I use natural wood from my supplier which I engrave photos on. After engraving what do you guys suggest to protect the wood? I was told to use polyurethane. Would leaving it at its natural state work also?
I usually spray the wood with lacquer. You can leave it natural, but most woods will turn gray as they age. There are also products like Watco oil or you could even use mineral oil that you wipe on and wipe off, and it soaks into the wood without drying. You should reapply the oil every year or so to keep it looking good though. The polyurethane that I have seen used is applied in a heavy coat, and gives it a shiny plastic look. There may be polyurethanes that don’t do that however. Many urethanes yellow with age as they are exposed to sunlight.
I have used shellac and polyurethanes. Shellac, while natural and giving a warm glow, doesn’t give the protection to articles I prefer. Poly’s will depend on which product you get. The oil based varieties do yellow a bit with age while the water based ones are touted as totally non-yellowing. I use the satin and semigloss poly’s with very good results though you do have to use three light coats rather than one heavy (as per instructions) for best results. Apply it, let it dry totally, laser and wipe off the residues with a wet chamois and your laughin. Once things are really dry again I will often give a final light coat overall just for sealing and protection.
One trick I’ve played with is to first paint some wood with shellac, then laser through the shellac as a mask for wood stain, so I rub the wood down with stain, then wipe off the excess stain. Once this has sat a while, I then wipe down the whole piece with some alcohol. Then the piece can be completely shellac’ed.
I’m still not sure what good it is, but I thought I’d pass it on. My problem was finding a good wood to work with.