Complete amateur needs advice

[TheDrIver]

Hi, I haven't done any woodwork before but always admired it. I found a nice root and thought it would look nice if I took a slice out of it. I'm not thinking of using it for anything other than an ornamental piece (i.e., no water/heat/dirt/excessive light should go near it). I don't know what sort of wood it is, but have some pictures of my work so far - sawing it into bits and sanding to 400 grit. So now for the questions:

1. Do I need to do anything more to the wood before finishing it?
2. How do I get the fine sawdust particles out of the holes before finishing?
3. What should I use to finish it? I really like the wood grain and want the natural colours and grain to stand out.
4. How do I treat the rough edges (bark, holes, etc.) - do they need a special varnish or treatment, or should I just chop them off (and resand)?

I hope that's enough information. Any and all advice appreciated. Thanks very much.

Jon

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

1. You want it to really "pop?" Sand it down further; to 800-1200 or so.
2. Got an air-hose? Otherwise I'd simply use a fine brush and just huff and puff.
3. Tung or Danish Oil would be my preferences; they'll darken the timber slightly and enhance the grain.
4. Tthe bark should need no special treatment provided it's solidly attached. Just paint over it with whatever finish you're using. If it's loose and flaky, then you might want to remove it. An old toothbrush is all I use if I want to keep most of my rough edges intact. If the bark is relatively solid but looks like separating from the timber in one big piece, then you can sparingly use CA (cyano-acrylate aka "super-glue") on the bark to prevent it from parting... then apply the same finish as for the rest of the wood.

[TheDrIver]

Thank you very much for your experienced advice! Just to clarify, you use the toothbrush to spread the varnish on the rough edges, right? I was wondering how to get it into all those nooks and crannies...

Thanks again!

Jon

[Arron]

It looks like a burl, rather then a root. Often when you buy burls the bark is removed with a water blaster. The natural timber surface below the bark is exposed and its often crenulated and sometimes has an unusual spikey effect, which makes it interesting. I think its better then having an object that occassionally leaves little bits of bark around the house.

cheers
Arron

[Arron]

Another thing to remember is that whatever finish you apply to one side, you should apply to the other. This stops it warping when one side absorbs more atmospheric moisture then the other.

I had a couple of thin burl slices like this, polished one side and fixed felt to the other. They warped after a few weeks. Varnishing both sides might have prevented this, though I cant be sure.

Arron

[seriph1]

no idea how to advise, but that is nice William Morris Thistle design fabric!

[AngelaPetruzzi]

Have you tried the Livos oils. WA have three outlets and the oils are what Neil and Pam Erasmus use on their pieces.

The oils contain waxes and are easy to use, in your case a small paint brush will get into the little nooks and crannies. Dont apply too heavily. If you wanted to maintain the "light sanded look" use the Kunos white oil.

[TheDrIver]

Thanks again for all your helpful input! Is it true that a varnish will protect the wood more than an application of tung oil? Trying to decide how much of a protective coat I want versus the nice grain look. Cheers!