Scorched Wood Tutorial

Perhaps you've seen pieces of furniture like the one above with a scorched surface. Now you want to try it yourself, but you don't know where to start, don't worry, I've got you covered.

Materials

• Wood
  • Typically works best on softwood because the grain is more coarse
• Propane
• Blowtorch
• Sandpaper

Step 1

Sanding

Sand the entire surface of your wood. I tend to sand it with 400 grit sandpaper before scorching it.

Step 2

Scorching

First assemble your torch. You typically just screw your can of propane into the bottom of the torch. Twist a knob, gas comes out. Pull the trigger, gas lights on fire and you've got a good flame going.

• Run the flame over the wood
  • Move at a slow, steady, even pace. Go up and down following the grain.
  • Keep the wood about halfway up the flame, not right at the tip and not right at the base.
• It may take a few tries to get it just right so I recommend practicing on a piece of scrap wood.
• When you've finished, disassemble your torch and follow the instruction on the can to store your propane
• Practice Safety!
  • Keep your workspace clear of anything that might be a fire hazard. (Piles of saw dust, gallons of gasoline, you know what your looking for)
  • Have a bucket or a hose near by just in case something does go wrong.
  • Wear gloves. You can scorch your hands just as easily as you can a piece of wood.

Step 3

Finishing

After you've scorched your wood and put away your torch, it's now time to put the finishing touches on.

• ​​LIGHTLY sand the wood. If you're too rough with it, you'll undo everything you've just done.
• Coat it with your desired finishes. I typically use a very light stain and polyurethane.