Give your interior a personal touch different ways. Most often, this is done by focusing on certain little things, for example, the use of unusual textures or colors. One of the technologies in demand for the formation of the original texture is do-it-yourself wood aging. The technique allows you to give the surface a unique pattern, while the basis is natural material.
The need for a procedure
Those who want to make antique furniture with their own hands should learn how to give its surface the most realistic appearance. For this, an artificial process is used - brushing (from the English brush - brush). During operation, the structuring of the fibers occurs wooden elements. In nature, a tree reaches such a visual state over a longer period, but using modern tools, this time interval can be significantly narrowed.
Under natural conditions, an aged tree loses its strength, and under artificial impact, the reverse process occurs, depriving the material of weak fibers and providing greater strength.
Such treatment also helps to protect the surface from the effects of bark beetles and other insects. As a result, it will be possible to achieve the necessary colors and stylish appearance. You can age a tree with your own hands for any need: from small photo frames or boxes to making furniture or parquet.
The use of wood species
It is important to consider that not every type of wood can be processed in this special way. The final quality is affected by the structure natural material. In most cases, artificial aging of a tree is applied to the following species:
- larch;
- nut;
- ash.
The internal structure of the tree should have a visible fibrous pattern. It will become the basis for the formation of the invoice. Deprived of this property, wood species with extremely hard fibers are not commonly used. These include:
- pear;
- maple;
- cherry;
The task of the performer is to directly influence the soft structure located between the annual rings. In the presence of the most homogeneous environment, it will not be possible to form the aging of a tree with your own hands.
So, for example, by firing, you can turn an ordinary pine into a rare and valuable breed tropical wood obtained from the Wenge tree.
VIDEO: We turn pine into wenge
Application of the mechanical method
When carrying out a full cycle of brushing, the following algorithm of actions is carried out:
- primary machining using a metal brush to cut off soft particles from the surface of the workpiece
- conducting grinding work roughing brush with polymer bristles or the use of sandpaper with a coarse abrasive;
- applying stain or other types of dyes to the treated surface;
- polishing work or applying several layers of varnish, in the intervals between drying, sanding “zero” is performed
During the artificial aging of wood, drills or grinders are used to reduce the volume manual labor and improve performance. The process uses brushes with aluminum, steel, copper and artificial polymer bristles.
Do-it-yourself wood aging, as shown in the video at the end of the chapter, begins with roughing, when the tool is driven along the arrangement of the fibers with the same speed and uniform pressure over the entire surface.
Processing should not form unwanted "pits" in the blanks, so you need to enter the tool evenly, without much pressure, if the idea does not require the formation of a target rough relief.
The light during work must be of high quality and provide a vision of the natural pattern. In this regard, the lamp beams are directed perpendicular to the length of the fibers. In such a situation, the desired pattern is shaded.
The moisture content of the processed wood is selected in the range of 15-16%. This value will provide the preferred finish surface roughness without raised villi. If, before aging a tree at home, you use a polymer processing tool, you will achieve an effect with a less pronounced relief.
The next step in the form of sanding will cut off the raised wood pile from the fibers. Sandpaper or abrasive brushes successfully cope with the task. You can control the degree of roughness manually.
VIDEO: Do-it-yourself artificial aging of wood. Carpentry Tricks
Applying a coloring layer
The prepared relief with the help of mechanical means is processed by staining. This will significantly enhance the result and hide fresh peeling. by mechanical means. Thanks to the play of colors, it will be possible to obtain the desired presentable effect.
It is customary to stain similar antique wood products with stain, and then wash it off. This will allow the material to enter almost instantly into the soft structure of the tissues, while the hard one will not have time to absorb the applied color. The natural beauty of the material will fully manifest itself outside.
It will be possible to leave particles of gold paint on the surface if you apply a small layer of it with a brush, and then remove the residue from the surface with a hard spatula. The particles will penetrate into the depressions and pores, which will ensure a successful result.
You can protect the cavities and grooves formed during the machining process with a transparent putty. This technique is useful in the manufacture of countertops, shelves or other practical surfaces. During their operation, fine dirt will not be clogged into relief zones.
Since the tree must be artificially aged carefully and with the possibility of its use, the finishing operations are:
- polishing;
- varnishing;
- waxing.
It will also be possible to achieve an interesting texture for designers with the help of craquelure varnishing. It forms small cracks and chips on the front side. Paint or coal dust must be rubbed into them, providing a unique individual pattern.
Choose craquelure in specialized stores and within expiration dates. In most cases, expired varnish does not give a cracking effect.
Using chemical brushing
In the process chemical exposure on fibers, you can achieve similar results that are obtained from mechanical processing. For this, active solutions are used that can affect the structure of the soft fiber. corroding desired areas, an original pattern is formed on the surface of a wooden blank.
Chemical brushing
The technique does not require the use of brushes and sandpaper during the active phase. For several cycles of applying and washing off the solution, the canvas is transformed.
In pickling, preparations are used that contain particles that are poisonous to humans, therefore, in order to prevent poisoning of the body with chemical vapors, it is recommended to work in open space.
The chemical solutions that are used in fiber softening contain a high percentage of alkali. You can take for this purpose a drug that cleans the oven. After a good rubbing, the layer is washed off, and the cycle is repeated until the desired effect is obtained. After etching, the finishing operations coincide with those that were carried out during machining.
Work with chemicals should be carried out in compliance with personal protective equipment: gloves, goggles, a petal and a protective gown or apron. After the operation, all residues of the substance from the surfaces are washed off under running water.
VIDEO: How to make an antique wood table top with your own hands
Interior and household items decorated with artificially aged wood:
Table and chairs - made of larch
Kitchen. Facade - larch, shelves - pine
One of the most interesting ways to add zest to wooden objects is their aging. In this article, read how to age wooden products with your own hands.
Wood is one of the most easily processed materials. This is what makes it possible for manufacturers of wood products to pamper their customers. various options decoration and finishing. One of the most interesting ways to add zest to wooden objects is to age them. For such a procedure, not so much time is needed, but efforts so that the cherished years or even decades are reflected on the tree in a matter of days.
brushing
One way to help add young tree age, is brushing. This method is actively used in all workshops where they are engaged in artificial aging.
It got its name from English word brush, which translates as "brush". After all, the main tool that helps to age a tree by this method is a metal brush. With the help of such a simple tool, soft fibers are gradually removed from a wooden blank, as a result of which pronounced growth rings begin to appear on the surface. Such a pattern can only be observed on old, worn boards, but here it appears in a few hours. However, a simply rubbed tree does not look very aesthetically pleasing, therefore, after the initial rough processing, the workpiece is brought to its final form. First, with the help of a special tool, they get rid of burrs on the surface, then the products are polished,. There is a color option different parts in different shades to create a patina effect. The floor aged with the help of brushing looks very colorful.
Brushing, as a rule, is used for aging rough surfaces: floors, walls, doors. But you need to remember that not every type of wood can be brushed. Perfectly grow old by this method, pines, larches. And, for example, such species as beech, birch, maple have an unexpressed texture and are not suitable for brushing. Of course, this method cannot be applied to MDF products.
Paint wear - patination
If you still need to age solid beech or maple doors or pieces of furniture, you will have to be more subtle and use the patination method.
First, paint is selected that matches the basic tone of the piece of furniture. With this composition, the wooden surface is covered in one layer, after which the tree is allowed to dry. Next, a second thin layer is applied over the first layer of paint. For this it can be used light tone up to milky white. It is important that the second paint is not too light or bright. The fact is that an overly bright coating will look too new, which will reduce the effect of antiquity.
After applying the second layer, it is also allowed to dry.
When the staining is over, it's time to create the necessary effect of antiquity. For this, a small skin is taken, with the help of which scuffs are made on the surface of the tree. It is important to achieve a result when the lower base begins to look through the top layer, as if the furniture has been painted more than once.
The degree of "shabby" wood can be adjusted independently, bringing the piece of furniture to the desired age.
Wood scuffs
Another way to create artificial scuffs is to wax the wood surface. Separate parts of the product are rubbed with paraffin, before that the tree should already be painted antique. As soon as the job is done, the product is covered with a new layer of paint, lighter than the base. Next, with a spatula, a layer of paraffin is removed, and the wood is carefully polished. It remains to tint the wood surface with a stain, and then wax it. With the help of this technique, a believable effect is created, it has been used for more than a dozen years.
Staining is another common and very effective method tree aging. As a rule, it is also used for processing furniture or doors.
- You need to start by completely covering the product with a basic layer of water-based stain.
- Immediately after this is over, a soft, clean sponge is taken, with which you need to wash off the freshly applied stain, but only from certain places. First of all, the middle parts of the boards should be processed, while the borders, cracks, corners should be left intact. hollows and hard-to-reach places can be painted with a brush.
- When the tree has dried, a finishing layer of stain is applied to it, but already on the basis of white spirit or another composition, after which the workpiece is allowed to dry again.
- The next stage of aging is filling the wood pores with shellac primer using a brush or the same sponge. This is done to fix the color of the product.
- At the end of the treatment, antique wax is rubbed into the wood fibers with a special metal brush.
- As a result, the surface receives the necessary texture, and the effect of aging will remain for a long time.
If you want to have an aged chair or doors with patina, but you don’t want to do it yourself, you can always buy them in a store where professionals have done it for you.
If you want to achieve attractiveness and nobility from the wooden elements of your interior, you just need to age them. Moreover, it is easy to do this at home, choosing a good way. In this article we will talk about popular ways of artificial aging of things and their techniques.
Strange as it may sound, but in the interior the tree looks much more beautiful, from which it breathes antiquity.
This material can be made original lamp, stand, chest of drawers, table, cabinet, window sill, doors, floors or garden bench. Any item will radiate comfort and warmth. In addition, today everything old is in fashion.
Did you know? On the the globe there are more than a dozen tree species, which in their hardness are equated to iron. They are almost impossible to process and sink in water. They are even used in mechanical engineering for the manufacture structural elements and nails. These are temir-agach, parrotia, yew, azobe, Schmidt birch, ulin, jatoba, sucupira.
If you wait until the natural wear process of wood occurs, it will take a lot of time. Dozens of years are needed for the natural pattern on the material to acquire a specific interweaving of dark and light tones under the influence of the sun and wind. 
Indeed, in the cold season, dense fibers grow, which are the frame. And in the summer a loose and lightweight fabric. It is she who is erased over time, which provides antiquity to the boards.
This effect is successfully used by today's designers, thus turning even the cheapest wooden items into attributes of luxury and style. Without it, you cannot create country styles, Provence, retro, shabby chic, vintage.
In addition, the acquired antique furniture will last much less than new, but artificially dilapidated.
Provence, shabby chic and vintage in design
Many popular styles modern design characterized by the use of worn and shabby objects and details in the interior, pastel colors and romantic decor elements.
Did you know? Every year, for their needs, people cut down about 15 billion trees of the entire green fund of the planet, while replenishing it with only 5 billion new seedlings.
This style was first spoken about in the 19th century by the French living in the province of the same name. Their traditions, intertwined with everyday peasant chores and southern nature, became the basis for the development of a new direction in design.
Provencal houses were distinguished by elegance and simplicity at the same time, a reverent attitude to the things of their ancestors. It was these family heirlooms that became the personification of the spirit of southern France. 
This style is characterized by:
- dominance white color and all shades of beige;
- fragments artificially faded in the sun;
- a multi-colored palette in decor, accessories (often there are drawings of flowers, stripes, pastorals and cages);
- many elements of wood in the decoration;
- artificially worn ceramic tiles (chips, raw stone, brick, ethnos);
- porcelain dishes, forged mirror frames, textile napkins and tablecloths;
- lighting items with elements of forging, cotton and linen;
- lathed panoramic windows;
- rustic furniture of classical forms with elements of wood, forging and weaving.
Did you know? The California sequoia is considered the tallest tree in the world. Its trunk has grown to a height of 115 meters, and in diameter it reaches 8 meters.
It represents a completely new direction in interior design. It originated in the UK about 30 years ago.
Its basis is the restraint, conservatism, frugality and passion for everything old, but good quality, characteristic of the British. 
The shabby chic style is manifested in the following features:
- lack of white tones;
- the prevalence of pale shades: blue, pink, lavender, yellow and milky;
- bright contrasting colors;
- usage ceramic tiles under dilapidated painted wood, wild stone or plaster, as well as with a small floral pattern;
- on a white plastered ceiling classic stucco in the tone of gold leaf, as well as bleached fragments of the ceiling;
- imitating aging wood and metal textures;
- of interior items, mainly restored antiques, textiles, artificially aged photo frames, antique candelabra, natural flowers, porcelain dolls and figurines of angels are used;
- in the lighting there are crystal, forging, fabric lampshades and ancient pendants;
- restored furniture made of expensive wood, painted details made of metal forging.
Did you know? In the United States of America, all crafts made before 1830 are classified as antiques; in Canada, before 1847; and in Great Britain, before 1917.
It was invented by the French, laying the fundamental foundations of the uniqueness and emphasized originality of old worn-out interior items.
Initially, this was the name of wine with many years of aging, but over time, a whole design style was formed.
Its main feature is the use of antique items, which must accurately correspond to the fashion trends of their era. 
Vintage interiors are characterized by:
- prevailing white, beige and milky shades, as well as contrasting - burgundy, green, graphite, purple;
- drawings with flowers and vegetation;
- artificially made flaws;
- flooring made of wood, marble or ceramics, but always with a worn effect;
- not overloaded in decor (only valuable antiques, photographs, mirrors, paintings, candelabra are used in doses);
- stucco molding in classical style;
- usage natural materials, forged items, crystal, linen, wool;
- the spirit of restraint and elegance present in the interior design;
- antique furniture made of wood and wrought iron.
Step-by-step instructions for aging wood
Modern craftsmen have long mastered many methods of artificial dilapidation of wood. Each of them has its own advantages and differences. Let's find out which ones.
The technique of mechanical stylization of antiquity is carried out in several ways by treating wood with a stiff brush or by applying two-layer paint. 
Hard brushing wood
The first option is called brushing, and the second - patination.
The essence of the method is to extract soft wood fibers, as a result of which a clearly defined relief is obtained on the surface of the board. The same thing happens in nature after decades.
Video: how to age a tree - brushing Experts consider brushing to be the easiest method, but they call for a responsible approach to the choice of wood. To do this, it is better to use conifers with a clear pattern.
- maple;
- fruit trees (cherry, pear, apple);
Important! When working with lumber, do not forget to use a mask or goggles to protect your face and eyes from splinters and dust. A respirator won't hurt either..
When the choice of material is made, you can get to work.
Experienced craftsmen advise to initially practice on some unnecessary pruning in order to “fill” your hand:
- Take a gas burner and pre-treat the material with it. Do not lose vigilance: fire the material without holding the device for a long time. Resin must not be allowed to ignite.
- In the case when thermal procedures are not provided, before work, be sure to moisten the board with a damp brush and let it dry for about 3 minutes.
- Put a metal brush with a special nozzle on the grinder or electric drill and, in the direction of the fibers, draw from one end of the board to the other, thus removing the soft fibers. It is important to do this in one touch, and not in jerks.
- Finely sand the surface with a sheet of sandpaper.
- Remove any remaining dust with a vacuum cleaner or with a soft bristled wooden brush. All movements should be directed along the fibers, and not across.
- If you wish, you can improve your masterpiece by imitation of bark beetle traces. This is done with a thin drill. Angled holes should be chaotic, but heaped.
- To create a complete image, cover the surface with wax with coloring elements or paint, varnish. Some designers advise to get creative at this stage of work, combining light and dark tones. At the same time, they should be distributed accordingly on the depressions and bulges.
- If the staining is monophonic, go over the relief with sandpaper to achieve its wear.
- Finally, varnish the board. The grid of cracks looks very impressive, which is obtained after coating with special craquelure paintwork products.
Burner-aged wood
Important! When purchasing lumber, consider their classification. To create a worn effect, class C is more suitable, which is characterized by an unlimited number of knots (including fallen ones), cracks and depressions. If the spirit of excessive antiquity is not to your liking, you can give preference to class AB boards. They have a lot less defects.
Patina was once called a thin oxide coating on copper products. Today it is a popular technique in the processing of both metal and wood products.
The method is laborious, although it is carried out using the application of special reagents. Its implementation requires extreme accuracy, perseverance and attentiveness.
If you are not experienced with these techniques, it is advisable to practice on scrap wood. Designers love to use patination when decorating a home in country and classic styles. 
by the most simple option experts consider rubbing wax into the relief bulges of the surface, which creates a worn effect. We will go by applying patina.
So let's get to work:
- With sandpaper, carefully polish the surface of the board, removing the old staining as much as possible.
- Use a soft brush or vacuum cleaner to remove any remaining dust.
- To enhance the adhesive characteristics of wood, prime it (it is important to choose a primer for antique restoration) and dry.
- After a day, you can start applying the patina. For this, it is better to have acrylic paint. You need to act with the utmost caution. After painting, the surface must dry for 24 hours.
- Apply the next coat of bronze or metallic paint in small strokes in all directions. It is important not to overdo it with the amount of patina. Immediately, without allowing the applied layer to dry, rub its excess with a piece of foam rubber.
- When the paint begins to dry, use a dry rag to rub all the bulges, which will provide the effect of antiquity.
- Varnish the entire surface. This will give her sophistication and protect against mechanical damage and excessive moisture.
Video: furniture patching
Important! Patination is not used on parts with which a person often comes into contact. The paint wears off very quickly, which gives the effect of untidyness instead of the spirit of antiques..
The effect of aging is achieved by complex processing of lumber. This technique is carried out in several stages:
This method looks original only on hardwoods, since their wood contains tannins. When in contact with chemical reagents, they darken, due to which the effect of wear occurs.
Important! If there are signs of fungus on the wood, a special chlorine-based bleach will help get rid of the problem. Please note that it penetrates 3 cm deep into the material.
The technology is characterized by simplicity and the presence of different variations, with which you can achieve a greater or lesser degree of aging.
Be sure to sand the surface with a piece of sandpaper with a large fraction before work. And then choose the method of your choice:
- Rub the board generously with ammonia. Reacting with the material, the substance will provoke the appearance of a noble darkening. When it comes to aging a certain area on the wall, you can distribute the reagent unevenly, which will enhance the effect.
- Use a polymer brush to brush the board so that the growth rings clearly show through. Then cover the lumber with stain and open with varnish.
- Paint the sanded surface with enamel paint and dry. On the dried layer, apply a second paint of a more liquid consistency. Let dry and sand with a fine fraction of individual sections of wood.
- Coat the wood with a water-based stain. After that, partially rinse the coating in middle zone leaving dark edges.
Even at home, you can make fragments of semi-antique finishes and decor, although in fact they will be completely new. In this process, it is important to show maximum imagination and diligence, and then your wooden items will look no worse than those offered for sale in antique shops.
Antique wood products with a faded surface, textured notches and openwork grooves left by carpenter bugs are distinguished by special luxury and charm. Of course, the natural aging process of wood takes many years. However, if desired, the tree can be aged artificially. There are several techniques by which you can give your new wooden things a spectacular antique look.
Chemical treatment is ideal for artificially aging hardwood:- To begin with, wooden blanks are thoroughly cleaned of stains and dirt.
- To make the natural pattern of wood more textured and voluminous, the boards are alternately treated with coarse and fine-grained sandpaper.
- Next, the polished wood is wiped with a rag or sponge soaked in ammonia or other alkaline solution. As a result of such simple processing, the workpieces acquire a noble darkening.
- Finishing varnishing with transparent glaze will give prepared wooden products rich iridescent gloss.
- Cleaned from stains and dust wooden details burned with a blowtorch or gas burner until a slight soot appears.
- Next, the charred wood is manually processed with a metal / wire brush, after which it is cleaned with a fine emery cloth.
- To emphasize the beauty and texture of wood, products are covered with a stain of a neutral shade. To apply the solution, a soft, clean sponge is used, cavities and other hard-to-reach areas are painted over with a brush.
- The final stage of processing blanks is the application of decorative antique wax. The paste is rubbed into the wood in a circular motion using a woolen cloth.
- preparation of wood and rough selection of soft fibers;
- grinding and polishing workpieces;
- toning and varnishing of prepared parts.
An important nuance! For mechanical processing, it is recommended to use softwood with a pronounced patterned texture - pine, spruce, fir, larch, linden, ash or walnut.
- Before starting work, be sure to put on protective equipment: a high-quality respirator, plastic glasses and thick gloves will protect you from wood dust and flying particles of metal bristles.
- It is desirable to organize workplace so that the light rays are directed perpendicular to the wood fibers.
- In the process of work, avoid strong pressure on the surface to be treated, the pressure on the tool should be moderate.
- Before direct brushing, new brush heads must be “run in”, otherwise the wooden blanks will be covered with a small fleecy “terry cloth”.
- The movements of the brush should be directed along the hard wood fibers; natural beauty annual rings.
On a note! For greater naturalness, the product can be decorated with "wormholes". To do this, with the help of a blunt core or an awl, shallow holes are randomly punched in the wood.
At the third stage of brushing, the wood is tinted. To give the blanks a natural, aged look, they are painted with stain or acrylic paint in dark shades. First, the selected paint and varnish is abundantly applied to the wooden surface, then its excess is immediately removed with a rag or rubber spatula. Thanks to this tinting technique, potholes and depressions acquire a rich dark hue, while the protrusions, the so-called "ridges", remain lighter. After complete drying, the products are coated with a transparent protective impregnation or acrylic varnish.To simulate the aging of wood, you will have to stock up on remarkable patience. Such work does not tolerate fuss and haste. However, the result is worth it - an artificially aged tree looks incomparably beautiful, spectacular and soundly.
Despite the variety of glossy facades, antique wood interior elements remain in demand. The purchase of such furniture will cost a pretty penny. In the case when you don’t really want to spend money, you should not refuse the idea of \u200b\u200bhaving an aged chest of drawers or a table. You can try to age the furniture yourself. Let's try to figure out what technology is used to process semi-antique wood with our own hands. After all natural conditions age the tree for many years. And to get the result quickly, you have to age the tree artificially.
You will not find semi-antique furniture in every home. It should be used where appropriate. The design of the room should be thought out in the appropriate style so that antique products look decent.
Usually, the tree aging procedure is performed for a specific purpose, namely:
- Satisfy the taste of the dwellers.
- Save money on antiques. Much cheaper to buy inexpensive furniture and age artificially.
Using certain methods of aging wood, you can get exclusive things. Both the entire product and its individual parts are processed. Special attention should be given to items such as chests of drawers, sideboards, book shelves, mirror frames. They are most often aged, since it is difficult to imagine a vintage-style interior without these items.
Aging methods
The process of processing semi-antique wood with your own hands is carried out in several ways. The main ones are:
- Chemical processing- used for hardwoods.
- Roasting or heat treatment- universal option.
- Machining or brushing- this way you can process products made of oak or needles.
Furniture for aging is selected massive, with a rough texture, so that outwardly it resembles hand-made objects of past centuries. Before processing, it is better to disassemble the furniture into individual parts. This will make it possible to process even hard-to-reach places.
To facilitate the achievement of the effect of aging wood, it is better to purchase material that is already damaged by a bug, with minor chips, cracks and knots.
If the process of aging a tree with your own hands is performed for the first time, then it is better to practice a little on separate unnecessary bars. The quality of the result depends on how well the solution, stain or varnish is applied. It is recommended to perform work outdoors so as not to harm your own health.
How to make new boards or furniture look like old products? Now you know that several techniques are used for these purposes. Let's consider each of them in more detail.
Mechanical restoration
age the tree mechanically it is possible in products from such breeds as pine, spruce, larch.
It is these types of wood that have a pronounced texture, the presence of layers of fibers with varying degrees of hardness.The main task during machining is the formation of various kinds of chips, potholes, cracks in an artificial way. You can achieve this by doing the following:
1. Wooden surfaces are processed with an ax or a special grinder. Potholes of various depths and widths are randomly applied to them. The bar is hewn, while you should not achieve special accuracy and symmetry.
2. After that, we proceed to grinding the surface with a brush with metal bristles. It will be easier to do this with a grinder and an appropriate nozzle. When processing, grinding is carried out along the fibers until the applied potholes and chips take the form of naturally formed defects on the wood.
3. Then we move on to the second degree of grinding. At this stage, we work with a brush with soft bristles and sandpaper. During this treatment, soft fibers are removed, and coarser ones remain. Thus, we get an uneven tree structure. In the same way, you can additionally highlight knots and cracks.
4. At the next stage, we work on the color of the wood. It is necessary to bring the light new wood as close as possible to the shade of the board darkened from old age. Here you can apply stain or dark shade acrylic based paint.
5. When the applied product is completely dry, we process the surface with fine-grained sandpaper. At the same time, we try to perform all actions carefully. The paint must be removed from the hills and ridges, and it remains in the potholes.
6. At the final stage, we open the treated surface with a colorless or light yellow varnish and dry it completely.
On the video: a method of mechanical aging of a wooden board.
As for the question of how to age wood on small items, such as small pieces of furniture or wooden utensils, here the process is a little simplified. The surface to be treated is thoroughly cleaned with a brush from wood dust until the desired effect is achieved. The subsequent staining and opening with varnish is identical to the process described earlier.
Brushing should only be done by hand using a metal bristled brush until small dents and ridges are achieved.
Heat treatment
You can age a tree by heat treatment. The peculiarity of this method of aging is complete absence mechanical processes. The disadvantage is a certain danger to human health during the work. Therefore, they should be carried out fresh air while protecting the skin, eyes and respiratory organs.
Heat treatment or firing is done by exposing the wood to direct fire. Either a torch or a blowtorch should be used. It is necessary to burn to a depth of about 3 mm.
If heat treatment is carried out superficially, then the effect of aging will not be as pronounced as with stronger firing.
After finishing the heat treatment, perform the following steps:
- By using metal brush or grinders with a bristle nozzle begin to scrape off a layer of soot to the desired degree of antiquity. It is not necessary to paint the surface. Soot will highlight the entire structure.
- Sanding is done with sandpaper.
- A top coat of clear lacquer is applied to the aged wood.
chemical method
You can age a tree during chemical treatment by means such as alkaline compounds or ammonia. You can use funds household chemicals which contain alkaline constituents.
The essence of the process lies in the fact that when the product gets on the wood, it burns it out soft tissues. The structure of a tree is distinguished by the presence of hard and soft tissues. When processing antique wood, soft tissues are removed in various ways.
In this case, the surface layer of wood is burned out with alkali, which in parallel paints it gray.
The next step is the process of washing off alkaline residues. To do this, you can use vinegar or citric acid. Solution citric acid prepared in proportion: 1 teaspoon of acid per glass of water. If vinegar is used, then it should be a 9% solution. Acetic acid must not be used. Further, the treated surfaces are well dried, polished and varnished.
Aging a tree in all the ways listed above is quite simple if you make efforts and efforts. You can give the desired effect to any surface. Can be aged as small household items, furniture or even a wooden floor.