Finishing over pencil design

[velar]

Greetings all. This is my first post asking for advice, so please assume I'm a complete ignoramus.

I got very carried away this weekend exploring geometric patterns and decided to draw a design similar to the sketch in the attached image on the lid of an octagonal box I'm making.

Yes, if I was a real badass I'd inlay all of it. Sadly I'm not.

The lid will be mango or oak, with the design done in pencil. I thought about burning in some of the heavier lines and may do this after experimentation, but I feel like it'll be hard to be sufficiently exact. TBC. Either way, a lot of it will be pencil.

My question therefore is: what kind of finish would best seal this so it'll survive years of touch? I tend to dislike the shinier, more lacquer-like finishes and naturally favour oils etc that bring out the grain and the nature of the wood, but I don't know if that would work well in this scenario. Any thoughts, please?

 

[pulleyt]

I can't advise on a finish over pencil but I made a cribbage board some time ago and marked out the lanes with Staedtler permanent marker pen using a ruler and compass. i used a satin Osmo PolyX oil finish and I was pleased with the results. Two years on and it hasn't faded at all.

 

[Yojevol]

Wow, that is some intricate design. I'm not sure that oak would be a suitable species with its open ring-porous grain structure. Your pencil lines would be very variable and any finish will emphasise the grain rather than your design.
Here is a pic of mango for those who don't know it:-

A light boring timber such as poplar, lime or maple might be more suitable in this case
Brian

 

[velar]

I can't advise on a finish over pencil but I made a cribbage board some time ago and marked out the lanes with Staedtler permanent marker pen using a ruler and compass. i used a satin Osmo PolyX oil finish and I was pleased with the results. Two years on and it hasn't faded at all.

That's really useful, thank you

Edit: really nice work, too! So precise

 

[velar]

Wow, that is some intricate design. I'm not sure that oak would be a suitable species with its open ring-porous grain structure. Your pencil lines would be very variable and any finish will emphasise the grain rather than your design.
Here is a pic of mango for those who don't know it:-
View attachment 158296
A light boring timber such as poplar, lime or maple might be more suitable in this case
Brian

... and that is a very good point - I got carried away on paper and haven't really thought much about (or experimented with) the material surface. Much appreciated!

 

[Yojevol]

Here's another thought.
All the lines seem to be straight so you could scribe them into the surface with a marking knife. Then coat with sanding sealer making sure it soaks into the scribed lines. Sand off the surface so that it's absorbant again. Use wood dye(s) to colour in. Apply finish.
Would need some trials to make sure the sanding sealer prevents dye bleed from one cell to the next.
Brian

 

[velar]

Here's another thought.
All the lines seem to be straight so you could scribe them into the surface with a marking knife. Then coat with sanding sealer making sure it soaks into the scribed lines. Sand off the surface so that it's absorbant again. Use wood dye(s) to colour in. Apply finish.
Would need some trials to make sure the sanding sealer prevents dye bleed from one cell to the next.
Brian

That's an interesting notion, thank you - could do all sorts of variations on that if it worked

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Depending on the finish you could consider spraying. Unless the pencil lines dissolve in the (probably) acrylic or cellulose spray, after one or possibly two coats the pattern would be sealed.

Not much use, I accept, for oil or waxes which need to penetrate the surface, take longer to dry, and need to be "worked in ".

 

[velar]

Depending on the finish you could consider spraying. Unless the pencil lines dissolve in the (probably) acrylic or cellulose spray, after one or possibly two coats the pattern would be sealed.

Not much use, I accept, for oil or waxes which need to penetrate the surface, take longer to dry, and need to be "worked in ".

Thanks, Terry. I think it's looking like the way forward is... lots of experimentation

 

[--Tom--]

Looks like something that kolrosing could work well for

 

[velar]

Looks like something that kolrosing could work well for

I have to admit I had to look that up - but you're right, that could work too - thank you