Made a few line carvings similar to my previous post and trying to work out how to finish them. So far experimenting with Danish oil and Tudor oak coloured briwax. I also probably need to get some finer grit sandpaper at some point.

Carve straight into old wood, the carved lines are pale compared to the surrounding weathered wood. The lines are distinctive and easy to see.

Same as above followed by sanding and oiling, the lined are far less visible in comparison. Adding the wax and it might be a slight improvement but still not as clear as it was initially.

Attached image - Quick test this morning, sanding the wood then carving and applying wax, no oil. Some patches have held the wax/dark colouring better than others after wiping it down.

I am considering next trying to sand and oil the wood, then carve it and then wax it. Maybe a very gentle sanding before waxing if necessary but trying to keep most of the oil layer.

Trying to get the carved groves to be darker than the surrounding surface wood. Only got a few more bits of flat wood that don't have nails or staples in them, or too many cracks and splits.