Post #529124 by BigAndyB on Mon, May 10, 2010 6:36 AM

hey guys :D im new to carving and found this fab website so im sure you guys will be the best port of call for advice on all things to do with finishing tikis.. if this has been covered before in depth, i apologise, i looked and couldn't find the exact advice online..
so i just finished carving my first tiki head (18 inches tall).. im not sure what wood it is (i live in the UK), its some kind of hardwood.. i think it might be beech.
I was hoping you could have a look and give me some advice on finishes.. I have applied some tribal tattoos to the carving in relief on the forehead and with a soldering iron for the facial tattoos.. basically im hoping these burnt tattoos will blend in with a dark-ish wood stain, so they can be seen but not too highly contrasting.. do you guys mix your stains? i tried rosewood on an offcut, and it was too dark.. also, do you apply some kind of oil preservative? and if so, would that be before or after staining? also, its fairly freshly cut, i de-barked it and stuck it in the greenhouse for a couple of months before carving if that is a factor that affects what kind of finishes are applied.. anyway, any help would be very much appreciated.. i am quite pleased with the carving and would like to get the finish right.. :D thanks in advance
here he is :)