Artificial aging of the tree. Do-it-yourself tree aging. Different technologies with step-by-step photos Wood aging varnish

The aging of wood is gaining more and more popularity among lovers of antique furniture. Russian manufacturers have noticed this trend. Many large factories in the Russian Federation have special lines that produce furniture using the technique of brushing or artificial aging. Not everyone can afford such furniture, but even fragile female hands can turn wooden boards into an old masterpiece at home. Today we will get acquainted with 4 methods of artificial aging of a tree and learn how to use them in everyday life.

Brushing - parsing the basics of a popular technique

Take a wooden board, place it in front of you. What do you see? Wood pattern. Each breed has its own unique pattern, which consists of a combination of light and dark lines. They are created over the years as the tree grows. In winter, dark fibers with a dense structure grow, and in summer, soft light tones. Under the influence of moisture, sun, wind and weather conditions, the soft layer with light fibers is gradually erased, the board acquires an antique look. It will take decades to achieve the natural aging effect of wood. Fortunately, there is a quick and easy brushing procedure. As a result of thermal, chemical and mechanical action, the wood acquires a convex texture with worn edges and chips, characteristic of a "living tree" with a century of history.

The brushing technique comes from the English word "brush", which means brush. A metal brush is really used for aging. However, this is not the only tool that allows you to achieve the effect of an antique wood.

After combing with abrasive materials, the wood is covered with paint or stain, and opened with varnish. Paints and varnishes emphasize the new texture and extend the life of the wood. Standard paints can be combined with shades of bronze, gold, silver. To achieve the maximum effect, it is important to choose the right wood. Suitable for brushing are such wood species as larch, merbau, wenge, alder, ash, oak, metoba, kempas. Spruce and pine look especially good in this technique. But beech, maple, teak, juniper, birch, alder, pear, cherry are unsuccessful examples for brushing. After processing, the drawing should be expressive and not merge, which cannot be achieved with the above breeds. So pay attention to the peculiarity of the pattern. The more expressive it is, the more interesting the result will be. The presence of chips, grooves and knots on the surface will be an additional advantage. Depending on the chosen method of brushing, it takes from several hours to days to work.

What to age in the interior - we understand the issue in more detail

Aged wood in the interior is the main attribute of country and Provence style. It creates a rustic, suburban atmosphere in the house, close to nature. To emphasize this style, the brushing technique can be applied to the following interior elements:

"pot-bellied" or regular chest of drawers;
window sills and doors made of natural wood;
solid wood for flooring and wall cladding;
floor beams;
backyard benches;
shelves, tables, chairs;
log cabins for wells;
fences made of wood.

Natural wood with aging effect goes well with other natural materials (stone, leather, metal). Brushing is often used by craftsmen who create handicrafts. Here are a few more ideas from this series: designer lamp, notebook with rough leather and wood trim, wrought iron garden furniture

Method number 1 - metal brush and translucent glaze

The simplest way to age wood is to use a stiff metal brush with a handle. After intensive movements on the surface of the wood, the texture of the material appears, which is then emphasized by the finish. Before aging the wood, sand the surface with 150 grit sandpaper. Then take a metal brush and sweep it along the grain line until characteristic stripes and bulges appear. It should be noted that the manual process of brushing with a brush is lengthy, so be patient. Intense movements have borne fruit, the soft fibers are removed and the texture appears on the surface. Remove the resulting wood shavings with a soft brush, not by hand, otherwise you can drive a splinter.

The tree is transforming before our eyes. To emphasize its relief, cover the surface with 2 layers of translucent glaze. Such material already looks attractive. After a couple of minutes, remove the extra layer of glaze with a sponge and open the tree with varnish. If it seems to you that something is missing, you can do it in Provence style. Use a white glaze after the first coat of the translucent glaze. Remove fresh glaze with a sponge after 3 – 5 minutes after application in a chaotic manner. The final stage is coating with varnish or transparent glaze.

A simplified option is the use of a metal brush and white glaze. We go over the surface with a brush, cover it with white glaze and again, after drying, we comb off thick areas with a brush finish. Thanks to this simple method of wood aging, a whitewashed board with a slight perennial bloom is obtained.

Method number 2 - multilayer staining

To age wood for real antiques, you need to work hard. One way to do this is with multi-layer staining. We'll find out what is needed for this a little later, but for now we will work a little on the wood by hand. Take an awl, hammer, file, screws, rods and leave a mark from each tool. Small chips, cracks, scratches and abrasions will give the naturalness of antiquity. The main thing is not to overdo it.

Now let's move on to paints, you will need:

primer for wood Pinotex;
tint paint;
white glaze;
white spirit for dilution.

For the first coat, take Pinotex Wood Primer and spread it over the entire surface. The Pinotex primer is thicker than the glaze. It is used when it is necessary to create a thick base layer. After the first layer has completely dried, apply tint paint (antiseptic). We wait until everything is dry and move on to the next step. We take fine and coarse sandpaper, a metal brush. We work alternately with all the tools, creating a natural touch of time. Next, take a white glaze, dip a brush into it, remove the excess and distribute over the wood. No need to apply the glaze tightly and evenly. The lower dark layer should be visible through it. Again we take a metal brush and walk over the dried surface, creating more visible gaps. This aging of wood looks contrasting. To bring it closer to natural, the next layer needs to be made more muted. This will be achieved by diluting the white glaze with white spirit in equal proportions. Apply the diluted mixture to the surface and wait for it to dry completely.

Method number 3 - an electric drill with a nozzle and paint-varnish

The mechanical method with a manual brush is reliable but time-consuming. To age a tree quickly with your own hands, use an electric drill or grinder with a nozzle made of hard nylon fibers. We start work with the preparation of wood. Take a hand planer and cut notches around the edges of the material. We do not recommend using the electric version of the tool, the result will look unnatural. Before proceeding to the next step, put on goggles and a respirator to protect the mucous membrane of the eyes and nasopharynx from wood chips. Thick gloves won't hurt either. Take a drill or grinder, put on a stiff-brush attachment, and practice on a small area of the tree. Move strictly in the direction of the fibers, do not press the nozzle too tightly against the surface. If you are sure you are ready, skip to the main part. Move along the wood with light movements, remove soft fibers.

To speed up the process and intensify artificial aging, you can burn the wood with a gas burner before starting work with a drill or grinder. It is important not to hold the burner in one place for too long to prevent the resin from igniting.

If you do not use fire to process the wood, then after using the power tools, moisten the board with a brush and let it dry for 2-3 minutes. Next, sand the surface with fine-grained sandpaper, collect wood dust. It is better to do this with a vacuum cleaner in order to completely exclude drifts from getting under the skin, or thoroughly walk over the surface with a soft bristle brush. Holes 1–2 mm deep with a blunt nail can be drilled into the board before finishing.

The last stage is coating with paints and varnishes. Use paint and varnish of your choice. Advice, so that the artificially aged tree looks as realistic as possible, paint the recesses in light shades, and the convex parts in darker shades. If you decide to paint the board in one light shade, sand the surface after drying to reveal the dark details. After finishing the work, we fix the finish with varnish. To enhance the result, instead of the usual varnish, you can use craquelure. After drying, it cracks, the bottom layer of paint is visible in the voids.

Method number 4 - exposure to fire and a stiff brush

Aging wood with a gas torch or blowtorch is widely used by artisans who want a deep effect. In addition, this is a quick option, which, depending on the use of additional tools, has its own characteristics.

If you just want to emphasize the texture of the wood, do not pre-treat the surface. Burn the board with a gas burner in some places or completely, and then walk with a fine-grained sandpaper. But pre-treatment will help to make the surface more convex and embossed. Remove soft fibers by hand using a metal brush or walk around with a drill with attachment. Conduct firing. After processing, such wood looks noble and more advantageous than the previous version due to a deeper effect on the material. Also, a special effect is obtained when the material is completely burned with a gas burner and the subsequent processing of a hard hand brush.

When working with fire, remember: you should not bring a gas burner or blowtorch close to a tree. Do not keep the machine in one place for too long, work at an accelerated rate to avoid fire and be sure to follow safety precautions. Before starting work, put on heavy gloves, a robe, goggles and a respirator. After cleaning the surface, cover it with varnish.

Due to the fact that wood has been used for the construction and decoration of housing almost from the very beginning of time, today there are many different, at first glance, even strange and illogical methods of wood processing. Different processing methods have different purposes: in one case, you need to protect the wood from decay, in the other - to make it more fireproof, simply change the color or give it a more expressive shade.

Important points

Recently, this type of processing, such as wood aging, has been increasingly spreading. It is quite simple to artificially age a tree, and this is usually done solely for decorative purposes, because after aging wood, interior or exterior, the house or furniture made from it looks like antique, antique and shabby time. In the eyes of connoisseurs and aesthetes, the aging of wood gives buildings and finishes more value.

A sample of furniture using the wood aging technique.

Several more or less simple techniques are known for artificial aging. You can make them yourself with a basic set of tools and wood finishing materials.

Materials and tools that will come in handy to age wood with your own hands: a brush with metal bristles (or circular), sanding pads, antiseptic and solvent, as well as dark and white glaze, a sponge or foam rubber.

Painting after removing soft fibers

This is one of the simplest methods of wood aging with your own hands, which consists in first treating the required surface with a metal brush. Wood has such a structure that it is processed unevenly, because in winter, spring, summer and autumn, when the corresponding annual rings are formed in the pillars of the wood, its plant vessels develop unevenly.

A metal brush thus removes soft fibers, while the harder ones remain, since they are more resistant to mechanical stress. This causes a change in the embossed surface of the wood, which is emphasized by further painting.

One of the techniques for aging wood is called throwing.

Before making the processing of a wooden surface with a metal brush, they first pass over it with a sandpaper. Only after sanding is it brushed.

Instead of a conventional metal brush, you can also take a circular one, for which you will need a special nozzle from a grinder. It is important to remember that wood brushing is carried out along the fibers, so they are easier to remove.

The formation of wood dust during wood processing is inevitable, therefore it must be removed with a special brush or brush, observing safety, so as not to injure the hand and not bring a splinter under the skin.

After that, the wood is coated with two layers of glaze. The translucent dark composition is applied to the surface, and then removed by soaking with a sponge. After that, the surface can be varnished, left as it is, or treated with a light translucent glaze and also soaked with a sponge.
In the second case, a drawing is created in the style "a la Provence", which is often used for ceilings and floor beams, for example, in basements or attics, thus creating an atmosphere of antiquity.

Multilayer processing

To give the wood an even more antique look in the interior and at the same time look as if it is already sufficiently worn out, a multi-layer painting is best suited for aging.

Even before the start of painting the wood, they try to make the surface as embossed as possible, damaging it with various tools, for example, self-tapping screws, hammers, saws. This creates the effect of high wear on the wood.

Already with a relief, the wood surface is covered with a layer of primer until it dries completely. When it dries, a sufficiently thick layer of dye is applied on top, which can be used as tinting paint or antiseptic color compounds, which gives the wood even more protection.

It is better to use more liquid formulations for applying paint, which spread well and provide an even layer. After the paint has dried, the second stage of mechanical aging is carried out with the help of tools.

At the second stage, the damage must be applied carefully so that they are small. This layer of damage is also covered with a white translucent glaze, which, unlike a primer, can have an uneven layer to create the desired embossed effect.

The varnish gives the aged surface an even more noble look.

Further, after drying, the top layer of white glaze is completely peeled off with a metal brush. This allows you to give the wood a relief appearance with a sufficiently contrasting color pattern.
The quality of the aged surface depends on how well the white glaze has been thinned. Before aging the tree, it is recommended to mix it with white spirit in a 1 to 1 ratio.

Other methods

The quickest way to age wood at home, which does not require much effort, is to age the wood with a brush and one type of glaze. First of all, a metal brush is used again, with which in the longitudinal direction it is necessary to scrape off the grooves on the surface.

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 by choosing a successful method. In this article, we will talk about popular methods of artificial aging of things and their techniques.

Oddly enough it sounds, but in the interior a tree looks much more beautiful, from which it breathes with antiquity.

From such material, you can make an original lamp, stand, chest of drawers, table, wardrobe, window sill, doors, floors or a garden bench. Any item will radiate comfort and warmth. In addition, today everything is old in fashion.

Did you know? There are more than a dozen tree species on the globe, which are equal in hardness to iron. They practically do not lend themselves to processing and sink in water. They are even used in mechanical engineering for the manufacture of structural elements and nails. These are temir-agach, parrotia, yew, azobe, Schmidt's birch, ulin, jatoba, sucupira.

If you wait until the natural process of wear of the wood occurs, it will take a lot of time. It takes tens of years for the natural pattern on the material, under the influence of the sun and wind, to acquire a specific interweaving of dark and light tones.
Indeed, in the cold season, dense fibers grow, which are the frame. And in the summer, a loose and light tissue is formed. It is she who is erased over time, which provides the boards with antiquity.

This effect is successfully used by current designers, thus turning even the cheapest wooden items into attributes of luxury and style. Without it, you cannot create country, Provence, retro, shabby chic, vintage styles.

In addition, purchased antique furniture will last much less than new, but artificially dilapidated.

Provence, shabby chic and vintage in design

Many popular modern design styles are characterized by the use of worn and worn objects and details in the interior, pastel tones and romantic décor elements.

Did you know? Every year, for their needs, people cut down about 15 billion trees of the entire green fund of the planet, 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, reverent attitude to the things of their ancestors. It was these family relics that became the personification of the spirit of southern France.
This style is characterized by:

the predominance of white and all shades of beige;
fragments artificially faded in the sun;
a multi-colored palette in decor, accessories (drawings of flowers, stripes, pastoral and cages are often found);
many elements of wood in decoration;
artificially shabby ceramic tiles (chips, rough stone, brick, ethnic group);
porcelain dishes, forged mirror frames, napkins and textile tablecloths;
lighting items with elements of forging, cotton and linen;
framed panoramic windows;
rustic furniture of classical shapes with elements of wood, forging and wickerwork.

Did you know? The tallest tree in the world is a sequoia from the State of California. Its trunk has grown to a height of 115 meters, and in diameter it reaches 8 m.

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 ancient, but solid, which is 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;
the use of ceramic tiles for dilapidated painted wood, wild stone or plaster, as well as with small floral patterns;
on the white plastered ceiling, classical stucco molding in the tone of gold leaf, as well as bleached fragments of the ceiling;
wood and metal textures imitating aging;
of interior items, mainly restored antiques, textiles, artificially aged photo frames, old candelabra, fresh flowers, porcelain dolls and figurines of angels are used;
the lighting contains crystal, forging, fabric lampshades and ancient pendants;
restored furniture made of expensive wood, painted details from metal forging.

Did you know? In the United States of America, all items 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 a wine with long-term aging, but over time, a whole design style was formed.

Its main feature is the use of antiques, which must match the fashion trends of their era with precision.
Vintage interiors are characterized by:

prevailing white, beige and milky shades, as well as contrasting ones - burgundy, green, graphite, lilac;
drawings with flowers and vegetation;
artificially made flaws;
flooring made of wood, marble or ceramic, but always with a worn effect;
not overloading in the decor (only valuable antique items, photographs, mirrors, paintings, candelabra are used);
stucco molding in classical style;
the use of natural materials, forged items, crystal, flax, wool;
the spirit of restraint and elegance present in the interior design;
antique furniture made of wood and wrought metal.

Step-by-step instructions for aging wood

Modern craftsmen have long mastered many methods of artificial decay 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 produced in several ways using wood processing with a stiff brush or two-layer paint application.
Wood processing with a stiff brush

The first option is called brushing, and the second is patinating.

The essence of the method consists in extracting soft wood fibers, as a result of which a clearly expressed relief is obtained on the surface of the board. The same happens in nature after decades.

Video: how to age a tree - brushing Experts consider brushing the simplest method, but they urge to take a responsible approach to the choice of wood. For 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 will not hurt either..

When the choice of material is made, you can get to work.

Experienced craftsmen advise to initially practice on any unnecessary pruning in order to "fill" your hand:

Take a gas burner and pre-treat the material with it. Do not lose vigilance: burn the material without holding the device for a long time. Resin should not be allowed to ignite.
In the case when thermal procedures are not provided, be sure to moisten the board with a damp brush before work and let it dry for about 3 minutes.
Put a metal brush with a special attachment on a grinder or an electric drill and draw it from one end of the board to the other in the direction of the fibers, thus removing soft fibers. It is important to do this with one touch, not in jerks.
Use a fine sandpaper to polish the surface thoroughly.
Remove any remaining dust with a vacuum cleaner or a soft-bristled wooden brush. All movements should be directed along the fibers, not across.
If you wish, you can improve your masterpiece by imitating traces of the bark beetle. This is done using a thin drill. Angled holes should be chaotic but heaped up.
To create a complete look, cover the surface with wax with coloring elements or paint or varnish. Some designers advise to get creative with this stage of the work, combining light and dark tones. In this case, they should be distributed accordingly on the depressions and protuberances.
If the staining is solid, sandpaper the relief to get it scuffed.
Finally, cover the board with varnish. The mesh of cracks, which is obtained after coating with special craquelure paints and varnishes, looks very impressive.

Burner Aged Wood

Important! When purchasing lumber, consider their classification. To create a worn-out effect, class C is more suitable, which is characterized by an unlimited number of knots (including those that have fallen out), cracks and grooves. If the spirit of excessive antiquity is not to your liking, you can give preference to class AB boards. They have much fewer defects.

Once upon a time, a thin oxide coating on copper products was called patina. 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. For its implementation, the utmost accuracy, perseverance and attentiveness are required.

If you have no experience with similar techniques, it is advisable to practice on wood waste. Designers love to apply patina when decorating a home in country and classic styles.
Experts believe that the simplest option for such a dilapidated wood is rubbing wax into the embossed surface protuberances, which creates a scuff effect. We'll go by patina.

So let's get to work:

Using emery paper, carefully polish the surface of the board, removing the old stain as much as possible.
Remove dust residues with a soft brush or vacuum cleaner.
To enhance the adhesion characteristics of wood, prime it (it is important to choose a primer for antique restoration) and dry it.
After a day, you can start applying the patina. For this, it is better to acquire acrylic paint. You need to act with the utmost care. After painting, the surface must dry within 24 hours.
Apply the next coat of bronze or metallic paint in all directions with small strokes. It is important not to overdo it with the amount of patina. Immediately, without allowing the applied layer to dry, rub the excess with a piece of foam rubber.
When the paint begins to dry, wipe off all the bumps with a dry rag for an antiqued effect.
Varnish the entire surface. This will give it sophistication and protect it from mechanical damage and excessive moisture.

Video: patting furniture

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 untidiness instead of the spirit of antiques.

The aging effect is achieved through complex processing of lumber. This technique is carried out in several stages:

This method looks original only on hardwoods, since there are tannins in their wood. On contact with chemical reagents, they darken, due to which the wear effect occurs.

Important! If the wood shows signs of fungus, 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 distinguished by its simplicity and the presence of various variations, with the help of which it is possible to achieve a greater or lesser degree of aging.

Be sure to sand the surface with a piece of coarse sandpaper before work. And then choose a method to your taste:

Treat the board generously with ammonia. Reacting with the material, the substance will provoke the appearance of a noble darkening. If we are talking about aging a specific area on the wall, you can unevenly distribute the reagent, which will increase the effect.
Use a plastic brush to brush the board so that the tree rings stand out clearly. Then cover the lumber with wood stain and open with varnish.
Paint the sanded surface with enamel paint and dry. On the dried layer, apply a second paint of a thinner consistency. Let it dry and sand with a fine fraction of individual areas of the wood.
Cover the wood with a water-based stain. After that, partially wash off the coating in the middle zone, leaving dark edges.

Even at home, you can make fragments of semi-antique decoration 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 that are for sale in antique dealerships.

When creating an interior, designers are happy to use wood. For some, it allows you to create a certain style concisely and clearly, while others can shape the appearance 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 motives from France. However, not many people know that there was not that grace, which is so much talked about (only in the southern regions can you find exquisite options, the northern regions have always existed much more modest and poorer). Much more interesting is the German or Russian rural style. They contain much more colors, shades and wood products.

Obligatory attributes of the rural style are somewhat rough benches, massive tables, separate stools, pedestals and shelves above them. The clumsy items were made with rather meticulous finishing. Only time has changed the appearance of wooden structures. Due to intensive use, the structure appears brighter, the fiber pattern is more visible.

Planks that have existed for more than a decade are characterized by the presence of a silvery plaque, 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 want to purchase ornamental material, which for a long period served as an auxiliary structure on the site. Old boards are transported hundreds, and sometimes thousands of kilometers, so that in the hands of a modern master they can be used as a semi-antique structural material.

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

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

Most often, more than one selected 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 XII ... XIX 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, was sitting on this chair in the nth year. Listeners with delight touch the creation of the master of the Middle Ages, admiring how much they managed to preserve the product from time immemorial.

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 reveal the texture by removing some of the soft fibers using a brush with a hard metal bristle (Fig. 1). After 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 harvest a certain amount of timber, you will have to use the means of labor mechanization. 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.

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

The process is carried out in the following sequence:

The board (block) is fixed on the working table (workbench). It is convenient to use a comb or a locking wedge here;
Turn on the power tool and brush along the fiber, the direction of movement to the stop.
When working, they try not to press too much from above, the brush itself will choose what it can remove from the surface.

After three to four passes, the result is examined. 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 begun. After a couple of days, the grooves will deepen by themselves, as there was 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 saw that the old boards have a grayish tinge, giving them the appearance of light silvering. With the help of paints, you can give a similar color to any wooden product. For this, acrylic paints are used (Fig. 3). But they are white. Therefore, tinting paste is added to them (Fig. 4). By varying the concentration of the color scheme, you can achieve different shades of gray.

Rice. 4 Coloring paste for wood shading

In practice, furniture makers also use more complex painting methods to give the wood an antique look. There is a method called patination. The effect of such a treatment is not a continuous coating, but only a coating of a bronze film. Such processing results in shiny bronze fragments. In fig. 5 shows one of the methods for patinating wood. In addition to applying a bronze (gold) shade, additives are used that create an antiquity effect. Craquelures are macroroughnesses specially created on the surface.

Rice. 5 Patinated fragment of the facade

To give the products the look of old wood, it is not necessary to completely paint the products and cover them with an 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 the distant past (Fig. 6). Here there is patination of individual fragments, there is also treatment with varnishes, which gave the look of antiques.

Rice. 6 Antique bedside table

Firing antique wood

Thermal processing opens up tremendous opportunities. With its help, the following is applied to the tree:

your own unique drawing, because any cut is created by nature, which never repeats itself in anything;
when 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 shown in the table.

Chemical treatment of semi-antique wood

Chemicals such as alkalis and acids make the new wood look aged. Sulfuric acid is used for acidizing batteries (Fig. 8). When exposed to the product, even on hard grades, deep streaks of texture appear. This method is used for oak, walnut, ash. It is necessary to use a concentrated acid with a density of 1.42 g / cm 3. A lower density acid works through the texture more slowly.

Upon completion of the treatment, it is necessary to neutralize the action of the acid, therefore, use a solution of caustic soda or spill with a solution of baking soda. Then it is necessary to keep it for a long time in water.

Rice. 8 Sulfuric acid

An excellent effect for wood is obtained by processing in a solution of copper sulfate. For such an operation, plastic sewer pipes are used. The bottom hole is closed with a stopper, and then boards or bars are placed inside. Then a solution of ten percent strength of copper sulfate is poured. The exposure time depends on the type of wood. To get the kind of snag it is necessary to withstand up to a week. Even soft varieties: pine, spruce, acquire high hardness and resistance to decay. The wood darkens, becomes brown. Looks spectacular on finished products.

In fig. 9 shows pieces of furniture made by semi-antique contemporary craftsmen. All the methods described were used during processing. The products look pretty interesting.

Rice. 9 Modern semi-antique furniture

Video: Patination of the facade. Master class from an Italian

Modern design developments for interior decoration or the creation of furniture structures made of natural wood have recently proved themselves to be very original proposals. One of the fashion trends is the use of wood with an aging effect, which is achieved by artificial methods.

What is brushing?

The word "brushing" is translated from English as "brush". Do-it-yourself wood brushing is performed with a stiff brush, which removes some of the fibers from the surface of the workpiece, and the created relief is emphasized by coatings. The process involves the creation of a surface that exhibits rings and a pronounced structure.

How does a tree age?

Today, ordinary furniture can be given an original style by subjecting the wood to artificial aging using special methods. Interiors made from such details will also look expensive. Natural conditions help the tree to age, but it takes quite a long time. At home, reducing the time, you can get the final result by subjecting the wood to mechanical processing and coating with special compounds. In this article, the home craftsman will receive not only advice, but also an answer to the question of how to age a tree with your own hands using special methods.

A few tips:

A good effect can be achieved if used for work old boards. The absence of such simple material at home or on the site does not mean that it is not nearby. Most often, neighbors are ready to give away unnecessary boards for free.
It should be remembered that the purchase of old boards makes the process of work easier, it is not difficult to age them.
Wood different breeds ages differently regardless of whether the same coating materials are used. Fastening of products with different aging effects must be foreseen in the finished wooden structure.
A ready-made aged board today can be easily purchased in a store or on the market, sometimes there is no need to do the job.

Necessary materials

Wood aging works are performed using:

brushes with metal bristles;
circular brush;
sandpaper;
sawdust brushes;
several brushes;
white spirit (solvent);
dark "Pinotex";
transparent and white azure "Belinka";
large sponge.

Wood processing can be done in five ways.

Wood aging workshops

1. Aging by removing fibers from the surface, followed by painting.

For the aging of a tree with your own hands, it is used metal bristle brush... It removes some fibers, due to which a unique pattern is created, which will be further emphasized by painting.

First a tree is needed sand, then process with a circular brush in an automated way. You can use a metal bristle brush and apply it by hand. In any case, the lines are drawn along the grain.

When the sawdust is removed, a completely new appearance of the board is revealed, which must be emphasized with paint for aging the wood.

Then the cleaned product is processed twice with a brush or roller, a translucent glaze is applied to it " Belinka».

After a short time, a small layer of coating must be removed with a sponge to reveal relief... If this aging effect satisfies the master, he can apply a clear varnish on top.

Otherwise, the effect can be enhanced by applying another thin layer. azure which is also removed with a sponge to create the bleached canvas popular in this style. On dried wood, varnish or clear paint is applied in one layer.

Various elements of wooden structures, made according to this technology of aging wood, are perfectly combined in the old style.

2. Creation of an aging effect with a brush.

With the help of a brush, wood is manually processed, which is covered with a white opaque glaze in one layer. When the coating is dry, the product is processed again.

The effect of aging is a white surface with a relief pattern.

3. Creation of an antique pattern on the tree, which is covered with several layers of paint.

With the help of this aging wood with your own hands, you can give it an ancient look, when the thing looks like it has been worn from time to time. To begin with, the material undergoes minor damage when it can be:

beat with a hammer;
pierce in some places;
scratch with a cutting tool;
damage with a screw head or an iron bar;
and other.

All possible manipulations are performed over the tree, which can emphasize the ancient relief. After a layer is applied to the surface Pinotex having a thick consistency. Due to its density, it will be unevenly laid.

After the thick layer has dried, the surface must be refined with a fine brush or sandpaper. Damage should be kept small so that the influence of time appears to be minimal. Now the product is covered with white glaze " Belinka"Having a liquid consistency. The coating must be applied in a thin layer, not necessarily evenly.

When the top layer is dry, it must be scraped off, for which a brush is used with which longitudinal movements are performed. The resulting relief emphasizes the effect of antiquity, but the color is still far from the real color that the aged tree has.

Now, in order to make the thing more natural, its shade needs to be slightly muted. Azure is mixed with white spirit in a ratio of 1: 1.

The product treated with the mixture has a calm surface in a warm tone, from under which the dark surface of Pinotex is visible. In this way, it is good to create aged wood furniture with your own hands.

4. Processing by fire.

A gas burner is used. There are three ways to achieve the result:

Wood processing is not required, its structure is emphasized by firing. Then the material is processed with fine sandpaper, sawdust is removed, and varnish is applied.

Mechanical processing is carried out and the material is fired. As a result, the surface looks three-dimensional, and the wood looks rich.

Do-it-yourself wood aging is achieved by intensive firing, when some of the fibers are removed. Then the product is mechanically processed with a brush having a hard metal bristle.

5. Creation of a voluminous product with gross damage, varnished.

The wood brushing workshop shows you what needs to be done step by step in order to properly age the wood:

First you need to make the right choice. wood... It cannot be young or resinous. It is better to use a material with a clear structure.
A manual is used to process the workpiece. plane, and not electric, which is not able to emphasize the natural effect.
On the board manually with chisels serifs are made that do not have the correct shape. The notches must be made on the edges so that it looks like the product was chopped with an ax.
In automatic mode using drill and hard fibers of the attachment, soft fibers are removed from the wood. Movements during work should be light. If you use a regular brush, the treatment will be coarser.
Stupid nail allows you to add wormholes to the decor. It can be used to make shallow holes.
The surface is cleaned with a brush from debris, it is applied to Pinotex Ultra... This paint varnish is resistant to environmental influences.
After drying, the surface is processed fine sandpaper, the treatment of which will accentuate dark depressions and light protrusions, giving the product volume. The pronounced structure of the wood now looks very nice.
Finally, the tree is covered again varnish.

Photo of brushed wood

Examples of photographs with the image of processed material allow you to see the wide decorative possibilities of wood aged by artificial methods. Products from various types of aged wood, opened with varnish, paint, wax, oil after brushing, can acquire all sorts of shades and get a new life.