FINISHING

When it comes to this practicum, I will not even attempt to portray myself as an expert when it comes to the kinds of finishes and the proper procedure that you are supposed to use with them. I will, however, explain briefly what I do to finish a carving and point you to some resources that can expand your wood finishing knowledge.

When I am finished with all of the cutting on my carvings and am satisfied with them, I will give them a coat of semi-gloss polyurethane, wipe off the excess if there is any and allow them to dry. This gives the wood a nice "glow" and preserves and protects it. It also accentuates the details so that the carving is more pleasing to look at.

When it comes to finishing, you have to ask yourself the same kinds of questions that you did in the beginning when selecting wood types. What is your visual objective for your model ship? How can you cut down clashing colours while optimizing contrasts? If contrasts are not your goal, what colour finish should you use that will keep your model aesthetically pleasing? This is all up to you and depends on the vision you have for your completed work.

Here are some links to websites that can help you with selecting finishes and following "proper" procedure when it comes to applying them:


Wood Finishing Enterprises http://www.woodfinishingenterprises.com/techinfo.html

Woodworking FAQ http://www.robson.org/woodfaq/

Woodcarving Illustrated Forum http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8106

Minwax Wood Finishing http://www.minwax.com/shoptalk/resources/

American Wood Finishing Institute http://www.awfi.org/media6.html

Glossary of Wood Finishing Terms
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/A_glossary_of_finishing_terms.html~

INTRO TO CARVING: http://www.dlumberyard.com/DavesPlace/Intoduction.htm

SHIP MODELING FAQ: http://home.att.net/~ShipModelFAQ/smf-q076.html
 

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