Kolrosing advice please

[Blundstoned Love]

I've done a little carving and tried to highlight it by rubbing coffee into it - at first it seemed fine, but then started to fall out.

Should I have sealed it in using oil?

Or should I have used something other than coffee.

All advice appreciated.

 

[Wayland]

Yes, the oil does seal it in.

Also, make sure you are just cutting a line rather than actually carving a V groove. (One cut not two if that makes sense.)

I usually use Cinnamon but coffee should be fine.

I posted a thread some time ago about it that might be helpful.

 

[Macaroon]

Coffee works well, as does cinammon powder. I've always sealed the piece with oil, then when dry cut my design and mixed the pigment with a little oil and rubbed it in; this way the excess "paste" can be easily wiped off the rest of the piece. When that's dried thoroughly then oil the whole thing again to finish.

 

[Fraxinus]

+1 for Wayland's link, it helped me get started. I use ground cinnamon because traditionally, ground inner bark of birch was used and cinnamon is a ready source of ground bark, just not of the birch type, so a good equivalent.
When you cut a line into the wood it needs to be like a split in the wood so that the wood fibres, when swollen from the addition of oil, grasp the particles of ground bark or substitute and trap them, as the oil dries it locks them in place.
Also I understand that instant coffee granules don't work as well as ground coffee beans, but I have tried neither.

Rob.

 

[Blundstoned Love]

That's great - thanks very much everyone. Much appreciated.

 

[Dave Budd]

Can't help with Kolrosing as I am English not Swedish, but I've done a little scrimshaw. I normally mix Danish or linseed oil with powder paints to colour my scratches. Or if feeling lazy, I use cheap lidle oil paints. Rub in, wipe off and leave to dry. Simple

 

[GGTBod]

I use saw dust from different coloured wood, can't for the life of me remember where i read that was a traditional method

 

[humdrum_hostage]

I havent done much kolrosing but I found instant coffee granules rubbed in dry stood out a lot better when oiled than cinnamon powder.