# Epoxy fill vs Torch on CNCed lettering



## avsmusic1

I'm making a Christmas gift for my wife and I need some advice. It's a burly piece of cherry that i has a great local shop CNC for me. I was initially planning to epoxy fill the lettering w/ black dye but now I'm wondering if taking a pro pain torch to it might give me the contrast I'm looking for w/out the issue of spilling into some of the burl nooks and crannies.

I'm likely to fill a few cracks w/ black epoxy anyway strictly to stabilize it a bit and then was planning to sand to 600 and finish w/ Odies to make the grain really pop. The piece will be hung on our wall.

I've never used a torch and am a tad concerned the burning won't full sand out of the primary surface. It would save time though. I could drop some sacrificial lacquer down on the main surface to protect the flat plane and then sand it off?

Any suggestions are welcomed. Maybe an option I'm not even thinking of is best?


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## avsmusic1

After thinking about it more last night I'm leaning towards torch w/ sacrificial lacquer coat on the flat surface around the text.

Anyone have any experience doing this?


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## Kazooman

I have zero experience with either method. I do have experience with screwing stuff up, and I can speak with authority. You really need to try out either or both methods on a similar piece of scrap before having a go at your beautiful burl. If you have a small off cut from the piece perhaps your CNC shop would quickly put a few scrawls on it so you have a test piece to work with.


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## John Smith_inFL

how are your hand painting skills ?
with a small project like that, you could finish sanding
and apply your clear coat, then hand paint the engraved
graphics with small brushes with very little bleeding of the black paint.
[filling any of the selected voids with epoxy is a separate project].

as for the torch idea, you can engrave some similar graphics on similar wood
with the hand-held router (no need for the CNC for a test panel).
with the torch, the top edges will burn, some of the bottom of the graphics
will brown, the deep corners and recesses will not be affected very much (if at all).
so in essence, you will not be satisfied with the burning technique.
~ I vote for hand painting ~

.

.


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## 000

Fill with the epoxy, don't burn.


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## avsmusic1

> how are your hand painting skills ?
> with a small project like that, you could finish sanding
> and apply your clear coat, then hand paint the engraved
> graphics with small brushes with very little bleeding of the black paint.
> [filling any of the selected voids with epoxy is a separate project].
> 
> as for the torch idea, you can engrave some similar graphics on similar wood
> with the hand-held router (no need for the CNC for a test panel).
> with the torch, the top edges will burn, some of the bottom of the graphics
> will brown, the deep corners and recesses will not be affected very much (if at all).
> so in essence, you will not be satisfied with the burning technique.
> ~ I vote for hand painting ~
> 
> .
> 
> .
> 
> - John Smith


I had debated hand painting actually but i'm not terribly skilled at it and it seemed like the paint might run just like epoxy into some of the nooks the smaller lettering intersects with. That said, the paint would be plenty easy to sand off if I made a mess so skill probably isn't too important.

As a note to others, I have plenty of scrap cherry that I can do a test run on but none of it is burl wood and there are no viable cutoffs from this.


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## jerkylips

Just my opinion, but I think the burned finish is more of a rustic look, where epoxy fill looks more modern. I think it comes down to what look you're trying to achieve.


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## oldnovice

I agree with *jerkylips*, depends on what look you want to achieve!


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## pottz

> how are your hand painting skills ?
> with a small project like that, you could finish sanding
> and apply your clear coat, then hand paint the engraved
> graphics with small brushes with very little bleeding of the black paint.
> [filling any of the selected voids with epoxy is a separate project].
> 
> as for the torch idea, you can engrave some similar graphics on similar wood
> with the hand-held router (no need for the CNC for a test panel).
> with the torch, the top edges will burn, some of the bottom of the graphics
> will brown, the deep corners and recesses will not be affected very much (if at all).
> so in essence, you will not be satisfied with the burning technique.
> ~ I vote for hand painting ~
> 
> .
> 
> .
> 
> - John Smith


+1


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## avsmusic1

> Just my opinion, but I think the burned finish is more of a rustic look, where epoxy fill looks more modern. I think it comes down to what look you re trying to achieve.
> 
> - jerkylips





> I agree with *jerkylips*, depends on what look you want to achieve!
> 
> - oldnovice


Agree as well

I'm open to either aesthetic so I'm really trying to figure out which is more viable given the proposed approaches and the challenges of the specific piece (nooks/crannies). Sounds like the burn method is the only one that we don't have specific "votes" for though. Has anyone hear used a burning method with sacrificial lacquer? Will it even work as I'm envisioning it will?


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## John Smith_inFL

I can't speak for the other members, but, when I hear "propane torch" 
I think of the big bottle torch like the plumbers use (MAPP gas) with 
a very intense flame.
I have a small pencil flame butane micro-torch that I have never used.
if you really want to try the burn thing, you can pick up the "butane" micro torch
at Harbor Freight for cheap and see if that will work for you.










.


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## ocean

I agree with John. Sand the top and finish with your lacquer and then hand paint the lettering. Keep a rag at hand to wipe away an any paint that strays outside the grooves. Finish (lacquer) should prevent any paint staining on surface.
Black epoxy sounds great but I for one would have difficult time pouring it in the narrow grooves of the lettering. As someone said practice on another piece first.


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## avsmusic1

So long as you get the first finish coat on before midnight on Christmas it still counts, right?

Thanks for the help all - went w/ epoxy 
Merry Christmas!


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## JohnMcClure

Great job!
Have done a few like this, but no burls, and have always used paint. Typically a sacrificial coat of shellac first making spillage easier to clean off.
You did a great job with epoxy.


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## OG51

That is beautiful. Wonderful job on the project.


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