Drawing or painting under french polish

[wobblycogs]

I'm planning on making a Go board (goban) so that I can use it as a practice piece to learn how to french polish. A Go board is just a flat piece of timber with a grid drawn on it. A full sized board is 19x19 squares but I'm planning on making a 13x13 (with 9x9 on the reverse) for learning the game. The squares are typically 22mm per side.

Making the board is easy. I've not decided what I'll use yet but I've got some oak already milled up or I might use a lump of some unknown hardwood I've had hanging around fro a while. Either way I'm pretty sure I can make a suitable board with a fine flat playing surface.

What I'm struggling with is how to lay out the grid of lines accurately and consistently while also making sure I can french polish over the top of them. Apparently the traditional method was to use a slightly blunted katana sword dipped in ink to lay down an accurate thickness and dead straight line - I don't have a sword though. I did wonder about trying to use the edge of a steel ruler but without a curve I think I'd get an uneven impression. I've also considered a fine permanent market but I think the line wouldn't be very good, fuzzy edges. Then there's burning the line but that will leave a dip in the wood and I have a feeling french polish won't work well with dips (could I fill the dip with clear epoxy maybe?).

I vaguely remember seeing patterns on things like guitars which I believe are often french polished so I assume it can be done. Any ideas? Cheers

 

[undergroundhunter]

Why not run a really shallow v groove with a router and then go over with indian ink. Indian ink is traditionally used under shellac on things like harpsichord name boards.

Matt

 

[wobblycogs]

I'd thought something similar but sort of dismissed it as having the same problem with low spots as burning. I read somewhere that french polish doesn't like low spots because of uneven build up which sounds like it makes sense.

Indian ink is a good idea though, I was considering trying to fill the groves with a black epoxy and sanding it back flush. I know someone with a CNC machine, I wonder if I could get them to CNC out the grid...

 

[undergroundhunter]

if the grooves are super shallow though it wont matter, i was thinking as a way of containing the ink and ensuring you get a perfectly straight line.

Matt

 

[oakmitre]

How wide do you want these lines to be ?

 

[wobblycogs]

Reasonably narrow, 1mm would be good.

 

[undergroundhunter]

You could always burn the line in using a pyrography machine and a straight edge.

Matt

 

[Spacecadett]

How about milliput? You could cut a groove, fill with milliput then plane, scrape or sand flat. I use milliput in bowl turning & it is great for clean lines. Comes in lots of colours too!

 

[wobblycogs]

That's the stuff I was trying to remember, thanks. My only concern is getting the groves small enough and consistent. I think I'm going to have to have a couple of practice runs to find out what works best. That's a pain as I've got to get this project finished sooner rather than later.

Is there any sort of transfer method I could use do you think? I'm thinking print something out and iron on, surely something like that exists.

 

[custard]

You could inlay some stringing lines for a pretty special look to your board game.

These are 1mm Sycamore inlay lines let into a Tiger Oak side table. Normally you'd have to cut cross grain inlay lines for running across the grain of your board, which is not a simple undertaking, but with a series of short cross grain sections as on your project you'd get away with long grain inlay lines for everything.

You can cut the grooves with a router and a 1mm bit, or there's a great little tool from Veritas that does a really clean job for not a huge amount of money. You just run it alongside straight or curved 12mm MDF templates, and that would allow you to go quite a bit thinner than 1mm.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.a ... 3314,69873

Good luck!

 

[undergroundhunter]

You could inlay some stringing lines for a pretty special look to your board game.



These are 1mm Sycamore inlay lines let into a Tiger Oak side table. Normally you'd have to cut cross grain inlay lines for running across the grain of your board, which is not a simple undertaking, but with a series of short cross grain sections as on your project you'd get away with long grain inlay lines for everything.

You can cut the grooves with a router and a 1mm bit, or there's a great little tool from Veritas that does a really clean job for not a huge amount of money. You just run it alongside straight or curved 12mm MDF templates, and that would allow you to go quite a bit thinner than 1mm.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.a ... 3314,69873

Good luck!

Maybe a stupid question but why do you need cross grain inlay for going across the grain? Is it so it expands and contracts?

Matt

 

[wobblycogs]

I'd not really considered trying inlay. It's not something I've ever done and for some reason I'd assumed it would have to be quite wide, if I can find those tools in the UK though I think it's worth a shot.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, that's really given me some food for thought.

 

[Racers]

What are you doing about the stones?


Pete

 

[wobblycogs]

I hadn't really got that far yet. The bowls I'll make on the lathe.

I'm making a standard sized board so I should be able to buy some stones. I'm also wondering about turning them but I'm not sure I'm up for turning 361 identical pieces

 

[custard]

Maybe a stupid question but why do you need cross grain inlay for going across the grain? Is it so it expands and contracts?

Matt

Yes, that's absolutely right.

 

[Racers]

I hadn't really got that far yet. The bowls I'll make on the lathe.

I'm making a standard sized board so I should be able to buy some stones. I'm also wondering about turning them but I'm not sure I'm up for turning 361 identical pieces

Shouldn't some be a different colour?

:wink:

Pete

 

[oakmitre]

1mm end mills in a collet reducer work fairly well.

Fitting a square baseplate to the router would help if your spindle is not central to the circular base.

 

[wobblycogs]

Shouldn't some be a different colour?

I want to make sure I win .

I think my router is probably a bit big for the job but I've been meaning to get a palm router for a while so this is a good excuse to splash out. Looks like circuit board end mills can be had cheaply on ebay and at 1.1mm they are pretty much the perfect size.

 

[custard]

Wealden do a 1mm router bit. Some of the luthier supply companies go a lot smaller than that. All with standard 1/4" collets so no need for reducers.

 

[ED65]

Once you've milled your grooves were you planning on colouring them with Indian ink? You can also use oil paint or an enamel if that would suit.