Squirrel Gets Brilliance
My squirrel sculpture is having its finish (wood sealer) applied. The sealer darkens the wood some turning it to a deeper tone. In the case of red oak this means a transition from a cream color to a rich amber, or golden color.
After application, the sealer has to be sanded between coats to remove small fibers that were not cleanly cut by the various carving tools. Usually I will apply three coats of polyurethane to meet the purpose. When the finish dries it hardens on the loose fibers making them easy to sand off. Once this is done, the carving will have a very soft feel when one handles the piece.
,After the last coat of sealer in applied a single coat of stain will be applied the entire sculpture to show contrast between the upper and lower surfaces so that the texture will be highlighted.