Sealer for Shou Sugi Ban

[zak99]

Hi Folks,

I fancy having a stab at Shou Sugi Ban and charring a scaffold board shelf for indoors. What would be a good product to seal the wood and enhance the grain after charring please?

Rgds

 

[billw]

I'd be interested in this answer - I was going to try and incorporate some into furniture but apparently it's a bit of a nightmare.

 

[thetyreman]

seeing as it's going indoors, I'd use spray laquer, a couple of coats, once you've rubbed it down with a wire brush after charring. I don't recommend avoiding the wire brush part, you'll see what I mean if you've never tried it.

 

[--Tom--]

I’ve had success stabilising with hard wax oil, and then top coating with a home brew wax containing carnauba. Applying with Coarse wire wool helps too

 

[--Tom--]

This was the finish on oak

 

[Cabinetman]

Wow, that really does look nice! I’ve read about it but I always thought it was a bit naff, always ready to be persuaded!

 

[marcros]

Wow, that really does look nice! I’ve read about it but I always thought it was a bit naff, always ready to be persuaded!

Like so many things, I suspect the difference between done well/properly and that recreated on daytime TV or YouTube is as different as night and day.

 

[marcros]

This was the finish on oak
View attachment 97183

I may be wrong, but I would only call that scorched rather than shou sugi ban. It looks good, but I thought the latter would have a much deeper burn, so as to look crocodilian almost.

 

[Sandyn]

I had to Google what it was!!. I thought it was some type of timber!!
I have done this before and just buffed the wood until there is no longer any charred wood on the buff. I also used a suede brush to get into the grain, then warmed it and used wax polish and buffed again.

I'm just going to finish my Shou Sugi Toast and get on with some work!

 

[--Tom--]

I may be wrong, but I would only call that scorched rather than shou sugi ban. It looks good, but I thought the latter would have a much deeper burn, so as to look crocodilian almost.

I haven’t seen anything to delineate, but all I used was English speaking Google rather than having expertise!
You certainly can leave the crocodilian pattern, but stabilising that for something that’s going to be handled would be difficult. Once you wire brush and wire wool the surface the crackle comes off.