No.
I Seal The Backs and Sides With Mod Podge. I Seal The Tops with Resin.
At Least 20 Hours Just For The Burning Stage. It Varies Depending On The Subject. Some Plaques take 50 Hours or More Depending on the detail. The Sealing Takes 98 Hours (an Hour Each for the Top and Bottom. 24 Hours for the Back, 72 Hours for the Top. 45 Minutes of that is Torching out the Bubbles. When the Resin is No Longer Workable It is Then Covered. Even still Sometimes Bubbles Can Develop. If it’s Minor They Are Left In. Otherwise the Plaque is Sanded Down and a New Coat of Resin is Applied following the Same Steps Repeated and The Curing Time Starts Over.
It is images burned onto wood by hand using a soldering iron type tool. It is also referred to as Poker Art.
Basswood. Mostly with a live-edge. Soft Maple and Cherry are second choices. Douglas Fir might be used if nothing else is available.
I use a Colwood “Cub” at the moment. I plan to get a dual port or tri-port burner at some point.
Yes. Please Keep The Plaques Away From Sunlight and UV Exposure.
No. Unlike Varnish, The Resin I Use Will Not Yellow. However, The Wood Will Darken Over Time.