amateur eric Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 I'm working on making an American flag roughly 2'x4' which will kind of look like the southern pine woodworking heritage flag. I hand carved the stars out of a chunk of oak I had laying around. Now I have to find some wood to make the stripes out of. The red stripes of the flag will be charred black instead of stained or painted. And I'm going to lightly burn the union of the flag to give it a darker appearance. My questions and concerns are the type of wood to use to give a nice appearance when burned and also what burned wood will take a lacquer well. I'm not looking for a glossy lacquer though. Wanting a more dull finish. More or less to protect the wood and keep it clean but not shiny. Any suggestions or recommendations? I've been told basswood would be good for the stripes but I've never used basswood so I personally wouldn't know if that's a good or bad idea. -soulless- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinF Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 Well I'm no help but I will say 2 things, your carving on the stars looks great, and I think you'd be better served if this was in the general woodworking section, or maybe the finishing section? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 I was thinking general woodworking talk or the wood, since Eric was asking about wood color and burning (which isn't exactly finishing). So, I moved it over to general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted April 21, 2015 Report Share Posted April 21, 2015 For the stripes, I would choose a wood with closed grain, so they would be smoother. I just feel a distinct open grain would look busy inside the stripe pattern. As for burning the surface, there is a nice article in issue #217 (April 2015) of Popular woodworking. They recommend leaving the wood slightly rough, torching it, then burnishing it with wax. Looks really nice, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur eric Posted April 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I wasn't able to figure out how to post into certain sections. I spent 15 minutes trying to figure out how to post anything and when I finally did I just went with it haha. But I ended up using some scrap 2x6 lumber I had from a picnic table I built. Cut it into thin strips and borrowed a friends torch to burn it. I just glued and clamped it all together. Waiting for it to dry over the weekend and then it's going home. My only concern is I used pressure treated lumber. Someone mentioned to me that it sometimes tends to shrink. Can anyone please deny that for me? Would make me feel much more confident in my work haha -soulless- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur eric Posted April 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 In all I actually didn't spend a dime to make it. Was just wood I had laying around. Very good experimental and learning piece. Will most likely make more flags in the future. I love how it turned out. Makes me feel super patriotic just looking at it haha! -soulless- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 That's neat. Are you going to leave the right end of the flag as is, un-even? I would Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 The thirteen colonies were not uneven, they were united! Which engineer outfit are you displaying? I was with the 354CE attached to the 82nd! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Eric, unless you let it dry after purchase, pressure treated is indeed likely to shrink / warp. I would avoid burning it, as the chemicals released in the smoke can be hazardous to your health! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur eric Posted May 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Well I've been having issues with this app on my phone so I've been late responding on here. Thinking I'm gonna leave it staggered on the end I can always clean cut it on a table saw later if I want. I had already burned it before I saw about the harmful chemicals. Oh well. I'm sure I'll live. And Richard, the emblem is just the Engineer Regimental Crest. I'm army reserves. Unit is at ft Benning. I'm a heavy construction equipment operator. -soulless- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur eric Posted May 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Also, there is no finish on it. So the charred stripes tend to rub off on anything that touches it. US there a particular lacquer that works well for charred wood? I'm trying to keep the rustic look and not make it very shiny or polished. Any recommendations? -soulless- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 You can get dull finish laquer . Stir well before using , the flattening agents settle out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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