I am relatively new here–after setting up my machine over the past few days, I did my first “Elite” test carve last night and all went well. Other than some cable management and dust collection stuff, I am ready to start making things to get good enough to maybe make some side hustle money some day.
I found a file on Etsy of an Easter Egg bowl that has some designs carved into the bottom of it. The bowl itself is wood and appears to be finished with something like food-grade mineral spirits or cutting board oil, but the carved designs in the bottom are much darker and appear to be stained. How do you only apply stain to the small carvings at the bottom and not the entire bowl itself?
If this is not the right place to ask this, please say that. (I did not see a category that fit, either.)
If you make the bowl complete, after you have the bowl carved out and before you machine the designs in the bottoms of the bowls, you want to sand smooth, then you can use Oramask in the bottoms, carve the designs and paint or stain before removing the masking.
Thanks for the replies. I meant Mineral Oil, lol…but I’m all ears on any finishing ideas you seasoned veterans have to offer.
I feel OK on the mechanical, electrical, CAD, and CAM portions of this hobby. I’m sure there will be some growing pains as I learn, but by far the area I need the most help on is in finishing techniques. Is there a book I can read, a YouTube channel I can check out, or website that would show me what to do and what not to do?
My advice to my past tense self would be…keep it simple. Let the wood be what it is. If you want a darker look, use a darker wood. I haven’t had wood stain in my shop for many years other than just black for accent pcs.
