Faking Wood Figure - Building a tool to simulate a flamed effect
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2024
- I built a tool and did some experiments in various ways to give a dull piece of wood some figured effect. The inspiraion for this came from Ben at Crimson Custom Guitars, here is his video on the subject: • How to Fake Figuring -...
THIS IS THE CHATOYANCE SECRET. I've seen experts manufacture chatoyance into doug fir using a large razor sharp bowie knife cutting shallow facets finished with dark sprayed stain and gloss finish. I had just completed a curly redwood trim job, and was totally fooled at 15" away! No sanding after cutting. There was no dark spots on the cuts from staining--only light reflected differently because of angles. stunning effect.
Awesome to see you try this. Several years ago I was considering getting a bottle jack press for my shop. Making dies to try this same sort of thing was on the list of things I wanted to use it for. I ended up deciding against the press and the idea just collected dust in the back of my mind. I never considered just trying to beat it into the wood. I think I’m going to give it a go!
I see what your doing and I think I know what to do.
Great to see that experiment, even if it didn't work as planned, it saved me a LOT of time and resources because I wanted to try some of those tricks. Subscribed!
This was really enjoyable to watch. I love your process of trying things. I work very similarly. I'm very much an abstract thinker. Tell me how something is supposed to be done so I can try everything else but that! LOL!
Two things I'll throw at you as you are so close to getting what you want!
First, you are coming at it a bit too technical and need to get more into an artistic mode of thinking.
Second. You've described whats been done to the tree, as a whole, that creates the conditions that lead to striping/quilting. But this has a specific effect on the wood fibers that results in the light changing. And you're on the right track with your polished steel tools. You just need some more variety and tool address the wood with them differently.
I hope you like a bit of a puzzle, as I do. If you're still playing with this idea, it will be a good "A HA!" moment.
Funny enough, I had this same idea about 20 yrs ago. Play around with it, but never used it on a project. Now I have a guitar with some of the most stunning quilting in combo with a beautiful two color stain fade in my two favourite colors. I need to build a case for it and this faux quilting technique popped into my head again and I just thought I'd have a look on YT to see if anyone else has thought of it in the meantime.
I hope you get that "A Ha!" moment. The funnest part is the figuring it out!
Best Wishes,
Bert
This makes me wonder what could be accomplished with an English wheel and a power hammer.
interesting one! Feels like you're on the right track with the nails but if they were a larger diameter - like that first rod in that hammer thing you made, you'd get better leverage and indentation. Hard to say. A bottle jack press would do the trick. Or get a floor jack and press it up against the bottom of a heavy workbench or a pallet loaded with a bunch of bricks?
Love all your vids man, thanx.
I think I saw Dan at guns and guitars try a similar thing, except he did it using wire wrapped around a wood blank and then lightly torched it. The hot wire created a flamed effect after sanding away the charred top. Maybe you could try something like that? Possibly experiment with that?
I saw that one, it’s a pretty good option, but the toasted stripes are just darker than the surrounding wood. It’s the dancing light effect known as “chatoyance” that he’s after.
I have been thinking about fake flame, too..one idea is to use plain maple veneers, and make them wavy with water and a mold, then glue them in layers and sand them flat again.
Also, i think you'll be better off using a whiter, softer wood, like pine..it dents easily....
I tried some experiments recently with thin strips of masking tape and some thinned down stains, it was promising but easy to get wrong, and then it just looks wrong.
Drive your car on the wood, that should act like a press
Drive your car on the sandwich.