The process of painting and staining wood can be tricky, but it’s much easier when you understand the basics of how to prepare basswood wood carving for painting and staining. Before you can paint your basswood wood carving, you’ll need to clean it well and let it dry completely before proceeding with staining or painting; otherwise, you risk ruining your piece of art! With this in mind, here are some tips on how to prepare basswood wood carving for painting and staining so that your project will turn out beautifully and last through the years to come.
Tools that may be required
- An electric sander may be helpful but is not required; you can use any piece of sandpaper in its place if you prefer.
- sandpaper of varying coarseness: 80-grit sandpaper (medium-coarse), 220-grit sandpaper (fine).
- Leather gloves may be useful while working with fine-grit sandpaper because bits of wood tend to get stuck between your fingers while you work.
- Safety goggles
- a respirator
- a dust mask
- Cleaning supplies, such as mineral spirits or paint thinner.
- A paintbrush. Latex gloves. Masking tape.
- A bucket of water with a few drops of liquid soap (such as dish detergent) is added to it.
- Waterproof wood filler.
- Primer for wood carving.
- Paint colors that match your design idea(s).
- Elmer’s glue mixed at half strength to prime basswood before painting.
- Lightly oiled basswood carving board.
- An artist’s brush.
- a dust-free environment
Note Better: Using one or all of these tools is entirely optional. You can simply paint over your basswood wood carving if you do not want any kind of design carved into it.
Point to Note: Go easy when cleaning up cuts with solvent; you don’t want to damage delicate pieces around your cuts or remove too much finish from your wood.
Fill carefully; let fresh fills dry completely before applying more. Sand again lightly when done to smooth out additional rough spots. Allow new coats of paint to dry thoroughly before applying additional coats—or touching up places where mistakes were made during the project—otherwise, you risk distorting the finish once it is fully dried by mixing different layers.
Preparing Basswood for Painting/Staining
Preparation is essential when you’re working with basswood, which absorbs paint like a sponge.
1. The key is priming—and not just any primer will do.
To ensure that your basswood carving takes on paint evenly, you need to use an oil-based primer; it forms a barrier between layers of wood that prevents saturation.
Prime thoroughly, paying attention to gaps in wood grain, cracks, knots, and other irregularities- It might seem counterintuitive, but avoid brush marks at all costs. If you don’t own an airbrush, spray from far away to prevent spattering and create a uniform texture throughout the carving. Use painter’s tape to cover areas where you don’t want paint or stain to touch.
Once primed, sand your workpiece before moving on to the application of color coats or finish coatings. This helps smooth out roughness, bring out the richness in color, and even covers up imperfections missed during preparation. Make sure to wait long enough after finishing one layer before applying another layer or additional layers could bleed together.
If you’re concerned about underpainting showing through the finished piece, apply multiple light coats rather than one heavy one. A final clear coat helps protect workpieces from damage by moisture (both humidity and water) as well as surface abrasion.
When properly prepared, basswood works great with artist mediums such as acrylic paints and Conte crayons. However, pastels tend to smudge, so they aren’t recommended if you want your masterpiece to last.
Work gently around edges, but harden lines to build contrast and enhance the form. Stay close to midtones; dark colors should only be used sparingly as accents. Sometimes it’s easier to plan out your design first on paper or canvas because basswood burns easily and can catch fire if left unattended, especially when there are open flames around. Always plan to carve outside so fumes don’t linger inside.
2. Sanding
One of your first steps when preparing a woodcarving project for finishing is sanding it (in our case we are using basswood). While you don’t want to remove all of its beautiful grain, you do want a smooth surface that’s ready for primer and paint.
Gently sand with medium-grit sandpaper using even strokes until all nicks, gouges, or imperfections are gone. Continue adding coats of wood filler as needed to fill in any large holes or splits in the wood. Always allow each coat to dry completely before applying another one. You can apply up to three coats, depending on how damaged your piece of wood is.
After each coat has dried, lightly sand it again so you have a nice surface for priming and painting. Avoid using fine-grit sandpaper because it will create small scratches in your piece that may show through after multiple coats have been applied.
Once your wood carving is fully sanded, it should be clean enough that you can wash it down with a soft cloth or your hand. Remember, many paints and stains work best on smooth surfaces.
3. Washing
After sanding, wash off the excess sanding dust with soap and water or a mixture of warm water, white vinegar, and salt. This can help prevent uneven coloring in your paint.
Let dry. Wipe down with a damp cloth. If needed, apply a conditioner that’s safe for your type of wood (if applicable). Consider using a paint thinner as an alternative to soap; it might be gentler on some types of wood (especially delicate woods) than detergents.
If you have an old oil-based stain, thinning it can make it easier to remove from porous woods like basswood. Coat each side of your carving with a sanding sealer before applying any type of finish. This will create a barrier between your wood and whatever coatings you apply next. Wipe off the excess sealer. It should soak into your wood rather than sit on top of it. If needed, reapply every 24 hours until you’re satisfied with how much has soaked in. Let cure overnight before moving to step 4.
4. Sealing: prepare basswood wood carving for painting and staining
The sealer will protect against any excess water getting into small cracks in your piece. You can use a clear varnish if you like or a spray-on sealer from your local hardware store. We’ve had good results with Minwax Clear Finishing Polyurethane.
Apply several light coats with even drying time between each. The object is to get a glass-like coating that will still allow your paint to adhere well but prevent it from absorbing too much moisture. (Some people also seal their carvings before they carve them, which we do not recommend as we think it makes carving more difficult).
Your carving should be sealed while it’s still green so don’t forget to give yourself enough time before you need to apply paint. Don’t let one coat dry fully before adding another one; put an additional layer on while at least some of your previous layer is still wet and sticky (the rule of thumb is to wait until it just stops feeling tacky). Let sit overnight and repeat until satisfied with the coverage.
Staining Basswood
- Using a rag or brush, apply an even coat of stain over your project. You don’t need to soak your work; in fact, it’s better if you use very thin coats so that you avoid extra buildup.
- Let each coat dry completely before adding another layer (light colors may take up to 2 hours, darker colors may take up to 4 hours).
- Don’t worry about sanding between coats—you can always do a light sanding after your final stain color is applied. This will allow you to create a smooth finish with no visible lines.
- Add more coats as needed until you reach your desired level of coloration.
- After your last application, lightly sand your piece down to help remove any raised grain; then seal with a topcoat such as PolycrylicTM Acrylic Satin Finish Clear Spray.
I would suggest getting two good quality brushes: one 3/4′′ angled brush for details like eyes and small areas and one 1/2′′ flat brush for bigger areas. An old cotton T-shirt folded into quarters also works well for wiping off excess stain. Consider wearing plastic gloves while working with stains to keep them from drying out your hands!
As soon as you are done applying your first coat, wipe off any remaining residue with a clean paper towel. A solvent like mineral spirits or turpentine helps dissolve leftover stains on wooden surfaces and clear away residue on soft surfaces, such as fabrics. Apply multiple coats until you achieve the look you want.
Conclusions
Basswood wood carving projects are some of the most popular with novice and experienced woodcarvers alike, and it’s not hard to see why. Basswood is soft enough to carve, but also tough enough to hold up over time. The grain of basswood can be straight or curly, which adds interest to your final project. Whether you’re working on your first-ever wood carving project or you’re an experienced carver and you have other questions about wood-carving preparation and finishing, leave them in the comments below!
