I’ve salvaged some boards and beams that have been aging out of doors in Albuquerque, NM for over 50 years. After clearing out the rot and the termite worn areas, I managed to build a nice mortise and tenon jointed table. The silver grey oxidized surface looks great but the cut ends of the exposed tenons reveal bright new wood color.
I’ve tried thin washes of grey wood stain and even tried to soak wood in the sun with high nitrogen grass fertilizer. No luck or a contrived look. What can I use to instantly antique these fresh cuts?
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If it's a wood that contains tannins, you can get the silver-gray weathered look by using a dilute solution of iron sulfate (a.k.a., ferrous sulfate). The ferrous sulfate reacts with the wood's natural tannins. You can make your own iron sulfate by brewing some steel wool in vinegar in an unsealed jar or you can buy the crystals/powder and mix with water.
If the wood is pine, you need to apply tannic acid first to get the same silver-gray as oak when you apply the ferrous sulfate. Or, you can use water diluted muriatic acid (deck/brick cleaner), gives a nice weathered gray look.
Do a color test on scraps to adjust the dilution.
Wear gloves, a repirator, and goggles when working with the powder/crystals and liquid solutions as a safety precaution.
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Paul,I will test samples in all the techniques you suggest - Many Thanks!
I've had the best luck blending newly cut weathered wood with the uncut areas with cheap crafter's acrylic paint that comes in small plastic bottles. Use light greys thinned with water as a wash and then go in with darker greys and browns to add random figure.
THX! I think I will try some of the chemistry suggestions first. These corbels are already stained though and maybe I can save them with your mutiple staining techniques.
Depending on what wood it is there could be different ways to go about it. If you didn't get good results from what was already suggested, you might try caustic soda solution (NaOH in water. Be careful, this is nasty stuff). Or else, bleach it as light as you can (2-part bleaching solution) and then stain it to gray. Of course you could always set it out in the sun for 50 years.
DR
OK, will save the caustic suggestion for next to last, think I'll try the more benign checmistry first. Already 55 years old... can't wait another 50, but then some projects do seem to just go on and on.
aging out of doors in Albuquerque, NM for over 50 years..
No snakes in there I hope!
I got some wood like that.. Drive back to Chicago with it in summer.. All the wood split?
No splitting from Albq to Tucson. Old wood is tight grained, maybe first growth stuff - great patina. As to snakes... more snakes on my small acreage than in old town Albq!!Here's another project with the same wood. Note the cut ends revealing fresh wood color. This is my basic problem.
Very nice look and design ~Z~
Now that I see the photo it's my guess that the steel wool in vinegar solution will get you what you want. Did you try this yet?
DR
I agree with ring - that good 'age' gray is do-able with steel wool in vinegar. But, for that color, I wouldn't leave the wool in the vinegar but 24-48 hours ...
The longer you leave it, the darker the final wood, so try every so often, and when it's right, filter out the wool. Also, I'm not sure what it'd do on the already-aged surface, so either test that too, or be very careful.
Let us know (and see) the results!
Clay
Thanks for the suggestion, Sorry to take so long in getting back. I am caught up in concrete work for a while and will be building gates with a weathered look after I lay in wiring and plumbing for the new outdoor area. I'll send photos when done.
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