pack as there are more/cheaper colour choices there than with a bundle of aerosols spray cans.

Paul - as you say, its the bleeding with the spirit stains which is the problem and I don't think brush application will help here? I will try texturing first then acrylic paint as you suggest.

 

[chipmunk]

I don't know whether this would work, but to control the bleeding you could try either incising deeply with the Elf point tool either side the texturing before applying the spirit stain or burning a line either side with a piece of formica.

Another idea would be to scorch the whole area first and then cut the feature to be textured out of that area first before texturing and then applying the stain?

Just a couple of thoughts.
Jon

 

[jumps]

I have found texturing with the Elf (or anything else) then acrylic followed by cutting back (skew, sand, scraper whatever) can give an interesting finish as you effectively convert the teture to a pattern. This won't work as effectively with spirit stains as they neither fill evenly or colour discretely ie they bleed.

As suggested, ebony lacquer or burning create effective backgrounds through which can then be textured to create available bare wood to be stained.....

It's all (messy) fun

 

[duncanh]

Seeing Mark Raby's name mentioned gives me an opportunity to promote our next our club demo, which he's doing this coming Saturday 12th November in Blyth, Northumberland.
Demos are open to anyone and are free (it would be good if you could buy a few raffle tickets though )

Address here