I’ve got a nice piece of oak for a beer tray , with the company logo I’ll V carve.
Having a ton of fun with said v carve BTW.
I’m keeping this version natural, but would like to spray the varve letters.
I’m wondering if those pores are gonna give me trouble spraying with paint underneath the mask on the top surface.
I imagine a stain vs paint would really give you trouble.
Should I give it a clear coat first? Thinking that might be the best way since I’m gonna clear coat it anyway when it’s done, And I’ll get a nice smooth surface for the paint mask.
I’ve seen some spray it without a mask and just sand the top, but doesn’t the paint get down Into the grain? You’d have to do a lot of sanding to get that out, But a couple passes with orbital is no big big deal.
Another option is how would I darken the carve but keep the grain? As if you used some oil to condition the wood, but the inset is darker than the surface. That would be a nice look too.
And one final question if I may…
What woods yield the best finish With the mask , cut , spray method?
I use Dewaxed Shellac (Zinsser Universal Sanding Sealer) over the entire project before carving. That helps stiffen up the surface. The shellac will sand off but helps keep paint from seeping into the pores of the carving. You could use an acid brush to coat the carving and a little around the carving, paint and then sand off the top surface. The shellac helps keep you from getting a halo effect around the carving.
Since you are making a beer tray some of the beer will likely get splashed onto the surface. I use Watco Danish Oil on a lot of products. It does slightly darken the oak but gives it a good feel. I mostly use the natural but they several other darker colors. You apply the Watco liberally and 15 minutes later you can add more like on end grain. After it dries you are finished and it has some polymers so you get a nice finish and help protect the wood from spills. It is not water proof but if wiped up soon after the spill it will help keep it from soaking into raw wood.
There is also boiled linseed oil and that brings out the natural beauty of the grain. There are other oil type finishes that soak in and help protect the wood. Natural wood is pretty but will soak up any liquid like a sponge and make dark spots.
If you have a mask already applied try painting with a brush to help control the over spray you can get with a rattle can. The paint may still seep out because most masks are not tightly adhered to the surface. So maybe run a J roller over the surface before painting and pick off any fuzzies from the mask. You could still sand over the carving after painting if you get some seepage under the mask.