There is no furniture that looks more sturdy and strong than antique furniture. Old wood tends to look classier than new, unaged wood. To take advantage of both, many people choose to make young wood look old. The process is easy and you don't need to go to a hardware store, chances are you already have everything you need at home.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Solution
Step 1. Gather the necessary materials
This is a fairly simple process and requires very little equipment. Perhaps you already have all the necessary materials at home. If you haven't, you can get them all at the grocery store or supermarket.
- Any brand of white distilled vinegar.
- Steel wool. Choose a soft one that crumbles easily, but any type will work.
- Receptacle. You can use a bucket, pot, bowl, bottle, or whatever container you have. If you don't like the smell of vinegar, use a container with a lid, especially if you want the wood to appear darker, as that means the vinegar will have to sit for a long time.
- Rubber gloves. This is optional but highly recommended, if you're worried about scratching your hands from the steel wool, or if you want to make a concentrated solution that could cause the stain to stick to your hands.
- Filter. This is also optional, as you can daub the solution from any container. The strainer is useful if you need to move the solution to another place or store it for later use.
- Paintbrush.
Step 2. Make sure you are painting the right type of wood
Some types of wood will look better than others. Do not let you daub a type of wood that is not suitable to make it look old.
- Wood with forked veins is a good choice, especially if the wood grain is layered with hard and soft layers. The soft layer will be affected by the aging process, while the hard layer will not. This will make the wood look old.
- Soft wood is easier to handle than hard wood. Yellow pine, cedar, and spruce are excellent candidates to be made to look old. While red oak, maple, or other trees that grow slowly and have dense fibers are less suitable as an option.
- Hardwoods with firm veins such as hickory, white oak, elm, or ash are also good choices.
- This method is not suitable for laminating floors, as the vinegar will likely damage the glue holding the layers of wood together.
Step 3. Decide what you want the wood to look like
The results of this polishing with steel wool and vinegar vary, ranging from reddish, rusty brown, to dark brown as if burned. The intensity also varies, from the softest to the most intense. These factors are affected by the ratio of the steel wool to the vinegar, and by how long you let the solution sit. Before you start, decide on the color of the solution you want to make and make a plan based on that.
- The dilute and concentrated color of the solution is determined by how long the solution is left to stand. The solution that is only left for a few days will have a dark color like burning. The longer it sits, the darker the color will be.
- The intensity of the solution is determined by how much steel wool you use and how long you let the solution sit. 1-3 pieces of steel wool and 2 liters of vinegar are the right amount for almost any project. If you want the solution to thicken faster, just add more steel wool. If the color is too thick, dilute it with water.
Part 2 of 3: Making a Solution
Step 1. Shred steel coir
This step is not mandatory, but it can speed up the destruction process. Use plastic gloves so you don't scratch your fingers. Shred the steel wool and place it in the container where you will make the solution.
Step 2. Mix all ingredients
This step is very easy. Just pour the vinegar over the steel coir. Stir, then close.
Step 3. Silence
You can make a very light-colored solution in as little as 15 minutes, but it's best to let the solution sit longer. In two to four days, the concentration of the solution will look good enough for most projects, but you can also let it sit for months for a more dramatic effect.
Step 4. Filter the solution
This is an optional step and is only necessary if you want to save the solution for later use. When the color of the solution is to your liking, strain it and pour it into a new, sealable container. You can also use the solution directly from the original container.
Part 3 of 3: Daub Solution
Step 1. Apply to the test surface
You certainly don't want to apply the solution directly to the furniture without knowing how it will turn out. So first apply it to a wooden slat of the same type or to a hidden piece of furniture, then wait for about an hour. If you don't like the color result, make adjustments to the solution. Add steel wool or let the solution sit longer if you want it to be darker or redder, or dilute it with water if you want it to be lighter.
Step 2. Sand the wood
Sanding the wood before polishing it will make the finished wood look older and beautiful. This step is optional and your wood will look good even without sanding it. This step is just a matter of what kind of effect you want to produce.
Step 3. Apply the solution to the wood
There is no special technique to perform this one step. Paint in the direction of the grain, coat the wood evenly, and let sit until the solution absorbs. After that you just sit back, let it dry, and admire the results.
Step 4. Coat the wood with wax
This step is done based on the choice of the final result you want to get. For a shiny finish, wait for the wood to dry completely, apply wax, let sit for an hour, then buff with a cloth. If you want a more natural look and the wood looks old with age, don't do this step.
