Post #46062 by Basement Kahuna on Mon, Aug 4, 2003 7:08 PM

I'll let you in on a secret (okay, not really a secret but works dandy): Small propane torch like you can buy at any hardware or department store, the kind that uses the 2.99 skinny blue canisters. Go easy until you get the hang of it. You don't want to burn it, just darken it until it has a uniform old oxidized brown look. Sand with a 220 grade paper after darkening. That's the chosen method of everyone from Leroy Scmaltz to Bill Westenhaver to most of the seasoned carvers on this page. Leroy Schmaltz also uses a lot of really effective painting techniques using layered shades of brown.