Burnt Wood Finish | Create a unique shou sugi ban finish with the Restorer tool and the 80 grit and 180 grit nylon brushes.Creating the DIY Shou Sugi Ban technique or burnt wood finish on wood can be a daunting and dirty undertaking for the experienced and novice DIY wood worker. Finding and deciding the right brush among the myriad of options on the market can be quite an adventure. Whether using a drill, angle grinder or a Restorer understanding which brush does what can be confusing. We have decided to take to some the Restorer brush rollers to the test and show our results. Below you will see the results of the 80grit brush WRBW80 compared the 180grit nylon brush WRBW18 on a standard untreated 2×4 from a big box store.
The 80grit brush is a thicker and stiffer bristle allowing each individual bristle to scoop out the soft grain of the wood leaving a smooth hard grain revealed or exposed. With this result it allows you to go back and apply a color stain or milk paint to the surface. After applying your color stain or milk paint hitting the surface lightly with a random orbital sander will clean off the color stain or milk paint off the raised wood grain leaving hard dark grain with a contrasting offset color in the valley of the grain.
Now the 180grit brush is a thinner more flexible bristle that sweeps over the surface and brushes the loose char from the pine board surface without scooping out the soft grain of the wood grain. This brush technique will leave you with a smooth smokey brown color. At his point you are ready for tongue oil or a clear coat to protect the surface.
The results with the Restorer are no doubt 100x faster than a drill and 100% less messy when attaching a vacuum to the Restorer, but either approach will work and each of the brushes achieve a different result. Both nylon brushes create a beautiful wood finish that are perfect for clad siding, signage and furniture. Whether a novice or pro you can achieve the perfect result every time. It’s your choice how long you want to take to do it.
