This is a blog requested by Douglas Bordner. Midnight Serenade started as an ordinary piece of straight grain oak. I carved an unusual shape to try and bring some interest to the grain. After shaping and sanding, this piece almost receive a traditional finish. The wood and grain were beautiful, but Douglas had a request that needed to be fulfilled.

The next step was to apply two coats of Fiebing’s black leather dye. You could also use this technique to ebonize a piece.

I then spray two coats of lacquer to seal the dye.

The next step is applying the liming wax. After the wax has dried it is buffed with 0000 steel wool and top coated with Briwax.

Please ask any questions and I will attempt to answer them.
You can view Midnight Serenade posted in my projects.
-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.






















12 comments so far
Daren Nelson
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518 posts in 784 days
posted 428 days ago
I would like some more explanation of liming wax and how to use it. I am not familiar with it. You are advancing in your turning and finishing rapidly BTW, good on you. I see how it makes open pore wood like red oak more dramatic. I walked away from the lathe awhile ago, got bored…you have resparked my interest. Open pore wood like elm, plain old elm for example, would take this finish and make a nice piece.
-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/
trifern
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7890 posts in 646 days
posted 428 days ago
Hey Daren. Thanks for the nice compliment. Liming wax is a white pigmented paste wax. Briwax manufactured what I used, but others make it also. You basically rub it on like any paste wax and buff it off. It fills in the open grain of wood. I purchased mine from Woodcraft in Indianapolis. I have also used it on Catalpa with a two-tone dye, see Inside Rhapsody. Hopefully that answers your question.
-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.
scottb
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3391 posts in 1206 days
posted 428 days ago
aha – now I’m seeing all sorts of color combination possibilities with this technique. Easter eggs anyone?
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
fredf
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316 posts in 589 days
posted 428 days ago
Gorgeous! Some day I am going to have to try my hand at this
Keep up the great work! We are all getting an education.
-- Fred, Springfield, Ma
Douglas Bordner
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3415 posts in 942 days
posted 428 days ago
Thank you, Joe! I can see a hybridization of Daren's two tone wood-dye technique and your liming technique brewing at my lathe soon. I truly appreciate your honoring my request for details. Good luck with your juried contest. I’m sure you will do very well.
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
jockmike2
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7222 posts in 1125 days
posted 427 days ago
Great lesson for this old man Joe, a lot I never new about dyes, waxes and other things I’ll have to try, thanks,
-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com
drgoodwood
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372 posts in 1006 days
posted 427 days ago
BriWax also has a toluene free version for those that need it.
I make my own waxes and add pigments for liming and accenting wood.
Other than a white liming wax, I also use black, yellow, blue and green.
Of course difference base colors are needed for contrasting the pigmented wax.
I’ve also used powdered mica in the wax for interesting effects.
I mix up small batches of the liming wax as needed with a spatula.
-- Randy, Rustic Artisan (sixth generation) - "I am a seeker, not a follower."
Dick, & Barb Cain
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6991 posts in 1178 days
posted 427 days ago
Thank you!
Very unique!
-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
trifern
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7890 posts in 646 days
posted 426 days ago
Hey Randall, what kind of pigments do you add to your wax?
-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.
drgoodwood
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372 posts in 1006 days
posted 426 days ago
I use natural Earth and mineral pigments from several sources.
Here are several good vendors:
Real Milk Paint
Lee Valley
Earth Pigments
I also use some natural pigments that I gather in the wild.
-- Randy, Rustic Artisan (sixth generation) - "I am a seeker, not a follower."
Grumpy
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14852 posts in 730 days
posted 426 days ago
Good one Joe.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
trifern
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7890 posts in 646 days
posted 425 days ago
Thanks for the great links and information, Randall. The pigments certainly open a whole new world of possibilities.
-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.