12
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 21 Feb 2026
12 points (100.0% liked)
Beginner Woodworking
525 readers
1 users here now
The go-to place for those who are new to woodworking.
Rules:
- Don’t be a dick! I mean seriously, we are all here to learn.
- Original Content only.
- Limited Blog or Video Channel Spam.
- No copyrighted content.
- No memes, image macros, reaction gifs/videos, etc.
- No overt self-promotion.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
For a sealant, I would use a spray on lacquer. After 5+ coats it is pretty water resistant. I would personally do 7 or 8 coats on that piece.
You can stain and seal the cut-outs first (paint a little lacquer into the cutouts with a fine brush). Then stain the surface a few shades darker to make them pop out.
You can also reverse it and make them darker. Either way the contrast in color will make them more visible.
First staining and then applying a lacquer is a great idea. Will the lacquer not fill the cuts and make them less visible? Or does it keep a depth effect?
Anything in particular to look for in the lacquer? I'd prefer a natural look to fit with the raw wood in the rest of the piece. However, it sits on a glass bowl so I suppose glossy could have its charm on that too.
Lacquer needs to go on in very thin coats. Getting yourself a good spraying setup is a bit expensive but worth it if you do a lot of projects. You can find it in paint spray cans as well. They work very well for small projects.
Just be sure to apply it outside. The fumes from it has a real kick. I generally apply it with all the doors open in the garage plus a spray shield setup around it with some old shower curtains.