Japanese technique of preserving/antiquing wood "Shou-sugi-ban Yakisugi 焼き杉"
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- Bit customized Japanese technique of preserving/antiquing wood "Shou-sugi-ban Yakisugi 焼き杉". The oil used for final finish is tung oil.
northmen.com
/ northmenguild
/ northmenguild
@ Luca Cattaneo's comment in French, here's a translation to English:
Bois Brulé. Burnt wood, an alternative to aging ... according to ancestral techniques came from Japan for giving a durable finish to wood siding. The ancient technique of charring the wood to make it more durable is rooted among the Aztecs. The Japanese, who named it Shou-sugi-ban, have extensively used it. The charcoal acts as a protective layer that resists decay and fire, producing a long-lasting and maintenance-free material. This method of wood preservation is restarted by architects looking for green solutions in different parts of the world including Japan and Europe. In simple terms, the wood is burned for about 7 minutes using a torch or more traditional methods, before being doused with water and brushed to remove char dust, revealing a light silvery sheen. The timber is then washed and dried. It can be left unfinished or a finished oil can be applied to bring out shades of gray, silver, black or brown. This technique is used for siding, decking and outdoor furniture. The method earns interest both for its environmental history and for its aesthetic appearance. The materials can last at least 80 years, without chemicals.
-- Cheers
SuperBardley Charring the wood (cellulose + lignin + water + other junk) creates new chemicals that act as preservatives-- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and creosotes. It's not really "without chemicals"; but the preservative chemical compounds are generated *in situ*. Still, this is super cool, looks beautiful, and I want to try it!
Brandon, thanks so much for your comment! I must confess that I relied on info from a bamboo book I have, so your setting things straight is appreciated. Knowledge and facts are key to progress.
What causes this technique to actually harden the cellulose?
SuperBardley If you don't mind me jumping in I am happy to share what I know. I personally do a different form of heat treatment in my home oven, but many of the concepts are the same. Before I come off as any form of expert most of this info is just bits and pieces I have acquired as I played with heat treating wood. My goal was to stabilize wood for wooden clock parts.
The main idea is that when you heat the wood many chemical processes take place. Some of the most significant are carbonization (burning) of the wood, development of formaldehyde and the conversion of cellulose into crystalline cellulose. In addition many of the more volatile compounds in the wood are burned out.
Formaldehyde is an excellent preservative. It is tightly bound in the wood and shouldn't have any notable negative effects except the preservation of the wood. The carbonized layer of the wood is a barrier to molds and helps prevent rot from setting in as well an improved water barrier (not perfect, but much better than raw wood.)
Many of the volatile chemicals that are either converted to different forms from the heat or just driven off in the process are the ones that react most significantly with water. Mostly these are the lignuns. They are the chemicals that cause the swelling and cracking over time as the moisture levels change in the wood. By removing or changing them you actually stabilize the wood and dramatically reduce the size changes from moisture. In fact the process dramatically reduces the equilibrium moisture level of the wood (a good thing.)
One of the most significant changes is that the cellulose in the wood converts into a crystalline cellulose from its regular form. Crystalline cellulose does not absorb water and isn't a food source for most of the molds and insect pests that would normally bother you. This form of cellulose is very stable and gives your wood amazing longevity.
I am really fascinated by the Japanese process and plan on trying it out in some future projects. Good luck with your work and please keep sharing these.
BTW, here is a good (but very technical) reference on what is happening (PDF Alert);
www.ncsu.edu/bioresources/BioRes_04/BioRes_04_1_0370_Esteves_P_Wood_Mod_Heat_Treatment_Rev_367.pdf
Doug Robertson Oooh, good stuff Doug, thanks. Like many processes, controls are key to success; any comment on temperatures and duration, what are some ballparks for these? How does the wood specie alter the process and result, as in are there certain woods that are better for this than others. The baking sounds limited to oven size unless the temps can be lowered enough to utilize things like PVC pipes (unlikely but possible) for longer furniture and house-sized sticks.
SuperBardley The heat treating I do is all small parts. The most important part of process control in my situation is to make sure my wife is OK with me using the oven to bake wood for several day stretches. :-)
I used the following approach. First I do a low and very slow bake at roughly 200f (~95c). I will keep the piece in the oven for roughly 12 hours per inch of thickness. The goal is to drive out the moisture. The faster you push this step the more likely you will get cracking, checking and warping in the wood. Normally I am using this process on over sized wood that I will mill down to proper dimensions later soI am planning on losing some wood to the process.
In rare cases I am actually heat treating the finished part. If I am doing this I need to be sure the wood is very dry before starting and I go extra slow. Possibly 2-3 days at 180 deg F.
The final stage is more art than science and yes, different wood types act very differently during this part of the process, so please do several tests first. I normally crank the oven up to roughly 400F and run it for 4-5 hours. I have been told it doesn't need to be that hot by some and that it should be hotter by others. I guess it all depends on how you want to get to the philosophers stone at that point.
The high heat stage gives the wood its most dramatic visual changes. The wood caramelizes, giving it a darker, browner look in most cases. In a few woods, most notably Sea Grape, it will go almost black.
Structurally the wood is changing a lot. When it is done the wood is almost waterproof. It just doesn't seem to absorb water any more. I can't promise you could leave the wood in a lake for days, but the change is dramatic.
The strength of the wood also changes. In most cases the resulting wood is roughly as strong as when you started. In some wood this is not the case at all and the wood becomes brittle. Personally I think those were cases when I over baked the wood at high heat for too long. You can certainly over do this process.
My strong recommendation is to do test batches of different woods and baking times. Keep track of what you find and fine tune the process to fit your needs.
I think you could do the first part and possibly a limited version of the second part of the process in a PVC tube. PVC starts to deform at 280F and will melt at 320F. I know you can do a limited version of the hot baking at lower temps, but you would need to leave it on for much longer.
I would suggest using some old culvert tube for making a higher temp oven. This doesn't need to be an airtight process so you don't need to use PVC. Even paper Sonotubes (concrete forming tubes) would probably work. You are not getting close to the ignition point for any of these materials. Just lines the cheap sonotube with some fiberglass insulation (the pink stuff pulled away from its backing) and cap the ends with something. A heat gun or hairdryer controlled by a thermostat would probably give you a very effective way of doing a DIY version of this process.
If you do try this please share back any notes you have. My process is always evolving and any findings you get would be very useful to me if you are willing to share.
I have use this technique several times and have found that it is hard to do it wrong. Regardless of how deep you make the burn the results are always beautiful.
How did the wood withstand the weather in the long run?
You know, I've heard that the instant you get off a plane in Japan, there's a mysterious flute playing in the background wherever you go that doesn't stop until you board the plane to go home. Same thing happens when you go to the American Southwest, except it's Native American drums. It's fife and drums in the American Northeast, and dueling banjos in the South. Uncanny.
Oh and a didgeridoo in Australia.
Ya gotta shoot 'em to stop it. It's maddening.
the shakuhachi players hide in the bushes...uncanny.
meanwhile in the Pacific Northwest, there's a melodic wailing of sasquatch victims lost in the drizzle and an over-distorted thudding of garage bands shaking the surface of your coffee like a trex.
In rural Georgia the dueling banjos are often replaced with the sounds of squealing “pigs” .
Nice video and I love this technique. Going to try it out on a ceiling for an RV conversion.
I have also seen the process include wetting the boards immediately after burning to douse the flame and also inhibit carbon dust.
Also VERY important to use a proper respirator as this carbon dust can cause SERIOUS long term lung health issues if inhaled.
I would also use latex gloves when working with any type of stain or oil product.
What stain/oil was he using?
@@andrewwatts4774 "The oil used for final finish is tung oil." It is said under the video, in the description.
My husband is trying this technique with a big redwood bench carving, the wood has really come alive! The tung oil in the video looks thicker that I've seen.
I think we can all agree that the "The Birth of a tool" videos are something we want to see more of!
thanks for a look on how you do your Shou sugi. I got inspired and have started a small garden wall on the side of my house using this process. Man so far it looks beautiful!
Oh my word. Those finished boards look stunning. Such a cool technique. I will do this. Thank you for the video.
thank you so much for this video. This is best representation of how to do this technique that I have found on here. So clear on each step and beautiful presentation. I decided to redo my flat when I first heard about this process. So happy I found your video!
thank you for introducing Japanese culture!!
Wasn't what I was looking for as traditional Japanese technique. This is the contemporary way that most people do it. Traditionally, there is a fire made on the ground, like a campfire and three boards at a time a wired together to make a flue or chimney with the face you want burned facing inside. This is then placed with one end over the fire and the fire is allowed to climb the inside until it is well charred. the boards are then unwired, opened up and doused to stop the fire. the effect is a much more charred and traditional looking than the lightly propane toasted with linseed oil version. But kudos on adding music for effect.
Ive returned to this video again and again for the music / cinema graphic beauty
Nice work. A short video with lots of action and little talking is the kind I like. We're going to using a campfire to heat treat tree branches for a garden trellis.
easy to understand - best youtube video of this technique
Beautiful work ❤❤❤❤ that colour in the end ❤❤❤❤
Reminds me of seasoning a cast iron skillet!
That looks absolutely beautiful, I would love to work with a finish like this.
best video of this technique on youtube.
Awesome video, thank you. I first saw this finish in Gotemba.
Good gracious! Are all of your videos like this one?? It was a complete joy to watch. Educational and peaceful. I shall now sub.
The end result must be amazing !
Qual é o tipo de óleo usado para passar na madeira?
Daniel Freire estou pesquisando e me parece que o mais usado é o óleo de linhaça.
@@darcleym.1523 Olá bom dia, passando o óleo de linhaça pode passar o massarico depois??? 👍
@@rodrigaosp1312 obrigado!
Oleo de Tung
Wow. Very, very nice. I am excited to do this. Thank you for a great video.
With the intense flute music I keep waiting for Chuck Norris to show up ready to administer epic justice.
This is hilarious hahahahahaha can't stop laughing
Russian make such a way ,too. My father was preparing a tree, and then he made bookshelves of it.
у меня крестный в 80-х годах так доски обжигал, зачищал и весь дачный дом обшил, года три назад мы с ним отодрали все эти доски, часть в комнате отдыха использовали в бане только сначала в легкую с самым маленьким допуском электрорубанком прошлись дерево преобразилось.
@Hey Man that doesn't make any sense
Здравствуйте, чем покрывать после зачистки?
Николай Чаганов , расскажите, в чём смысл. Это замена антисептика ?
Learned something today, and thanks for the vid but would have been nice to have some narration of the process and the reason for using Tung Oil and then flaming the oil etc.
Many oils, for example tung oil, make wood stronger and also prettier becouse wood grain is more visible. I think burning oil makes it go deeper into the wood although im not 100% certain
Flaming the oil? Where? When?
Fabulous finish and great video - wondering what the mixture is that is in the bucket they put on after washing it?
"The oil used for final finish is tung oil." It is said under the video, in the description.
what is put on the wood between the first and the second flaming? ...after the ashes are brushed of? Very interesting technique...thanks for sharing!
That's the sexiest piece of wood I've ever seen
He ruined the originality and u say sexy piece lol . stupid
@@haimbutt1126 what
Straordinario complimenti!! Volevo sapere che prodotto è quello che si dà alla fine? È per caso olio di lino?
Very nice. I applied this technique to my beehives.
Did you use tung oil, and did you wash with water after wire brushing, and what is the purpose of rinsing with water?
Beautiful technique and resultl!
What’s the benefit of burning after applying the oil? Shouldn’t it be let to soak in?
Hello I see you torching the wood AFTER applying tung oil.. What is the reason for it? thank in advance
Is it 100% pure Tung oil? Is that the reason it doesnt go up in flames like a torch when you "Glaze" the oil with the torch?
Hey that was Thompson’s water seal!
Kidding...Nice work sir!
From what I understand the burning of the resin creates the preserving properties? does this process only apply to conifers? or would you be able to preserve hickory, ash, oak, and elm using this method as well?
The "resin" was actually tung oil
Matthew George He was referring to the resin/sap in the wood, not the oil applied after.
You would only want to use a species that is naturally rot resistant like red cedar and Cyprus. Otherwise you'd be wasting your time.
Beautiful! What oil/finish would you use when doing the crocodile burn level shou sugi ban? Would like to use this on internal furniture. So it needs to be well sealed and not get coal all over people's hands!
I get excited when I see that there's a new JNT video to watch!
How is this wood going to be use?
"How is this wood going to be use?"
I agree, you gonna show us what you plan on using the wood for?
We would all love to see what creations you are gonna create with this now preserved/antiqued wood.
Kethlar
I did a tiny bit of reading on the process after watching the video and making my comment. Apparently it's most commonly used as outdoor siding for homes/buildings.
+Sarkazmo Loafy In Japan it was used on the outside of houses, they look black and cool. Some are several hundred years old but still in great condition.
they used it as siding
Do you think Tung oil is indeed better than linseed oil ?
I have a bench outside that I cannot keep a clear finish on it because it peels due to the hot and humid atmosphere here in Southeastern NC. I'm gonna try this method. Can Linseed oil be used instead of Tung oil?
can you give an update on the current state of this wood...!?
Dude.. I am cross faded and this is hypnotic
great job! are you suppose to do both sides or just the one exposed?
Hi ! First I would like to thank Northmen for inspiring me soo much ! I would be interested by Shou Sugi Ban for the siding of my own house. I 'd like to know if the wood has to be burn on all side or only on the part that will be visible . If you could answer, it would be nice !
burn on all 4 sides
Timeless and amazing!!! Thank you!!!!!!
fire ,oil and fire
I have been contemplating on adding Boiled Linseed Oil to my Shou Sugi Ban project and was wondering if the drying process can be hastened by applying a torch as shown here without the risk of burning the wood? My thought was turning on my torch and on the "orange flame" setting, just passing it gently over the oiled wood as it is done here and bake it in faster.
Thoughts?
I’ve read through all the comments and unless you get a peer comment, all you’ll hear is crickets
I love it! Do you think it is possible to apply this technique to a wood house facade to become black the grayish color that has got ?
It's that oil and what kind of?
That was incredible
That's really beautiful 👍🏻
now I'm gonna go and build a house ok bye
How is house progress going? :P
Did you finish building your house in Jesus? Send us some photos.
Progress report?
Hows the house going?
Are you done yet?!
awesome, what type of oil was used?
Can this kind of planks be used for flooring?
Oto Kornis. Yes. See this company that makes this stuff for a bunch of applications including flooring.
deltamillworks.com
Does it mainly just burn off the sugar?
Northmen, was that an oil put on after the burn and wash ? Very nice finish would like to try this method thanks
I wonder is this would work with manzanita? I've got loads of that growing on my property and it's looks beautiful when sanded/waxed. Was thinking of making a decorative well with roof outside, and using manzanita shingles that were preserved like this.
Can I use every type of natural oil? Why did you burn the oil? And how is the surface, oily or clean? I mean, can I use it for indoor kitchen table?
Thank you
what in the case when boards are cut to fit onto house? once cut, wouldn't ends need to be burned to protect?
Reinhart Warroad yes, but any oil should be enough on its own for smaller spots, so long as the majority gets char coverage.
what kind of oil that he use to finishing the wood.
How is the Wood used? What about the endgrain? Can i make a finished projekt and burn the seperate parts? Is it frienly to animals (birds)?
That money shot at 3:06.... Wow.
What oil did you use ?
What kind of wood did you use?
Why is the surface coated in oil? Reasoning behind it? and can it be replaced by other (cheaper) oil? - I heard tung oil is expensive. I want to apply this technique to furniture which is meant to be kept indoors, what oil is recommended for indoor furniture?
Polyurethane is my choice. Water-based if you are worried about long term yellowing, but against the black, I haven't noticed any.
can you have other texture other than burned wood ?
like dark brown , or light brown or acajou color
and the floors of a board can be laid?
How much time you let the boards dry after washing them with water?
Can this be used for an indoor project for aesthetics or only for outdoor projects?
Does anybody know how many times more will the wood last this way?
Wow very cool
Samurai Wood
Really nice video :)
Will the black fade to brown? Also, can you use douglas fir for this technique?
I use this technique for the inside of self made birch-cups. It doesn't fade there. It will probably fade when exposed often to sunlight. Like on planks for a roof.
Well, that was awesome!
Why doesn't the oiled wood ignite when he burns it the second time?
How long will the tung oil hold up in a wet environment? Also, was there a second coat, or were you just polishing the first coat after "flashing" it off with the propane burner? Thanks - very nice. I have Port Orford Cedar stacked and dried and some outdoor benches. This looks like a lot of fun.
It depends on the length of time the wood is burned. Traditionally, the wood was simply doused in water and used as is. The crocodile skin-like charred finish preserved the wood from the elements and would last for well over 100 years. There are buildings in Japan still standing after hundreds of years.
I've read that soft woods like Cypress and cedar are usually used, but would this technique work on a closed grain wood like maple?
Open cell woods are better
Burn, de-ash, then boiled linseed?
+Paracorder In the description he says tung oil.
Paracorder
?
anyone know what species of wood this is?
Hi there, I've looked everywhere to no avail on the feasibility of charring fresh sawn pine with the shou sugi ban method. Do you have knowledge of whether green lumber can effectively be charred or if it has too much moisture content to work properly for wood preservation? Also how long do dry wood between rinsing and coating with tung oil and does the charcoal stay powdery and come off when touching after final process? Thank you
Was gonna ask the exact same thing…. amethyst22 did you ever find an answer??
@@thistlebrookfamily3823 Hi there, yes, with unfortunate trial and error I discovered that fresh wood will not work. At least in my experience...here's what happened. After milling 2 huge logs with friends and feeling pretty happy with a stack of diy lumber, a big stack, I covered it with a tarp and left it for a few weeks. When I went back to it to work on the next steps, having bought a propane tank, blow torch, etc...ready to tackle the project, termites had taken over and pretty much destroyed the entire stack of wood. I nearly cried. We were able to salvage about 4 boards and make one raised bed. I left them dry fully, and charred them anyway. They probably won't last very long. Then I went to Home Depot and bought new Heat Treated pine boards, 16ft, and had them cut them down to 12x4's. I charred all that wood and coated some of the boards with the tung oil, but ran out of steam doing the full varnish, scraping char off, etc...Some of the boards are only charred on the inside, with more decorative charing on the outside, stripped kind of, black and wood color. Looks nice. I figure these will last many more years than the old thin pallet wood raised beds I made first. I don't know what would have happened with the fresh milled pine had I tried to char it immediately after milling, but it was really wet, so I doubt it would have much effect. And it would have taken 20 times the propane and effort to dry it out to whatever degree its possible. I had no idea termites would attack the wood like that and should I have the fortune again to have free logs, happy friends willing to transport them to a mill, milling help, and a drying tent, fans, ways to cure the wood, it would be lovely to see how doing it correctly would have turned out. Life is learning...Good luck! C'est la vie
What are the best types of wood to use this technique on?
I guess soft woods because of the hardening effect. But it looks good and is effective on many other woods too!
Red cedar or Cypress. Other softwoods no.
Beautiful!
Do you burn just one side or both?
Perry Stone every side.
please what type of oil was used
If i want a cracked/reptilian skin style finish (as shown after the burn before the first brush) would i then just apply the finishing coat or what? Someone help
What's the finish like on this? Hard wearing? Or is is just for show? Looks like it'd rub off on/mark clothes etc... Would it be suitable for something like a coffee table?
Exterior cladding boards require recoating each 10-15 years. With the Tung oil and pine or birch tar mixture, which is what they used here, the house can last more than 500 years. As an example there are Norwegian stave churches that have stood more than 500 years until today using this method.
do you wipe away the tung oil or just leave it?
So damn awesome! Thank you for sharing.
How does it compare in effectiveness to coating with charcoal powder+linseed oil?
And will it protect the wood even in contact with soil?
o00oZu1o00o the burning reaches deeper into the wood flesh as well as keeping structure, the powder is less effective at both of these. As for the oils I'm not to sure, it may be an availability issue for using tung oil.
I think this would be better than charcoal powder// don't think even this would last long below grade/contact.
Fence poles for the traditional cattle fence in Finland are made of slowly grown spruce (if possible) and the tips of these fence poles were first burned, which was supposed to make them more resistant to decay when in contact with the soil. It probably works, but wood would still have a very bad protection against decay.
Does this work good on pine .
Does this process also give anti-termite properties to the wood?
yes
Please would you share where you found the torch used to chat the wood? Thank you. Tung oil best oil to use? Thanks.
+Maren Sinclair Yeah I want one too, It's great as a conversation starter for whatever wood you want to chat with.
Home Depot carries an inexpensive propane weed burner torch that works fine for this.
weed burner or roof burner. you should be able to find it in any hardware store :)
"chat"
Hi Maren, you don't actually need propane - you can use the wood itself as the source of fuel to burn it. You put three sections of siding together to form a 'chimney' shape, stick some newspaper inside and set it on fire with a small fire underneath. The siding auto-combusts up its entire length and 'Bob's your Uncle', you have charred wood! I made a how to video showing exactly how to do this - check out my TH-cam channel to see it. Cheers, Chris
What is the best type of wood to use?
Billy G criptomeria japonica, because technique is Japanese.
Works on other cedars well too, also works with pines and firs
Larch is common in E.Europe/thre Baltics - very waterproof on its own.
Aceite de Tung, árbol chino, se aplica al final
what kind of wood is this?
What kind oil does he use
what's the pine tar/tung oil ratio?
Please tell me what you put on it.