I'm making a sign, letters carved into the wood.  I'm using poplar.  I've got a fair notion of how to cut out the letters, but my real question is finishing.  I'd like to have the letters white on a dark brown background.  The poplar isn't a striking grain, which is fine, but I'm wondering that if I paint the letters with a couple coats of water based enamel, then sand off the surface, how well will the white paint reject the brown stain and stay white?

I wonder if an acrylic paint then a clear finish would hold up?

I would guess not very well.  I've done some white finish that was followed by a glaze.   You can definitely see the glaze.  (A glaze is just a staining type finish with pigment and a little bit of binder.   You apply it, then let it dry and top coat.) You might have better luck doing the dark stain, a couple of coats of finish, then cut and paint your letters.

 

Edited November 6, 20169 yr by kmealy

SWEET!!!

Not my taste but one of my (retail) customers was trying to get rid of old inventory and I had to change the base to one of the options offered by that mfr.

Before image:

Edited November 6, 20169 yr by kmealy

I have been known to do some strange things, so bear with me...

Cut & sand the sign blank, apply the dark brown stain to the whole piece and then coat with shellac to seal it.

Cover the whole sign with a piece of sheet vinyl - I would use Oracal 631

Rout the letters and paint white using the vinyl as a stencil.

Peel off the remaining vinyl

Cal

 

Disclaimer - I have never done this.  I would want to hit a practice shot first to see what happens when router bit hits vinyl...