Replies

1. 
   WayneL5 | Jan 19, 2004 06:48am | #1

   I wouldn't do the ammonia thing.  The ammonia reacts with tannin in the wood to turn it dark brown, not gray.  It doesn't work on woods low in tannin.  The concentration of fumes necessary for it to work are deadly to humans.  It can be done, but only with proper safety precautions, which are impossible to achieve inside the home.

2. 
   Norse | Jan 19, 2004 02:40pm | #2

   I remember years ago a painter spraying soft woods with a baking powder (or was it soda) solution to gray it, I think he was attempting to neutralize the acids in the wood. Anyone know of this? We were building a restaurant near the ocean and they wanted the interior to have a weathered look. It worked.

   Norse

3. 
   JohnWW | Jan 20, 2004 01:48am | #3

   You can get the color with a stain but it's just going to look like a gray stained new board.  Are you also looking to get the surface texture to look weathered?

   John W.

1. 
   thepig | Jan 20, 2004 02:03pm | #4

   John,

   Not neccesrily. I once did the inside of a cabin, (walls and cabinets) out of old barn wood. When you rip or crosscut a piece that is exposed, the edges that were cut, look new. Thanks.

   Mike