How should I finish a name routed in pine?

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi all,

I've been having a play with routing names in pine. I have some hardwax oil that I'd like to use, but what do people finish the name with so that it stands out? Is hardwax oil a good choice for the "background"?

Thanks,
Neil

 

[AndyT]

I've only ever done one similar job, which was a house name with letters carved into oak. I knew the brown oak would weather to grey but wanted the letters to be easy to read regardless.

I had some matt black cellulose based car paint at the back of the cupboard so I used that. With a fine artist's brush it was reasonably easy to paint just the cut surfaces of the letters. After it had dried, I sanded or scraped the few places where paint had gone onto the surface.

You do need to be quite careful - we are all so good at reading print that irregularities will stand out and spoil the job.

This worked fine for me and I reckon you could do something similar on pine. I think your hardwax oil would be ideal for the background. If you oiled the whole of the wood before you cut the letters you could still paint the letters like I did but any excess would just wipe off the sealed surface, with no need for scraping or sanding.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Andy,

Thank you, I'll give that a try. I've just re-read your post and realised that you're suggesting that the oil is applied before routing.

Unfortunately, I've already routed the letters. :roll:

I'll have to remember that for next time.

Thanks,
Neil

 

[AndyT]

I reckon the important thing is to keep the inside surfaces of the letters smooth, without drips or lumps which would cast odd shadows. That should still be possible if you don't flood the whole thing with oil.