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Surface Finish
Path: MakingYourOwnEquipment   · Prev: UnusualMaterials   · Next: TeachingGoban
    Keywords: Equipment

One of the most difficult tasks when making a goban is to put the lines on it, and to make sure they stay there.

Traditionally, a Katana (Japanese sword) is dipped in ink and gently rocked back and forth to deposit a straight, thin line. The goban is then left to dry and the process is repeated several times until the desired richness of colour has been achieved. Thereafter, a very thin layer of oil is added to the board.

Of course, this is a bit awkward if you're doing it in your garage.

The thing to remember is that the lines should be straight, and in a colour sufficiently rich to make them easy to see. This can be done with a fountain pen, Bic pen, overhead marker, Sharpie, or drafting pen. The advantage of the latter is that you will get a very even colour and that you can adjust the line width.

To ensure that the ink or paint does not soak into the woodgrain, leaving fuzzy lines, test the ink or paint on a scrap of the wood you are using for the board. It may work to apply one coat of clear finish to the wood before applying the lines, then apply the final coat(s) of finish.

Take care in choosing what type, if any, of varnish or other finish you use. Gobans should be matte, to reduce glare under various lighting conditions, and the finish should be hard and durable. Waterbased polyurethanes work well and dry quickly, but you can use lacquer, varnish, oil, wax, or any other wood finish, so long as you can see the lines clearly. Using a matte varnish will give you the chance to 'correct' the wood colour and may be desirable.

Make sure that your surface treatment does not dissolve or ruin the lines, so test it on your wood scrap.


Tamsin I have made a few gobans in the last year or so. I find it very effective to mark the lines using water-based black ink, then to apply a layer of acrylic matt varnish. Once that is dry, I apply a liberal coating of beeswax polish, which provides a hard and durable finish with an attractive low-glare sheen.

Protognsis?: Is there a particular reason why the lines cannot be inlaid? I used an awl to mar the wood, and I plan to put ink in the grooves tomorrow. Not finished though. Stumbled on this page after I did that.

Tyler: While my father was making a board he ran into someone who owned a laser for burning designs into wood. You set the design on a computer and the laser burns to whatever depth you desire. Made very nice lines, may be a bit pricey though.

Karl Knechtel: You might also do ordinary woodburning for the lines, either with a proper kit or perhaps even a soldering iron.



Path: MakingYourOwnEquipment   · Prev: UnusualMaterials   · Next: TeachingGoban
This is a copy of the living page "Surface Finish" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.