Burnt Finishes, Tips and Tricks

by Brian Calvert

Blow Torch Method

The most commonly performed burnt finish is made using the ordinary gas blow torch. If your going to do this method I would recommend practicing on a piece of scrap basswood to get your technique down since it really doesn't take that much time to get a burn mark. In a pinch and can't find scrap basswood, then try popular which has similar properties and is more common.

Heat Gun Method

If the body you wish to make a burnt stained finish on still has it's original finish you can achieve a random billowing pattern by using a heat gun made for removing paint. Just allow the gun to set in one area on high setting longer than is normally necessary and the paint itself will fly off of the body like kernels of corn popping out of a hot oil skillet, leaving an unusual pattern behind. Be careful not to work in one area to long though or you will be left with pockets of ash in the body which will need to be filled and this will destroy the continuity of your original look.

A STRONG WORD OF CAUTION HERE!
The chips of paint that pop off are sticky flying cinders of hot melting paint, I know I've used this method. Wear plenty of protection including and not limited to; gloves, safety glasses and long sleeves. Also work in a large open area where the toxic fumes can escape and the cinders won't hurt anything where they land!

Heat Gun with Template

If your body is clean and free of all marks and down to the bare wood it is possible to do a controlled burn using a heat gun made for paint removal.

A neat trick here is to take a sheet of aluminum foil and fold it over at least once to use as a heat shield. Then cut a pattern along the edge such as flames. Start at one end of the body and whisk the heat gun along the edge of the foil till the pattern starts to form in the wood. Let the body cool down some and move your foil down a few inches and start all over again, over lapping the burns in the wood.