Here I carve a Walnut wood name keychain to say MARK.
I then take it to the sanders for a six grit smoothing process (from 80 to 600). Color is brought out by soaking in a mineral oil bath, then a final polish with beeswax. Here is a photo of the finished piece.
Whatever name you carve, cut your characters to leave enough “long-grain” within and between letters for strength. I shoot for about one-third the letter’s height. While “short-grain” is necessary, it cuts across the fibers of the wood and weakens the piece and should be kept to a minimum.
With my free-hand letter style, there is plenty of long-grain strength left within and between letters. My wood name keychains are very durable and there are quite a few still in regular service that I carved 30+ years ago.
DustyNewt World ~ A map of where I have shipped my woodstuffs. See if your town is represented.
If you are enjoying what you see… I like it hot and black. 😉
