How to Engrave Wood by Sandblasting
Engraving wood by sandblasting involves creating a stencil and then allowing the sand to eat away the wood unprotected by the stencil. This results in the protected portions of the wood appearing to be raised. Sandblasting creates a soft, almost natural look to your engraving. Sandblasted engravings can be quite intricate. Follow these steps to complete your own sandblasting project.
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Things You'll Need
- Vinyl shelving paper X-acto knife Carbon paper Ballpoint pen Sandblaster (can be rented) 100-grit sandpaper Eye protection Breathing mask
Instructions
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Find the design you want to engrave onto your wood. Copy the design onto a sheet of paper.
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Peel the backing off of a sheet of vinyl shelving paper and carefully press the sticky side of the vinyl onto the face of your piece of wood. Start at one edge of the vinyl and work your way across the face of your wood so there are as few bubbles in the vinyl as possible. Use the tip of your X-acto knife to pop bubbles and flatten the vinyl against the face of your wood.
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Lay carbon paper down on top of the vinyl with the carbon side down. Lay your design on top of the carbon paper and trace the design using a ball point pen or similar instrument that will transfer the design through the carbon paper onto the vinyl on the face of your wood.
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Remove your design and the carbon paper. The design should be clearly visible in carbon on the vinyl on the face of your wood. Use your X-acto to cut away those pieces of the design that you wish to be cut into the wood by the sandblasting. Use the tip of your X-acto to lift the edge of the pieces of vinyl you wish removed and then peel those pieces away. This creates a stencil on the face of your wood, with the wood that you wish eaten away by the sandblasting exposed and the wood that you do not wish eaten away still covered in vinyl.
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Sandblast the wooden stencil, concentrating on the exposed portions of the wood. Keep the tip of the sandblaster moving so that you do not inadvertently eat away the vinyl portions of the stencil.
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Peel off the vinyl remaining on your wood. You may need to use the tip of your X-acto knife to lift edges of the vinyl so you can peel them off. se your 100-grit sandpaper to lightly sand any adhesive from the vinyl that has stuck to the wood. Stain or paint your project if desired.
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Tips & Warnings
Taking off several thin layers of wood often works better than trying to remove a lot of wood in one spot at one time. Keep the nozzle of the sandblaster moving and direct the sand onto the exposed wood and not on the vinyl as much as possible.
Wear eye protection and a breathing mask when using the sandblaster. Do not aim the sandblaster at exposed skin.
