I'm not sure I was clear about the expected result.
By compressing the grain to make a pattern and
then planing the surface so the impressed design
is flush with the new surface - and then letting
ambient moisture - or, if one is impatient - a spritz
of water - cause the compressed grain to expand
resulting in a raised design.

As usual, JOAT comes up with a substitute tool
- that is automotive in origin of course - pushrods.
Readily available and cheap or free - and HARD. The
range of sizes is a bit limited relative to the set of
jewelers doming tools - they go down to 1/8" diam
(about 3 mm for the metric folks). The technique
I have in mind is basically what's used to do repousse
- and I even have the funny little hammer with the
big flat head and long narrow handle with an oval
on the end where you grip it and whip it rather than
swing it. With the large diameter head you can
concentrate on the tool at the metal - or in this case
wood rather than worrying about missing and hitting
yourself.

When I get Bonsai Table #4 done and delivered I think
I'll do some design ideas in PhotoShop or SuperPaint
and print them. How I'm going to get the piece of
wood through my printer when it comes time to print
it will be a whole other challenge ; )

As for the durability of the results - well when I was
doing custom jewelry and a client wanted a stone
that wasn't all that durable in a ring - well I'd set the
stone down in the design were it would be protected
from every direction - except if you drove it into the
corner of something. Emeralds and opals are notorious
for scratches and dings - unless protected by the setting.

So, I'll add a frame around the design and see how it
holds up.

As for redwood turning black - if you give it a good
soaking in "teak oil" and repeat every couple of years,
it holds up fairly well.

Oh, BTW - USE THE SHIFT KEY! All caps is the net
equivalent of YELLING - and is harder to read

charlie b
(the whisperer)
charlie b