Shou Sugi Ban

[Perro Del Diablo]

Any of you tried this? It is a burn finish for wood. I've done couple and really like results. 

Edited August 17, 2025 by Perro Del Diablo

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

pictures??

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

PICTURES! 

[Subdeacon Joe]

Yakisugi - Wikipedia https://share.google/GUXipKOnp6wVEyQ5N

[Rye Miles #13621]

Never tried it and don’t intend to. Too much work! 

[Yul Lose]

I’ve been using the sho sugi ban technique for awhile to enhance the lid lifts on boxes that I build. Here are a couple of boxes that I fractal burned and then toasted them with a Bernzamatic torch and then lightly sanded them before the oil finish. The lid lifts were fractal burned and then toasted with the torch, sanded and then finished. I think it adds a lot of character.

[Rip Snorter]

2 minutes ago, Yul Lose said:

I’ve been using the sho sugi ban technique for awhile to enhance the lid lifts on boxes that I build. Here are a couple of boxes that I fractal burned and then toasted them with a Bernzamatic torch and then lightly sanded them before the oil finish. The lid lifts were fractal burned and then toasted with the torch, sanded and then finished. I think it adds a lot of character.

Really fine work!

[Alpo]

So at its simplest, that's just playing over the surface of the wood with a blowtorch?

[Yul Lose]

10 minutes ago, Alpo said:

So at its simplest, that's just playing over the surface of the wood with a blowtorch?

Pretty much. Here are some Sho sugi ban items from Pinterest where there are thousands of examples of it.

Edited August 17, 2025 by Yul Lose

[Alpo]

I've known about using a blowtorch to bring out the grain for years.

 

Did not know it was a "traditional Japanese woodworking art", but I've known about doing it for a long time.

[Perro Del Diablo]

Photo added of dog food stand. Clear coated with linseed oil

3 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

Pretty much. Here are some Sho sugi ban items from Pinterest where there are thousands of examples of it.

Awesome 

[Perro Del Diablo]

3 hours ago, Alpo said:

So at its simplest, that's just playing over the surface of the wood with a blowtorch?

Yup

[Perro Del Diablo]

4 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

Never tried it and don’t intend to. Too much work! 

Not to much I do light burn just bring out grain

[Rip Snorter]

Didn't know the name of it and thought it original back in the mid '60's.  Did an unfinished coffee table that way.  Re did it whenever spills or casual damage made it unattractive.  Different every time.  Left it behind when I moved out of the apartment, hadn't thought about it in years.

[Pat Riot]

We had that done to all of our living room furniture back in ‘77, but the water damage from the fire hoses ruined the effect.

[Alpo]

1 hour ago, Pat Riot said:

We had that done to all of our living room furniture back in ‘77, but the water damage from the fire hoses ruined the effect.

 

[Stump Water]

Back when I was paying attention, fractal burning had been banned at woodworking competitions because some people had killed themselves doing it.

 

I guess ichiban will be next.

[Rip Snorter]

I suppose folks can harm themselves doing just about anything.  Far less threatening than casting, cutting, welding metal.  Mine wasn't high art, but attractive and done with the original Zippo torch.  Wonder where that went - was handy.

[Yul Lose]

8 minutes ago, Stump Water said:

Back when I was paying attention, fractal burning had been banned at woodworking competitions because some people had killed themselves doing it.

 

I guess ichiban will be next.

Yep, I’ve had some of my stuff removed from shows and galleries because of the fractal burning. 

[watab kid]

interesting stuff - some i like most i dont , 

[Pat Riot]

4 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

Yep, I’ve had some of my stuff removed from shows and galleries because of the fractal burning. 

Why is that? 
 

So if you live through it your art isn’t collectible?

OR is it because you lived, therefore you’re intelligent and that is an insult to stupid people who died? 

[Yul Lose]

10 hours ago, Pat Riot said:

Why is that? 
 

So if you live through it your art isn’t collectible?

OR is it because you lived, therefore you’re intelligent and that is an insult to stupid people who died? 

People build homemade fractal burning machines from old microwave transformers and other things without much thought to safety and then end up electrocuting themselves. There are commercially built fractal burners that are very safe but because of the bad press the dangerous ones get when they kill someone they are all vilified, kind of like how honest, law abiding gun owners all get the blame when somebody commits a crime with a gun, all guns are bad, don’t you know. 
 

 

[Kid Rich]

65 years ago we used that method in wood shop.

kR