How to accentuate info stamped onto stems

[Howie]

I'm restoring a Rushton, and I'm wondering how I might make the information stamped into the stems and thwart more visible and readable.

Seems to me the first step would be to apply a coat of clear varnish to seal the wood. I'd want it a very thin coating - just enough to seep into the wood but not enough to build up any thickness in the stamped areas.

The next step would be to apply some darker substance - perhaps a darker or tinted varnish - just in the areas that have stamped information. This darker varnish would then be carefully wiped off leaving, hopefully, some in the stamped areas.

If the darker varnish seeps too far into the wood grain and obscures the stamped info I figure I could always try removing it with paint thinner or, if need be, stripper. Then repeat the process again using additional coat(s) of clear varnish to better seal the wood.

Anybody ever try this? Or have a different technique?

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Myself, i would build a time machine and borrow JHRs stamps. But i always take the shortest distance between desire and fulfillment.

 

[chris pearson]

Aaaaaaahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

 

[Gary]

Hey Howie, not sure if this is what your looking for but I always try to ensure any stamp or number in an old canoe is not lost when I restore it. Although in many canoes these no longer have a real meaning they were placed there by the builder for a reason and I'd like it to remain. All I do is after I strip the varnish/paint I run a sharpened pencil through the stamped numbers. This helps them to be readable and when varnished over they remain for the next life of the canoe. here is an example from a Chestnut chum I'm currently working on. Hope this helps?
Gary

 

[Howie]

Gary - That's good advice. But my problem is that the stamped numbers/letters aren't really readable on the stripped wood. You've given me a thought though... I wonder if I can to a rubbing with pencil or perhaps charcoal to darken the wood on the 'outside' in the area of the stamping which would contrast with the undarkened letters. I could try first with the stamped '16' stamped canoe length.

 

[Gary]

I've done that before on a number I can't read. Place a piece of tracing paper over the area and then rub with a pencil which might give you the number you can't see? It's amazing how a sharp pencil, once you know what the number is, can re-stamp it by tracing back into the wood. Let us know how it goes?

 

[Howie]

A little bit of stain on the unvarnished wood brought out the lettering on the rear thwart.

The same technique wasn't quite as successful on the stems, but it helped.