Burnt Wood Finish - Shou Sugi Ban - End to End Tutorial 

Oh good. Love hearing that people are doing these projects. It's such a cool method to make wood look spectacular as you have discovered.

Thank you!

Thanks you. That's nice of you to put that into a comment. I try to get better with every video. I don't always succeed. I guess this time I did.

Yeah, it was pretty bad. Not sure what was up with that nozzle...

Agreed, you are taking off some of the protection by brushing it. I have made raised beds/planters recently and didn't brush them. Also lead to a cool look without impacting the protection aspect (just oiled the burned wood).

@@TinyIndustrial yup, this works just fine. It's how I do it too.

Sure. There is a trade off here. Some people are looking to preserve the wood (primary focus). Others are trying to make it look nice. Depending on what your goals are, one method may make more or less sense. Deeper vs. lighter and so on.

True. I may go back and do a video specifically on that. Would that be helpful?

Thanks for that comment and for adding to the community aspect of these videos. Really appreciate your help sharing that. Love the sprayer idea and the dilution aspect.

Thank you for commenting on your method, I was looking to see if someone had used shousugi ban for outdoor beds and was wondering how to finish it. Do you think the mineral spirit dilution would be safe if I plan to grow vegetables in my garden beds? I am trying to find the safest options but it's been difficult

@@yatakadai that was my intention when I had built them in the first place. I plan to do a soil test before growing food in the beds so my experiment is currently on going. If I had to do it again, I would build them in the fall going into winter, so the finish would be able to off gas or dissipate and fill with soil in the spring. Instead of getting excited and filling them with soil so I can go onto the next project. We had planned to just grow flowers and what not in the soil we had for a few years as to let whatever pesticides and fertilizers in that soil dissipate. I also would do a gravel barrier going along the wood to keep the soil off the wood, allow it to stay drier by breathing. If, the mineral spirits are leaching into the soil, both letting the finish cure for a season and the gravel barrier might be a solution, all theoretical at the moment.

Well I hope that this becomes a big hit in your village. Where are you located? What would you use this technique for?

Would love to see the coop. Yes, a big deck brush could work well. Thanks for the comment.

Yeah, me too. Chicken coop! Good luck!

Thanks. Yes, that's the one I like too.

Hi there. That's a good question. I would imagine that if the wood is drier, that it would be advantageous. That said, I don't really know. Maybe I would split the difference and let it dry out a bit more, but not so long that you never wind up doing the pergola. Are you going to document the burn and build? Would love to see what the end result looks like.

Plenty of plant based coatings out there. Vermont natural coatings carry’s tons

Totally agree that there are too many chemicals used. I agree with the comment though that using the burn to help preserve the wood is already eliminating chemicals from that process. Adding some linseed oil doesn't really seem that bad for me. Totally understand that if this is to be in a planter, you want to be careful.

I like the lightly burned variants best. I can’t see much difference in the surfaces with regard to the products usedto finish them. I have watched some shou sugi ban videos which used food colours and they looked good too ! 👍

Shou Sugi Ban means burnt cedar. Use cedar, burn it 1/4" deep and your wood will last 100 years without a finish. Just don't do a heavy sandback.

Always misconceptions. If you want linseed oil, then you will use RAW linseed oil not boiled, as the boiled process uses chemicals to achieve that. If you want an oil finish, then a “food” safe is raw linseed with pure tung oil, which the tung oil will help dry/harden the oils. Of course you would need to apply about 4 coats each season, no different then doing a butcher block. Whereas butcher block finishes can have bees wax or a combination of waxes with those oils. As for another misconception, fully cured poly will not leach chemicals, as the only thing left behind in its hardened state are the resins, or acrylic resin mix. Of course you need to wait the full 3-4 weeks for it to cure before adding soil. Once cured ( after 2-3 coats with 24 hours drying time in between), you could always line the interior with plastic to further protect the wood vs soil vs leaching if you are sceptical. I am not a fan of a lot of chemicals either, just is, you need to know and understand what they are and what they do. Not just being a carrier for the finish, but the added hardening and possibly additive agents, as well as the considered solvents. Have been in the coating industry for over 30 years, master painter, and have seen/used solvents that can take a fully hardened brush, and bring it back to almost new in 15 min. Definitely want to stay away from those, though they tend to be more geared to commercial environments. Yet, I still read them in small amounts in some over the counter home products. Anyway, I digress, go read the material data sheet of anything you buy with chemicals if you have a concern, as some of you state. Or make your own product, that you consider food safe. Btw, water based poly is the same, after fully cured. Especially since the carrier is mostly water, but oil based are always more resilient. Oh, I never touched on the fact that boiled linseed takes forever to completely dry, hence combining it with tung oil, or pure turpentine, helps in the “drying” process. Btw, I like both the first and second burns, as they add the character to the wood depending on the look I would want, and/or the final piece I want to achieve.

Thanks for adding a vote in the light burn column.

Not sure why you would want to use vegetable oil on this. Not sure that's a good idea. Go out and buy some linseed oil. I wouldn't experiment with Mazola on one of these projects.

Yes, yes, I know. People search for Shou Sugi Ban though and I like showing up in searches vs. being 'correct'. Gotta pay the bills you know?

Maybe...but probably not. I would more likely seal in a countertop for a bathroom for some kind of acrylic or epoxy. The reason for that is that you might wind up with some not so nice stains on a surface that is only treated with the oil. It would also likely be a bit hard to keep clean. Wiping toothpaste or similar would be kind of pain I would imagine. Once you seal the burn under some form of smoother and more robust coating, that would likely make is easier and better to enjoy the beauty of the burnt wood.

Yup, this is a common comment. I try to use both terms since people search on what they 'think' something is called and not on the actual name of it.

Glad you enjoyed it. You doing a project involving this technique?

@TinyIndustrial Yes I am. I'm building a bourbon shelf out of pallet wood and finishing it using this technique

That will look good. How did it turn out? Happy with the result?

As a spray on product it is intended to coat and harden in place. It's a different thing than the oils which are intended to soak into the wood. Much like if I had used spray paint on the wood, I would not smooth that out with a brush either. Same holds true for a clear coat of poly-urethane...it resides more on the surface vs. soaking in.

Can you point me to a video where someone is doing that?

Fair enough. Yes, it's really subjective. Everyone will have a personal preference. What's your project that you are doing with this?

When you burn all sides, I takes care of that pretty efficiently. Burning only one side will lead to bowing. What project are you considering for this?

@@TinyIndustrial used a mahogany plank as trial run but it was only one side. Will try both sides. Going for outdoor privacy fence. Do you assemble them first then heat treat it or heat treat individual pieces followed by assembly?

I would always burn everything first and then assemble after. Otherwise, where there are joints or pieces mounted together, you will get areas that aren't treated and they will be subject to premature deterioration.

The trick is to burn 3 in a triangle vertically tied together with wire, starting a fire at the bottom. When it gets to the top you cut the wire and immediately wash heavy with a hose. Suyaki or alligator finish is considered the best but its all objective. Wash off alll the soot right after burning, let dry, then apply a penetrating oil finish. Never brush in my opinion. The boards dont cup as long as you burn fast, hot, and wash off to complete the process. Missing any step and it will warp. If youre getting white ash you burned too long or in one area too much

@@chompers11 yup. That's the traditional method.

Yes...but a lot of people search for it under Shou Sugi Ban....and I like when my video's get found. :)

@@TinyIndustrial indeed a good video it is nice work.

Thanks!

As in pressure treated lumber? no... don't do it. That would is already preserved with icky and unnatural chemicals (which you don't want to heat up).

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Any project you have in mind of doing with this process?

What? Not sure I follow. I'll hone in on the "I liked them all" comment. :)

@@TinyIndustrial Jim Jones in Jonestown French Guiana. He killed all his cult followers with Kool Aid.

Excellent. I appreciate the feedback. Always trying to offer up good content. I'm glad it was helpful for you. What's the project you are looking to tackle with this?

That's interesting. I'm sure that works great.

@@TinyIndustrial Its only what used our ancestors for several thousand years. Easy, you do not nead to mutch of this paste, and is always at home. You can see old furniture in castels and look still nice. 🙂 is only dark after several hundred or thousands years.

Whats your ratio? Just melt beeswax and mix in? Thanks!

@@amyk2966 Yes is easy - important is, boil oil before mix it with wax, for 15 min to change it to farm. Put it to shallow jar. You can use for application soft textil. The best is use iron - it put it deaper into wood. After only polish with textile. One or two years later, you can put second layer with textile, and polish. That is forever.

@@amyk2966 ratio is 1:1 depends how thick you want it, consistency something like wax for shoes

I'm not sure what you mean by 'control' in this case? The control would be an unburned plank, no? Or are you referring to having a plank burned yet untreated with anything? I think that I see your point. Was simply trying to give folks an idea of what different intensities might achieve in regard to look with a few finish options.

@@TinyIndustrial Hmm. All good ideas. But maybe a basic oak stain and un-burned plank. Basic. Boring. What it would look like if the average DIYer were to finish it.

Yup, any number options will work with this. Or do nothing at all. It's a pretty forgiving process. What have your projects been with this technique?

@@TinyIndustrial I've done a workbench that turned out ok, but I also did a small fence with cedar boards that turned out great. I'm looking at a couple of different projects to use this for next including more fencing, accent pieces in our home, and raised beds for the veggie garden. I appreciate you putting the different levels of burning into the video. I'm thinking to go with a more heavy char for the garden beds, but the fencing & accent pieces I'm looking to keep/show off the grain of the wood. I've also been thinking about using tung oil for the waterproofing and being a little less expensive than teak oil.

That's great that you are experimenting with different projects on this. It gets kind of addictive. I found this homemade chair build design that I tried out. Love the chair...had to put a Shuo Sugi spin on it though. Likely to be the next video that I release. Stay tuned and please subscribe if you haven't already. Thanks!

Definitely. I wouldn't suggest doing it to an existing deck, but if you are redoing a deck, yes, burn the planks on all sides, brush them and treat them with some oil and that should do it. Avoids all that nasty pressure treated wood or that Trex plasticky stuff (don't like it...do you?).

Instead of a wire brush I used a power washer. (Less elbow grease) But what I looking for talks preserving affect specifically underwater.

Yup, that's my choice too. Sanding and then oiling is an option too. The burn just adds a darker color and makes the wood look more interesting...also enhances the longevity of the wood.

Yes, I think that there are a number of things that are worth experimenting with. Although I have done a number of projects with this, I still always feel that there are a lot more variations to explore. What video would you like to see me do in that regard?

Hmm. likely not. I would use tar and termite protection in place of poly.

@@TinyIndustrial what do you use to waterproof them?

@@TaLeng2023 the burning is the part that protects/seals the wood. The application of oil just enhances that. There is no further waterproofing needed.

Nice. Have never tried that or really felt a need to do that. I tend not to sand after application of the oil. Thanks for the tip!

Very good trick! Thanks for sharing it!

I do something similar, I do multiple coats raising the linseed oil concentration level to full on last coat, gives a deep crackle finish more durablity, especially in out door applications. It’s all about getting the oil to soak deep into the wood fibers and thoroughly through the char.

I have a silly question that I'm sure experienced woodworkers would find obvious but would mineral oil work for outdoor applications? My instinct says no but I figured I would ask

@@yatakadai do an experiment.

No, you're likely not too late. I would generally advise to do it the other way around though (burn and then oil). Planters look great when you use this technique, no?

Again, no oiling before the burn. Also, are the old deck boards pressure treated? In that case I would neither burn nor oil them, since pressure treated wood does not lend itself to this process at all. Also, do not do a burn on an installed deck either way. You might set your house on fire doing so. Only burn wood that isn't attached to anything (i.e. loose only). Make sense?

Maximum protection would be simply using pressure treated wood. If you want to employ this method you kind of have to be open to a bit more maintenance. In exchange you get a much nicer (and earth friendly) finish on the wood, that looks a whole lot sexier than pressure treated. It's all a bit of a trade off.

Yes it is (non-pressure treated).

Very cool. I always thought that bees would be put off by the burn part, but glad to hear that they don't mind the scent.

Thank you. Glad it was helpful for you!

Yeah, poly is not my first choice. Oil and occasionally reapplying the oil I find to be the best method. Kind of the way you would treat teak backyard furniture to maintain it's looks and longevity.

Never tried that. You've had success with that method? I find the brushing not to be that hard...kind of like it. Also ok to not brush at all. Get that question a lot. :)

Ahh. yes. Good idea. I'll keep that in mind for future videos. Check out some of my other videos on the channel regarding this process. You may find one that resonates better with your wife. :)

Yes, there is. I have had some people reference that they use a paint sprayer to apply coatings to the delicate alligator skin variant and supposedly that works well. I can't confirm that though.

I don't know. I think that you might wind up roughing up the grain of the wood. May not lead to a desirable result. Have you tried it? Would love to hear how/if it works.

Right. Helps a bit. All about what your goal is. I'm just trying to illustrate the different looks you can achieve.

Yes, the more you sand, the more you will reveal the unburned wood underneath. You can actually sand until you like the shade you are getting. How much you have to sand off depends on the burn depth. Hope that helps?

Sure, that works. The blow torch to me is simply the easiest way to do this and to have control over the process. Burning over an actual fire is more a purist move. Go for it. Let me know how that goes.

Happy that it was helpful. What's your project?

@@TinyIndustrial I'm cladding an porch, I was going to used Siberian larch but I really like the idea of shou sugi ban,my question that you answered was should I burn the wood all round as its untreated and will be used outside in the British climate?

@@grahamfletcher5320 I see. Yup, burn all surfaces. Has a number of benefits, albeit a bit more work. I would also still apply a liberal coat of linseed oil for added longevity and protection. Good luck with the project!

@@grahamfletcher5320 I see. Ok, well I hope that the project turns out great. Always be safe working with fire! That's my PSA for the day. :)

It will 'extend' the life of the wood. How long depends on a lot of different factors, including, but not limited to, the depth of the burn, post burn application of oils, weather conditions, exposure to sun and water, etc. Hard to say exactly for those reasons. 100 years or more seems like a stretch though. Do this because you 1) like how it looks 2) want to avoid pressure treated lumber chemicals 3) hope to gain a 'bit' more longevity out of the wood used. Make sense?

Hmmm. Not sure the oil really impacts that too much. I could do a test video. Thanks for the suggestion.

@@TinyIndustrial thanks! I waiting for that video.

Is that a question or a comment? I haven't experienced any mildew on treated surfaces with this method, have you?

Cookies sitting on the ground would last a bit longer using this method, but any wood in contact with the wet ground is going to be problematic. In a desert environment perhaps you would see some increased gains due to limited moisture and that the fact that the bugs will be put off (for a while) by the burnt wood.

No! Definitely not. Pressure treated has a ton of chemicals in it and does not work with this preservation process. Think of pressure treated as the 'non-organic' way of preserving wood. Hope that clears it up for you.

Ah yes...

The application of the oil and subsequent wiping down of the material clears 98% of any reside. When left in the elements for a while, it eliminates any remnants of dust that could come off on clothes. White linen pants maybe aren't recommended though...

@TinyIndustrial thanks! Also, thoughts on Refined Linseed versus Boiled versus...? Which linseed is best? Some are more expensive than others...

Hi. I'd be curious to know/see if bees would be ok with this. Burnt wood might be off-putting to the bees. I'd test it out with leaving some burnt wood by the entrance of the hive to see how the bees react, before building a hive using this process. Let me know how that turns out.

@@TinyIndustrial oh I don’t think so. A lot of beekeepers do this.

Ideally yes. I reference that towards the end of this video. Did you not see it? There are two main reasons for doing so: 1) protection of the wood 2) warping and twisting of the wood from non-uniform application of heat. What's the project you are doing?

Yeah...any experience with that? Linseed is my go to.

Fair enough. I have been tending towards the darker burns lately myself.

So the BLO mostly soaks into the wood. Wood is like a sponge for it. On a warm sunny day it happens within 15 to 20 min. Wipe of any excess. Excess is kind of your indicator that you have applied enough. Yes, the BLO lasts for quite a while outdoors. Kind of like teak furniture, the wood will dry out and it helps to reapply every so often. The heating after application is one thing you can do, I also have seen others warm the BLO before applying it. I think that both methods help with the absorption. I'm not a chemist, so I can't really speak to the polymerization of the oil. Anyone else on here know about that?

@@TinyIndustrial Thanks for the reply! I think warming the wood before applying helps too, by opening the pores up. I'd guess there would be some polymerization if you could get it to the right temperature. It's what occurs with "seasoning" a cast iron pan with oil, like flax, etc. It's what makes it stick to the surface and densify given the non-stick result. I'll give the heat treatment of the BLO, once applied on some SPF lumber and let you know if it made a difference.

@@wingnutbert9685 That all makes sense. Would be interested in seeing how that goes!

Yes, go for a heavier burn. Some have said not to take it too far though since you start to impact the integrity and strength of the wood with too aggressive a burn. Will you be documenting your raised beds on RU-vid?

@@TinyIndustrial It's done. and the wood soaked up the Linseed oil like a sponge. I have my doubts that this will work, but the wood was so cheap I couldn't resist. It would make for a good vdeo to see how long it will last, but it would need to have a 'control' to see how much better it performs than doing nothing special. I appreciate your efforts.

Wood soaking up the oil is a good start. Pretty chilly up north here and temp tends to play a roll too. The warmer it is the better. Some will even warm up the oil before applying it. Not sure how much that really helps. Again, thanks for the comments..

No, not really. You could do an oil refresh after a year or so. Either way, you have massively extended the life of the wood if it is going to be in some way exposed to the elements.

Yes, the longer you burn and the less you brush, the darker the wood will be. That said, you will sacrifice some smoothness in the wood with a longer burn. You are on the right track regarding doing some experiments to get the burn/brush combo right. I'm also willing to provide private lessons on this in exchange for a plane ticket to BC and room n’ board. :)

@@TinyIndustrial hey that's super cool thanks for the offer. I don't know if I have the budget for such a trip though LOL where are you located anyway? Maybe we could do a teams meeting and I could pay you? I kind of want a rough finish I like the look of nylon wheeled brush too that pulls out the grain. I also think adding charcoal to the linseed oil would be a good idea. Might be difficult with the washing process. Maybe a good brushing and collection before and then washing after. I'll have to try it. Thanks for the reply as well

I believe the only burn that will significantly preserve the wood in this video was the darkest one.

@@jonmichaelroberts That is most likely to be the most long lived. Part of the excercise was to create a certain look and feel. The wood preservation was kind of secondary to the main point of this particular video.

Yes, it's really just about how much you burn the wood. The longer you burn a rougher surface, the smoother it will be after you wire brush the debris off. What are you thinking of doing with this technique.

I have been offers some sawn larch planks,to clad a new porch.

Excellent! Good project.

No the idea is that you remove the softer cellulose out of the wood. That is what the bugs eat and the part that starts on fire the fastest. Its no problem to sand it.

@@greatitbroke any idea where I can find the science on this? I'm looking for the weather/water proofing... how much can I send off? How deep to burn, DETAILS lol. I want to use for siding on my house.

It's more of an art than a science. It offers chemical free protection for the wood. How much protection you get depends on all sorts of variables. Type of wood. How green the wood is. How deep the burn is. etc. It's a good thing to experiment with. Will it last as long as a piece of pressure treated wood? Probably not, but it looks a whole lot nicer and and isn't as carcinogenic.

Thanks. It's a process that once you do a project or two with it, it gets to be a go to method for preserving wood and the look of it will likely grow on you. What's a project you could envision doing for this?

@TinyIndustrial , I might try burning some cedar boxes after planing them. I normally just use raw 2" cedar for above ground gardening. They might spice up the look of the garden.

That's exactly how I roll. Nice to see I'm in good company. Check out my new video on the topic. I make a chair with this technique: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4CptSIvWJ3Q.htmlsi=MAZWLi2IUhg0kSpN

Fair enough. It's all subjective. Any project in mind?

If you stick your nose in the bottle....but not after it's been applied...or certainly not a day or two after application? You sure you're not using sesame oil? :)

@@TinyIndustrial yep I’m sure I did not, nor did I stick my nose in the bottle - sesame oil smells much better!

@@marahfanning2879 Ok, fair enough. There are other oils you can use.

Rapid fire.

Thanks!

Indeed :)

How so?

@@TinyIndustrial What is the difference between cold-pressed crude and cold-pressed boiled linseed oil? Raw linseed oil is extremely penetrative and impregnating. It also takes longer to dry. Boiled linseed oil dries faster and penetrates well into the substrate, but not as deeply as raw linseed oil

@@VIKING1011 I was not fully aware of that. Good to know. Thanks!

When preparing external cladding I’m assuming all surfaces of the boards must be burned and oiled? Thank you

Yes, that is a best practice.

Burn both sides...it minimizes cupping. The cupping and bending is mostly caused by heat being applied unevenly to a piece of wood.

Yay! Team medium burn...welcome to the tribe. Do you have a project in mind for this technique?

Yup, medium is my go to. Preserves the grain the best IMHO. Are you going to post any video of your gate project?

@@TinyIndustrial No, we won't do a video. Our carpenter already made the gates & they're beautiful. Is it too late to do this procedure since not every side of each piece of wood can be burnt? TY!

@@dw3992 Ahh. I see. Something to keep in your back pocket for the next project!

@@dw3992 I see. Well, definitely make sure you don't set the fence on fire and keep water an extinguishers nearby. If the fence is anywhere near a house, I definitely would not recommend unless you can remove the planks and scorch them separately in a safe way. Not burning all the sides, somewhat defeats the point since the weakest link will be the untreated sections. Not sure I would recommend you move ahead with doing this for those reasons.

Hard to say. I would think that once per year would be sufficient in regard to recoating. Thank for checking out the content and for the kind words. Are you planning a project with this technique?

@@TinyIndustrial Thanks for the answer. Yes, I just bought a big piece of land in Northern Ontario and am planning to build a house and several cabins on it with different construction materials and technics. As a follow-up question, do you know if burnt wood is ever used as a below grade treatment for wood posts?

I have seen some videos where the technique is used on fence posts. Not sure if it held up in that kind of scenario. Bottom line is that burning the wood will always get you some additional longevity...how much is the question and whether or not it's worth it. I employ the technique for looks and to extend the life.

Fair enough. It's totally a preference thing. I can add though that it's a 'bit' more difficult to get an even light burn on a piece of wood than a darker one. What project are you considering with this?

@@TinyIndustrial yeah I take it back. You were right, the middle is best. I seen it on a floor and it just too much. Too busy to look at ya know.

You came around to the dark side...Thanks!

That's the one you like? Are you doing a project with this or what's your specific interest in the process?

Well, the best way is to best way is to burn all sides/edges of a piece of wood. That even heating minimizes the internal stresses that heating only one side causes. It's doesn't guarantee that there won't be any warping, but it does minimize it. What's the project you are thinking of doing?

Came here for this comment. I made a few dice trays for my Dungeons and Dragons group but the wood (used pine) got pretty warped on some of the trays. I thought maybe I should plane the wood after burning. Any idea if this would work?

Did you burn on all sides? Also the thinner the wood, the more prone to warping it would be. Maybe make the dice trays thicker and beefier. Usually adds to the esthetic when you do that too. Give it a try.