Aged wood. Aged doors: the fastest way to get the effect of antiquity

Wood is a beautiful material from which a variety of interior elements are made. It can be decorated in many ways. One of the popular techniques is the aging of wood. This is a rather difficult process that requires certain knowledge from the master.

Expert advice will help you figure out how to do this processing yourself. Wood aging can be done in several ways. Having considered all the techniques, it will be possible to choose the best option.

Why is it necessary to age wood?

Wood aging is carried out for various reasons. This technology allows you to give the material the required decorative qualities. With the help of this finish, you can decorate certain styles of the interior. To save money on the purchase of antique, exquisite and very expensive decor elements, the technology of artificial aging of natural material is used.

The choice of such a finish can also be caused by the individual preferences of the owners of the house. If they want to decorate the interior of their home with just such products, the artificial aging of wood will provide a wide field for creativity. It will not be difficult to give the material the desired appearance using the methods presented below.

There are several approaches that help to give the wood the necessary decorative qualities. For them, certain materials and tools are used. Also, the master will need a sufficient amount of free time. Haste in this case can lead to an unsatisfactory result.

Mechanical aging of wood

There are various methods for aging wood. They allow you to give the array a certain appearance. One of the most popular approaches is mechanical aging. It is also called brushing or texturing. The wooden surface is treated with a special brush. This allows you to stylize the material, giving it an antique look.

Brushing a tree involves removing the "pulp" from the structure. This gives relief to the workpiece. It is this process that occurs with a wood massif for a long time. It dries out under the influence of various environmental factors.

Experienced craftsmen say that this is one of the easiest ways to process wood. However, it is not always possible to apply this approach in practice. It depends on the characteristics of the wood species. Also, with the method it is possible to obtain a relief surface. In some cases, it is better to decorate the interior with other types of treated wood.

Features of mechanical aging

Wood brushing may not be used for all types of natural material. This method is suitable for processing almost all coniferous varieties, especially pine. Brushing is also used for larch, walnut, ash and oak. These are the most popular types of wood that are currently used in the construction and decoration of premises.

Mechanical aging is not carried out for fruit varieties of natural material. Also, this technology is not used for processing beech, maple, teak, a number of exotic types of wood. They are rarely used in finishing work. Therefore, the mechanical method is so popular.

For processing, you will need to prepare a special brush. It has a metal "pile". The procedure requires a sufficient amount of free time. You can't hurry. Otherwise, you can spoil the appearance of the array. In this way, you can age small blanks. For an extensive amount of work, it is necessary to use a grinder, drill or a special machine.

Manual brushing

Do-it-yourself wood aging requires a certain concentration from the master. The material must be dry. Otherwise, it will not be possible to provide the required decorative surface. Bugs will appear. Dry wood is brushed along the fibers. To make the pile stiffer, it can be trimmed.

As a result of such manipulations, it is possible to remove the softest fibers from the outer structure of the array. After that, the grinding process is carried out. To do this, use a brush with finer bristles or sandpaper with a coarse grit.

After this processing, you can color the array. For this, stain is most often used. This allows you to create the desired shade. Other dyes may be used. The appearance of the finish will depend on the correctness of this stage. This is followed by polishing and varnishing. This allows you to protect the natural material from decay. The surface is varnished several times.

Machine processing

To process a large volume of material, it is necessary to use special equipment. It can be a grinder or an electric drill. A special wire nozzle is put on the angle grinder. The work must be carried out carefully so as not to damage the material.

A wood aging machine can also be used. Such equipment is most often used in enterprises. When using it, it is possible to achieve a high speed and quality of aging of wood massifs. Roughing is done in just a few minutes. At this time, small soft fibers are removed.

Woodworking machines are purchased only if it is necessary to process large volumes of materials. The most popular variety is the Festool Rustofix RAS 180 unit. The Makita 974 grinder, which comes with an abrasive brush, is also used for self-treatment of wood.

Chemical aging

Artificial aging of wood can be performed using a different technology. In the process of processing, the array is cleaned with coarse sandpaper. Then proceed to its chemical aging. If hardwood is to be treated, an ammonia solution can be used. You can also use ammonia. It contributes to the darkening of the array.

You can simply clean the surface slightly for a clearer selection of growth rings. After that, stain and varnish are used. There is also another method. Another possible option for chemical aging is the use of a water-based stain. When the desired shade is obtained, the composition is washed off with a sponge and water. This emphasizes the contours of the rings, making the edges darker.

Another option is patching. This is the most complex and highly decorative processing. In this case, it opens the pores on the background of a more even surface. For this, special chemicals are used. They can be purchased in specialized stores.

Heat treatment

Thermal wood aging technology is another way to give the array an antique look. The procedure is carried out in several stages. First, the entire surface of the material is fired. It is also possible to perform processing only on certain areas. It also gives a decorative finish. It is best to use a gas burner for these purposes. Before starting work, you need to practice on an unnecessary piece of wood.

Roasting will remove all soft fibers. After this, knots, annual rings of wood appear more clearly. The next step is mechanical processing. Carbon deposits must be removed with a brush with a metal "nap". This will also increase the relief of the picture.

Dry brush method

Another relatively uncomplicated approach is dry brushing the wood. To carry it out, you need to use your imagination. First, scratches, potholes, chips are created on the material. You can skip this step, as this processing is irreversible.

First, one coat of paint is applied to the surface, and then a second. Then they should dry well. Next, using fine sandpaper, the top layer of paint is erased. This must be done unevenly. In some places, the abrasions should reach the first coat of paint, and in others - to the wood. Particular attention should be paid to the protruding parts and the edge.

Next, paint is applied with a dry brush. You need to pick up a flat hard brush. The paint should be contrasting. If the base is light, the top layer should be dark. The paint should look like bristle marks. Strokes cannot be crossed. Next, fresh smears are smeared with a tissue napkin. Then apply a transparent varnish. It is applied in 2 layers.

Wood restoration

Another type of wood aging is its restoration. This must be done if the appearance of the decor is lost. First you need to clean the surface. Next, the wood is covered with acrylic paint in 2 layers. Then the protruding surfaces are rubbed with paraffin. They are painted in the desired shade. Further, after drying, the places treated with paraffin are cleaned off. Finishing is carried out with varnish.

Having considered the features of the aging of wood, you can independently create the necessary decor.

In this article, you will learn how to age wood. Far from any wood is suitable for repair work in an apartment - bars and boards are required to be even, straight, without knots and dry. The last requirement may even be the main one - the raw wood used for work will shrink after drying and may even lead to a change in shape - the bar can be twisted with a screw, and a trough can be made from the board.

Therefore, for all repairs we use only dry wood. Recently, in addition to solid wood slats and beams, glued blanks in the form of carpentry boards and boards glued under pressure from individual slats - lamellas are increasingly being used. Such blanks are much more convenient (and more expensive), as they are less susceptible to various changes in shape and size.

Wooden beams and other wooden products and blanks can be used in their original unfinished form, but more often the wood is still processed.

Wood staining

In addition to simple painting and varnishing, large wooden parts are most often subjected to
special types of decorative processing - processing with stains and artificial aging of the surface.
Both of these techniques allow you to change the appearance of parts, giving them the appearance of darker and more expensive wood, or to create the illusion of a product made many years ago.
These techniques have become so widespread during repair work on premises that they are often even confused - wood stain treatment is considered wood aging, and aging is taken as an integral part of the staining process. True, there are some reasons for this - the aging of wood is almost always accompanied by staining to give an "older" look.

How to stain wood

It should be noted that wood staining is a very old technique for changing the appearance of wooden products, and therefore there are many techniques and methods for carrying out this process.
materials. But this does not change the essence of the process and has little effect on its technology.
The change in the color of wood in the process of staining occurs due to the chemical reactions of fiber and the introduced reagents, and hence a great variety of recipes and modes. Therefore, it is quite difficult to give a ready-made recipe, although you will find ready-made solutions on sale.
“under the walnut”, “under the oak”, “under the ebony” and even “under the Karelian birch”. But each chemical composition acts differently on different wood. Therefore, before finishing the product, try the process on the invisible side of the product and wait for the result.

In most cases, the process of changing the color of wood does not occur immediately, so be patient when using wood stains.
In addition, other materials are used in practice to change the color of the wood surface in the form of various impregnations that create a coloration of the surface layer without chemical interaction with fiber. Impregnations are even more convenient than stains, as they give a faster and more predictable result.

To chemically change the color of the surface layers of wood, you can even use the familiar tools at hand: iodine, brilliant green, potassium permanganate. All these tools are in the home first aid kit, and everyone can try himself as a finisher - at his leisure and on an unnecessary piece of the board.

The result obtained strongly depends on the type of wood, the concentration of the reagent and the exposure time, therefore, samples are inevitable.
All formulations are used in the form of dilute aqueous solutions, therefore, when diluting iodine or potassium permanganate for testing, try to remember (write down) the concentration of the solution. Highly dilute solutions (as a rule) give a weak color, and more concentrated - more intense.

The solution is applied to the surface of the wood with brushes. Depending on the degree of dilution during application, a colored layer of varying intensity is formed on the surface - this strongly depends on the chemical activity of the reagent. Zelenka (brilliant green) works most gently, potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) works most aggressively. Iodine behaves differently on different types of wood, but it is also quite aggressive, creating a dark color. For comparison, one can try not only different concentrations of reagents on one piece of wood, but also compare the effect of various substances.
The condition of the treated surface has a very large influence on the result. The smoother this surface, the more predictable the result of processing. If the surface of the part is smooth, polished, then uniform coloring of the entire surface can be obtained.

But these features - uneven color when processing a rough surface - are used to create additional decorative effects, such as imitation of old wood.

Case Studies

We trim the wooden beam with a stain.
Preparing the surface.
Example 1

Before using the stain, we process the surface of the wood - we plan and grind it. Planing is carried out with an electric planer - this allows you to get a fairly clean and even surface.
Sometimes this is enough to use stains .
But more reliable results can be obtained after grinding the surface - removing all microroughnesses, we get a more uniform coloring of the fibers. For grinding, fine-grained sandpaper is used, and the graininess of the paper depends very much on the hardness (on the breed) of the wood. Like planing, grinding is carried out only along the fibers, since only in this case the most smooth surface is obtained with a minimum of villi. To perform the grinding process, you can use a bar wrapped with sandpaper and work by hand (Fig. 2).
But it is better to use an electric grinder to get the smoothest surface.

After planing and sanding, it is very important to carefully remove wood dust from the surface prepared for staining - dust particles can cause irremovable stains. Therefore, it is no coincidence that next to the sanding bar with sandpaper, there is a soft brush that removes dust.

And only after that a stain is applied to the surface with a soft brush. A soft, lint-free cotton swab gives even better results than brushes.
The result of the process is highly dependent on the concentration of the stain, the presence of unevenness and sagging of the composition, therefore, after the brush with the staining composition, a clean swab or rag is used to remove the excess.
Recently, stains with thixotropic properties have appeared on sale - the jelly-like composition spreads beautifully over the surface and does not form streaks (and drops). The use of thixotropic stains simplifies the work - after applying the composition, it is not required to use a rag or swab.

Example 2

To increase the expressiveness of wooden parts, especially when using a light stain, a technique is used to draw a wood pattern with a brush with ordinary gouache paint.
A stain is applied to the surface of the timber with a traced pattern and the excess composition is immediately removed with a swab or rag.
Mordant process many details of the interior of the room and various design details: frames of 5 paintings, moldings, cornices, etc.

Wood aging methods

Stain makes it possible to give an ordinary pine board the appearance of a “thoroughbred” tree, darken it and even imitate an old tree to some extent, but for a more tangible result, the surface layer of the wood is subjected to special processing.

As a rule, surface treatment is used with a round metal brush (cutter). Such a brush is used in plumbing to clean the surface of the metal from rust before painting.
The cutter is fixed in the chuck of an electric drill and, by moving the rotating cutter along the wood fiber, the least strong, soft fibers are removed from the surface layer of the wood, while the harder fibers remain.
Thus, an imitation of the aging of wood is obtained.
The structure of the wood is revealed due to the harder remaining fibers), but these fibers do not form a flat surface, and to level it, the surface is sanded with sandpaper.
Grinding can be done by hand, it is not recommended to hold the sandpaper with your fingers - you can burn your fingers, and it is difficult to get a smooth surface.
After removing the dust from the surface of the wood, you can start staining the wood - a thixotropic stain is applied with a brush, which does not require subsequent removal of excess.

The stain darkens the color of the wood and contributes to the additional identification of the pattern. The combination of artificial aging of the wood surface with a cutter and the use of stain gives a more tangible result compared to the use of stain without aging.
Wooden blanks treated with stain and stain in combination with mechanical aging are widely used to create “rural” motifs indoors.

Wooden beams, stained or aged and stained, are often used to finish ceilings. But wood with soft fibers removed after cutter is often used without leveling the protruding veins - it is believed that such a rough surface imitates old wood even better.

How to age a tree at home? This wood finishing technique is popular among gardeners, designers and self-taught craftsmen. With its help, you can make a unique interior and exterior design.

This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age.

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How to age a tree: the main points

To add age to a tree with your own hands, you need to be able to work with natural materials and stock up on tools. Of the tools you need to have:

  • metal brush;
  • electric or manual planer;
  • sandpaper;
  • grinder.

In addition to the listed tools, you must also have dust protection equipment. It can be a respirator or goggles. Since there will be a lot of dust in the process of creating crafts, you should think about ventilation methods. It is advisable to carry out this work outdoors. If this is not possible, then the tree is recommended to be slightly moistened before abrasive processing. But before opening with varnish, it must be dried. Also, do not forget that it is absolutely impossible to sweep the dust formed from the surface with your hands in order to prevent the appearance of splinters. Hands also should not touch the surface in order to feel its relief. This can be done only after the complete removal of dust.

In the interior, this technology is used very often. It successfully combines with stone, metal and ceramics. Without it, Provence interior style is unthinkable. But then special painting of the boards is required.

Aged wood is used inside the house for steps, benches, as well as to create a designer lamp or chest of drawers. It can be used to make furniture, such as a table or chairs. It also makes unique boxes. There are many ways to use an old tree in the interior, the choice depends on the design style and aesthetic tastes of the owner.

An artificially aged tree should resemble as much as possible a natural one, which has been influenced by sunlight, wind, rain and other natural phenomena. Therefore, only hand tools and manual processing of the material should be used here, if possible. It is also important to choose the right varnishes and paints for the exterior coating. Today there is a huge range of those, so it is important to make the right choice depending on the desired result.

In order to achieve the effect of antiquity at home, it is first recommended to practice on a piece of wood. This will allow you to evaluate the result and avoid mistakes. For training, you need to take the type of wood from which the entire structure will be made in the future.

To make a beautiful and durable wooden structure with the effect of antiquity, it is important to choose the right type of wood. Coniferous trees are not suitable for this idea, as they contain resin, which interferes with the creation of the effect. It is also worth abandoning birch, cherry, maple, pear, juniper. It is better to pay attention to ash, larch, oak, wenge, merbau, dussia.

In order to properly make the effect of aging wood, you need to take old boards. They are the easiest to machine and absorb paints and varnishes well. It is desirable that they have knots. This will add even more beauty to the craft. If there are no such boards in the house, then you can ask your neighbors or acquaintances. Surely someone stocked these, but did not find a use for them. You can often get them for free. The young forest does not have many fibers, therefore it is difficult to process, it is better to leave it until the right time.

A master class on creating an aged tree can be easily found on the net. There are many videos and detailed descriptions of the process. So don't worry if you have no experience with natural materials at all. In just a few hours of studying the information, you can understand the essence of finishing and choose the easiest and most beautiful way for yourself.

There are many ways to create the effect of aging. Among them, there are the simplest ones, which take several hours, as well as more difficult ones, the production of which takes several days. Everyone chooses for himself, based on his stock of tools and the expected result. There are ready-made boards with the effect of antiquity on sale, but the process of creating them at home is much more exciting and pleasing.

How to age a tree with paint?

Painting is a mandatory part of all ways to create an aged tree. If paint is not used, then the outer layer is covered with a colorless or colored varnish. This is necessary to protect the outer layer and give a beautiful texture. Translucent glaze "Belinka" - the basis on which you can apply other layers of paint. It covers the surface after machining. Before coating with varnish or white paint, the surface must be treated with a soft brush to give relief. A colorless varnish is applied to a slightly dried paint. Thus, wood with a slight effect of antiquity is obtained. It comes out light in color and without gross damage.

If you like aged aggressive effect, then you can not do without multi-layer painting. Also here you should expose the boards to all kinds of damage: beat with iron rods, scrape, make holes with an awl. If you want to completely achieve naturalness, then you can make wormholes, but this option is suitable for the most daring and creative.

Wood, painted several times, acquires a deep color. Pinotex is often used for priming; it unevenly covers the surface. It also serves to create a thick color to the lowest layers of the board. After it dries, it is necessary to make minor damage to the surface and proceed to further processing.

Usage white paint is welcome in some cases. It will help create crafts in the spirit of Provence and give a beautiful shade. Since it can give a glossy sheen, it is recommended to dilute it with white spirit.

How to age a tree in Provence style?

To create an interior in Provence style, you can not do without old white boards. They have a very different purpose: they are used for shutters, for furniture or steps. After the main coating with a primer, the surface is covered with white paint. It does not have to be applied in an even layer. After drying, you need to walk with a brush to further achieve the effect of antiquity.

Loft involves the use of gray aged boards that resemble concrete as much as possible. They can be made gray using acrylic paints of the desired shade.

How to age a tree with your own hands in white?

If you need to paint the board gray, then you can do without paints. The chemical method of aging involves the use of alkaline agents or ammonia. When using this method, you need to take care of your safety: wear a mask and gloves. After treatment with alkali, the future product can be covered with a film to reduce the drying rate. When the craft dries, traces of alkali should be removed: for this, it must be rinsed with vinegar and brushed. The last stage is the coating with a colorless varnish.

How to age a tree using decoupage technique?

To make cracks on a product using decoupage technique, the surface is processed step by step with special paints. For the first layer, you need to take paint that will shine through small cracks. Next, you need to apply craquelure varnish on the dried first layer. It should be applied in a thick layer. After waiting for almost complete drying or speeding it up with a hairdryer, you need to apply the top layer with confident strokes. For small cracks, it is recommended to dilute acrylic paints. Craquelure on the craft can be considered ready after the paint has dried (30-40 minutes).

How to quickly age a tree?

The fastest way is the heat treatment of wood and subsequent varnishing. A blowtorch or burner will help you achieve the desired effect very quickly. The top layer of burnt must be removed to facilitate staining.

How to age a tree with a patina?

Aging wood with ammonia is a cheap way to get a patina effect. You can also use special paints with gold, bronze or silver particles to refine the wood. You can also achieve a patina with a stain. It is used for full or partial patching. The stain will protect the wood from moisture, fungus and mold. Of the minuses of its use, only one can be distinguished - the result is only a dark color.

aged wood effect

Imitation of sun-damaged and rain-damaged wood is popular for decorating country houses and modern apartments. You can’t do without such wood when creating certain styles in the interior. It is successfully used for the design of facades.

Wood is a versatile material, it is suitable for both construction and renovation, as well as for creating decorative crafts, decorations and interior items. Modern technologies allow you to choose various processing options that allow you to create a variety of artistic compositions. Recently, more and more often there is a craving for retro style both in the decoration of walls and ceilings, and in ready-made wooden objects.

Real antiques have a very high cost, it is far from suitable for every budget. However, there is a way out - to age the tree artificially. In appearance, there will be no differences from antiquity, and much less money has been spent. Next, we will talk about the main ways that will allow you to easily and quickly solve this problem.

Processing with chemical solutions

With this option, deciduous trees are perfectly processed. Among the chemicals, ammonia, acetic acid, stain, as well as ready-made special solutions can be used.

The process consists of several stages:

  1. The tree is thoroughly cleaned of dust, dirt, foreign deposits.
  2. After that, it is polished with sandpaper to create the desired composition.
  3. Then there is a chemical treatment, as a result of which the wood darkens.
  4. The final stage is varnishing, which will help create protection against moisture and microbes.
Aged wood in the interior

Burning

A good method for conifers. It is carried out with the help of fire.

Includes several steps:

  1. Processing by fire, which in this case replaces the usual cleaning.
  2. Next, the burnt surface is cleaned with a metal brush, and then polished with fine sandpaper.
  3. To emphasize the natural beauty and the desired shade, if necessary, you can apply a little stain.
  4. After that, wax is applied.

Firing, brushing and oiling a pine board in this video:

brushing

With its help soft breeds of wood - a linden, a pine, a nut and others are well processed.

  1. At the initial stage, artificial damage is applied to the tree using a chisel, an ax or a hammer.
  2. The next step is processing with a metal brush and a regular one to remove excess fibers.
  3. Next comes the sanding.
  4. The wood is ready to be painted with acrylic or stain, immediately after which the painted layer is wiped with a cloth to preserve the natural pattern.
  5. After drying, it is treated with varnish.

Step by step video instruction:

When creating an interior, designers are happy to use wood. For some, it allows you to create a certain style concisely and clearly, others can shape the look of the space, paying attention to small details and nuances.

Rural life, which received the French name Provence (literally provincial), has been adopted as a fashionable trend in the design of living space. It can use motifs from France. However, not many people know that there was not that elegance that they talk about so much (only in the southern regions can you find exquisite options, the northern regions have always existed much more modestly and poorer). Much more interesting is the German or Russian rural style. They have much more colors, shades and wood products.

Mandatory attributes of rural style are somewhat rough benches, massive tables, separate stools, cabinets and shelves above them. Ax products were made with a fairly thorough finish. Only time changed the appearance of wooden structures. Due to intensive use, the structure appears brighter, the pattern of fibers is more deeply visible.

For boards that have existed for more than one decade, the presence of a silvery coating is characteristic, as well as blackening of individual zones. Time in its own way paints wood that is not protected from precipitation. There are even those who wish to purchase ornamental material, which for a long period served as an auxiliary structure on the site. Old boards are transported hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of kilometers, in order to be used in the hands of a modern master as a semi-antique structural material.

In fact, it is not necessary to look for an old barn in order to make antique furniture from its boards. There are ways by which you can make boards and bars look like they were used in products by a great-grandfather:

  • brushing - this is the name of the method of revealing a deep texture using mechanical action on the surface layer;
  • staining makes it possible to simulate the presence of wood under the influence of precipitation for a long time;
  • roasting and other heat treatment, which creates the effect of using wood after fire exposure;
  • chemical treatment that allows modern furniture to look like it was created a couple of centuries ago.

Most often, not one chosen method of aging is used, but they are combined with each other, achieving an even more noticeable effect of the presence in the room of the 12th ... 19th centuries. It turned out that semi-antique furniture is in demand on the market. Some users say that an ancestor who participated in the Battle of Borodino, or a participant in another historical event, for example, a veteran of the Battle of Kulikovo, sat on this chair back in the nth year. Listeners enthusiastically touch the creation of the master of the Middle Ages, admiring how they managed to preserve the product from the depths of centuries.

Brushing - a method of aging wood

Artificial aging is easily performed on coniferous wood. It is distinguished by the presence of soft fibers in the surface layer. You can show the texture by removing some of the soft fibers using a brush with a hard metal bristle (Fig. 1). By repeatedly moving along the fiber, it is easy to remove the soft component. Only structural rigid fragments will remain.

Rice. 1 Metal brush for brushing wood

One or two boards are easy to handle with a similar brush. If you need to prepare a certain amount of wood, then you will have to use the means of mechanization of labor. An electric drill or an angle grinder (grinder) will help here. A mechanical radial brush is installed on them (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2 Mechanical brushes: a - for an electric drill; b - for an angle grinder (grinder)

Attention! Mechanical end brushes for electric drills and grinders can only be useful for processing the ends of bars and boards. When working, you need to use protective equipment: gloves, respirators and goggles, preferably a mask.

Before brushing, all lumber should be planed. Many people think this requirement for preparation is superfluous, in fact, the craftsmen have always respected their work, as well as the people for whom they made pieces of furniture. Always used planed boards and bars. Some carpenters were able to use an ax to give blanks such a look that other contemporaries will not be able to do even with the help of modern planers or machine tools.

The process is performed in the following sequence:

  1. The board (bar) is fixed on the desktop (workbench). It is convenient to use a comb or a fixing wedge here;
  2. Turn on the power tool and brush along the fiber, moving towards the stop.
  3. When working, they try not to press hard from above, the brush itself will choose what it can remove from the surface.

After three or four passes, examine the result. There is no need to overdo it here. Having received a depth of only 0.4 ... 0.6 mm, you should stop. The process has been started. After a couple of days, the grooves themselves will deepen, as there has been a destruction in the structure of the wood. The visible effect can only be enhanced by subsequent treatment with varnishes or oils.

Antique wood painting

Probably everyone has seen that old boards have a grayish coating, giving them the appearance of light silvering. With the help of paints, you can give a similar color to any wooden product. Acrylic paints are used for this (Fig. 3). But they are white. Therefore, tinting paste is added to them (Fig. 4). By changing the concentration of color, you can achieve different shades of gray.

Rice. 4 Coloring paste for coloring wood

In practice, furniture makers also use more complex methods of coloring to give the tree an old look. There is a method called patination. The effect of this treatment is not to apply a continuous coating, but only a bronze film coating. With this treatment, shiny bronze fragments appear. On fig. 5 shows one of the ways to patinate wood. In addition to applying a bronze (gold) hue, additives were used that create the effect of antiquity. Craquelures are macro-irregularities specially created on the surface.

Rice. 5 Patinated facade fragment

To give the products the look of an old tree, it is not necessary to paint the products completely and cover them with opaque paint. In practice, varnishes are used, which, after being applied to the surface, are covered with a fine mesh.

By combining transparent and opaque finishes, you can achieve the effect of aging wood to such an extent that it will seem that this furniture came from a distant past (Fig. 6). Here there is patination of individual fragments, there is also varnishing, which gave the look of antiques.

Rice. 6 Antique bedside table

Antique wood burning

Heat treatment opens up enormous possibilities. With its help, the tree is applied:

  • its unique pattern, because any cut is created by nature, which never repeats itself in anything;
  • during firing, the shades change, the appearance of coal particles gives more expressiveness to the wood;
  • using old boards from which the old paint was removed by the fire method, they achieve real aging of the product for several decades.

Firing is carried out using the tools presented in the table.

Antique wood processing

Chemical preparations: alkalis and acids, give the new wood an aged look. For acid treatment, sulfuric acid for batteries is used (Fig. 8). When exposed to the product, even on hard grades, deep stripes of texture appear. This method is used for oak, walnut, ash. You have to use concentrated acid with a density of 1.42 g/cm 3 . An acid of lower density works through the texture more slowly.

Upon completion of the treatment, it is necessary to neutralize the action of the acid, therefore, a solution of caustic soda is used or spilled with a solution of baking soda. Then you need a long exposure to water.

Rice. 8 Sulfuric acid

An excellent effect for a tree is given by processing in a solution of copper sulphate. For such an operation, plastic sewer pipes are used. The bottom hole is closed with a cork, and then boards or bars are placed inside. Then a solution of ten percent strength of copper sulphate is poured. The duration of exposure depends on the type of wood. To get the look of a driftwood, you have to withstand up to a week. Even soft varieties: pine, spruce, acquire high hardness and resistance to decay. The wood darkens, becomes brown. Looks impressive on finished products.

On fig. 9 shows furniture elements made by modern semi-antique craftsmen. During processing, all the described methods were used. Products look quite interesting.

Rice. 9 Modern antique furniture

Video: Facade patination. Master class from an Italian

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