Dog print inlays.... questions

[reible]

I have an idea that I would like to add to an outdoor bench. It would be dog prints on the seat, as if a dog had walked on it with muddy feet.

This is an actual muddy print I photographed the other day:

dog print.jpg (451.06 KiB) Viewed 4318 times

I would make it mostly a stylized version with primary pads and nothing else.

I can think of several ways to do this but what I think I'm interested in would be to do an inlay with epoxy. I have the necessary tools to do the inlay but have never tried the epoxy portion. Gut feeling says it has to be level with the surface so water doesn't set in it. Like wise being outdoors I wonder if the inlay epoxy with want to pop out since it doesn't move at the same rate as wood. Likewise separation at interface could/would allow water to get between things which is undesirable. I guess a epoxy finish over the whole seat might solve that?

Another thought would be to do a wood inlay. A lot more work and you still might have similar issues to the epoxy.

A third though would be to make a dog print stamp and use that. In fact it might be something one could buy, but I have never seen one large enough.

A forth option would be a stencil and paint or even hand painting??

Anyone ever done something like this? Ideas and thoughts??

Ed

[edma194]

If it's an epoxy inlay or other similar material and it's opaque then you can cut and drill the underlying wood surface to provide plenty of surface area to grip and lock the material to, plus add structure like fiberglass cloth screwed or pegged into the wood.

With less effort a wood inlay should work. You can put screws in from underneath to hold in place and prevent any pop out conditions.

I don't know how long the effect will last but you could bleach the wood or use a dark stain to make the prints. Then cover with a waterproof finish.

[reible]

As it turns out they do make a ink stamp of a dogs paw, Size: 1-7/8" Wide X 1-3/4" Tall. I guess one could use ink on a finished surface then clear coat over it later it it doesn't interfere with the ink. That could be a lot less work.

For an inlay of wood you would have to cut the inside of the paw, toes and pads if you were. Then cut the inlays, again several parts and then times the number of steps you want to do. The appeal of the epoxy is just the one set of cuts then pour but then bubbles and all the rest.......... more I think of it I think those two methods would take me too long to do.........

The bleach idea might be worth a try, give more contrast to the "muddy paws".

Ed

[roy_okc]

Ed,

If you go with epoxy inlay, I recommend engraving around .2-.25" deep, brush on a thin epoxy clear coat to seal the inlay area and maybe surrounding area and avoid later bubbles, then during the main pour overfill slightly. To overfill, there are a couple options. If using thin epoxy, you can create a dam around the inlay area with hot glue or maybe silicone. If you use a thicker consistency epoxy, such as for countertop, you can overfill without it spilling too far out although you may still want a dam. When fully cured, machine back the epoxy level with your wood using drum sander, maybe planer if very careful, router in some sort of flattening setup, worst case sander.

Very important that the material, room, and epoxy are all in the right temperature range.

[jsburger]

Shaper Origin for wood inlay.

[Hobbyman2]

I would pick the one that will last the longest or the one that would cause the least amount of future damage to the table , the paint could be redone as needed with a stencil JMO

[reible]

I remember using bondo on a project years ago as a filler. It worked quite well and wasn't to expensive, well at least back then. Might have to check that out to see if it is cheaper then epoxy still. Yea bondo is not just for cars..........

Ed

[Hobbyman2]

I remember dad sending me to the auto paint store for a gallon of Bondo and I got the wrong stuff lol , turned out Bondo was just a name brand ,who knew ,,, I looked it up and they do make a wood filler , https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Bondo-12 ... /206680666

[reible]

After much considerations I have decided to buy an ink stamp dog paw.

While this makes life easier it doesn't lend itself to a major woodworking project. The bench top is of course a project but no need for much skill in making a simple bench for the garden.

The plan will be to make the seat and then coat with something water proof. Place dog prints and cover with something that doesn't run the ink and still provides a layer of protection. Second coat likely to be spray finish. Will stop off at the Menards this week and pick out a couple of cans of different clear finishes in spray cans and see how they work. Stamp in on order and should be here this week. Of course weather might mean none of this happens for another week or two.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001Q ... UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for letting me run some ideas by you and for posting some others.

Ed

[Hobbyman2]

The better half said something about a form of decoupage .