I decided to try a shou sugi ban inspired finish on this ottoman I found at a thrift store for $5.
Shou Sugi Ban 焼杉板 (or Yakisugi) is an ancient Japanese exterior siding technique that preserves wood by charring it with fire. The technique has recently gained popularity with people looking to refinish furniture in a unique way
Step 1: Find Your Project
This ottoman is made by This End Up Furniture Co. It may be the most well made furniture in the United States. Anyone who's owned any of their furniture, knows just how sturdy and long lasting it is.
The other plus? It's easy to refinish.
Step 2: Sand it Down
Unquestionably, the most efficient progression is to sand through every grit – #80, #100, #120, #150, #180 – sanding just enough with each to remove the scratches of the previous grit. But most of us sand more than we need to, so it’s often more efficient to skip grits.
You’ll have to learn by experience what works best for you.
Step 4: Burn It!
You'll learn through research that many use a huge torch, but it's not needed. I purchased this torch for $11 at Lowe's.
When burning the wood, char it well! This photo doesn't translate well in showing that, but make sure to go deep enough with the burn.
I highly suggest watching a few videos on YouTube for safety reasons and proper technique.
Step 5: Scrape
Using a brass wire brush, scrape the chard wood from your furniture. Make sure to go with the grain as you would when sanding.
There's other ways to remove the chard wood and there's different results you can achieve when doing this.
To learn more, do a little research. Some of the results are gorgeous and worth the research.
Step 6: To Stain or Not to Stain?
I decided to use a sun bleached stain on just the face to give a more distressed look. (pic below) It almost looks grey in the light, which is perfect because the pillow I ordered is magnet black. After the stain dried, I took a high grit sanding sponge and gently took some of the stain off the grain raised by the heat from the burn.
Step 7: Finish with Polyurethane
Some prefer an oil based poly but I always go with a water based one.
A: Dries faster.
B: Doesn't dry with amber highlights.
Step 8: Buy it!
Yes. It's for sale. Think about it! How many people out there can say they know the history of the refinished (and one of a kind) piece of furniture they own?
This ottoman has a story and if you want it, go to THIS page.
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