Burning wood

[Haggy]

I am a school teacher and am after advice on how I can best help a pupil add texture to an oak clock she is making. I would love to attempt shot blasting the surface but we haven't the equipment, we tried burning the surface and using a wire brush.  She tells me she doesn't want any carbon remaining.  Does anybody know a method of getting rid of the carbon?  Her thinking is to laser engrave the oak after making the grain 'pop' out, this is the reason she wants to remove the carbon.
        Any help would be much appreciated.
               Many thanks
                        Haggy

[Bryan Milham]

Hi Haggy,

There are many choices for oak.

If you are going to scortch it do it hard and don't tickle it with the flame. Then brush out with a bronze or stainless steel brush (the £1 type shops sell packs of them).  The best finish I've found to seal it is Hard wax oil.

To bring out the grain without burning, put a rotary wire brush in a drill or the lathe and run it along the grain, it will quickly remove the softer part of the annual growth.

You have a laser engraver, I'm jealous already.

[Haggy]

Thanks- as always Brian. 
I never thought of using a rotary brush.  I will certainly give that a go.
The laser cutter is brilliant- I would love to own one too!!
   

[John D Smith]

  Hi Haggy,
               Just a word of caution if you use a Rotary wire brush make sure you wear safety goggles some of the wire has a habit of flying out.

                                                                   Regards John

[bodrighywood]

Using the rotary brush is a very quick and dramatic way of getting that texture. As said the wire, (usually brass) i the brushes can break off easily and also wear down very quickly. Worth experimenting doing it with the lathe running and stationary as they give different effects.

pete

[seventhdevil]

i'm not a safety conscious person and was once using a wire bit in a dremel and was lucky not to be blinded when i pulled a 3/4" bit of wire from my eye so even i will state the obvious here and say, wear goggles...

[Haggy]

Thank you for the warnings- I hadn't considered the H and S implications of a wire brush.
I was wondering if there were any chemical methods of removing carbon as I have seen 'carbon free' laser work and was baffled how the carbon had been removed?   
I will make sure my student tries deep burning too- hope she doesn't set off any alarms.
      Thank you
              Haggy
 

[Mark Hancock]

Use Mapp Pro gas to do the burning - burns at a very high temperature and so doesn't distress the wood.
Clean off carbon using a polish brush - I hold this on the lathe and press the work against it. This cleans and burnishes the piece.

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Haggy I am encouraged that you are assessing the H&S aspect of this project. Please be aware that in the process of wire brushing a dust is also generated.

[Haggy]

Thank you once again. 
I tried the rotary wire brush technique at school today- your helpful replies made me more cautious than normal.
I mounted the brush on a mandrel and supported it between lathe centres.  It worked really well, I am now quite excited to pass this method onto my student.  I think she will love distressing the wood in this way.
I would also like her to experiment a little more with deep burning, we have oxy- acetylene Mark, which we haven't tried yet.
I will also read out to her your comments on H&S - the girls tend to be more fashion conscious than safety and it is always a concern.
Finally - it really helps to  read your comments, there is no substitute for experience.

[PaulH]

the girls tend to be more fashion conscious than safety and it is always a concern.

Just remind her that an eye patch is never a good fashion accessory.

Full face shields are just dead cool in the workshop. For best effect she needs to practice the full Lois Lane hair toss when taking it off.

[Mark Hancock]

I would also like her to experiment a little more with deep burning, we have oxy- acetylene Mark, which we haven't tried yet.

That would be fine. Most people don't have access to oxy-acetylene so Mapp Pro is a good alternative.

These were finished just by burnishing with the polishing brush after burning. It's a good idea to spray with water prior to burnishing so you don't send any embers flying around the workshop. Also DON'T use a dust extractor as you burnish.

[seventhdevil]

the girls tend to be more fashion conscious than safety and it is always a concern.

Just remind her that an eye patch is never a good fashion accessory.

Full face shields are just dead cool in the workshop. For best effect she needs to practice the full Lois Lane hair toss when taking it off.

just say that you can't see fashion if you are blinded by a loose wire...