How to artificially age softwood

A while ago I saw the photo below on a profile group. The person who had posted it wanted to know if the wood was really old or if it had been artificially aged and what he would have to do, in the latter case, to achieve that effect. As this area is one of my passions, I responded by telling him what I thought the steps in such a process would be. For a long time I kept the image of the old wood in my mind, trying to find solutions to make the result even closer to the photo.

I don't know how interesting it is to you, but I find it fascinating how set designers in plays and movies manage to create very believable sets, even if the events in the play or movie take place 200-300 years ago. I'm inclined to think that there are others with the same passion, so below is the answer, complete with more detailed execution hints.

Preparing wood in white

Start with a plank of resinous wood, like the one in the photo. Before applying any material, the wood must be prepared in white. It is sanded with 100 and 120 grit sandpaper, without insisting if there are any defects from cutting (machine marks). The photo shows that these marks do exist.

The planks are then brushed along the grain with a fine wire brush to create a raised pattern, as naturally occurs with fir wood that sits outside. Rain, fine dust from the wind removes the early wood, and the later wood remains in relief, creating a 3D pattern. The same look should be achieved with the brush, without leaving clear traces from wire brushes and without the effect being too pronounced. If fine scratches remain, remove them by sanding.

Then the marks of time are made. It is hit with a nut bag, nails are hammered (even better if they are rusty) and then pulled out, scratched with a nail in various directions, rubbed with a scraper. Read more about this way of ageing wood here here. The result should be as natural as possible and the way the preparation is done is a matter of "eye" and "feel". The balance has to be kept very well because too much and too little can also lead to a loss of naturalness.

The bats and skates will create the effect of old

First apply a bluish-gray gray stain over the entire surface. Do not apply black stain as it will make too much unnatural contrast with the wood. Bluish gray stains are used because this is the way unprotected exterior wood ages naturally. After drying, you sand the wood so that the wood is removed in some places completely, in others partially and in others not at all.

To achieve the smearing effect, patinas should be applied over the sanded sanded bath. They can be applied directly or after applying a thin coat of varnish over the glaze. It is better to do it with a coat of varnish as the effects are easier to control. A very thin coat of acrylic varnish on solvent is recommended because it does not change color.

After drying and lightly sanding the varnish a dark walnut patina is applied which is sanded, after drying, almost completely. The effect will be soiling of the entire surface. Steel wool is used for sanding.

On some planks you can also come over with an anthracite gray patina that also sands off, leaving only a slight blackening effect. Find out about patinas and what effects you can achieve using them here.

Finally apply a thin coat of acrylic varnish to protect the effect. The 2 coats of varnish must be very thin and very low gloss. These varnishes are also called natural effect because it protects the wood without giving the impression of being covered. If the patinas are not protected with varnish or wax, they can be taken on by hand. Wax and oil will give a more natural effect, but they are harder to apply so the effect is controlled.

The wood in the photo

My guess is that the one in the photo is naturally aged wood. I say that because it looks distressed if you look at the ends of the planks or the edges. Another part of the question was about how such naturally aged wood should be protected. I suggested treating it with water glass (sodium silicate) to harden it. This is a method used by restorers of old houses. Using sodium silicate has the double advantage of being a good protective treatment to protect against tooth decay. Silicate absorbs into the wood without creating a film.

For surface protection I think one coat of oil and one coat of wax will be sufficient. The wax, apart from the nice touch, will provide better protection over time.

It's certainly not the only way

It is not the only way to achieve the same result. There are several ways, the important thing is that the effect is as natural as possible. Just 2 examples:

• superficial burning of the wood, brushing until the charred wood is almost completely removed, patination, oiling;
• treating the wood with a solution made from metal shavings in vinegar (find here method). I tried it on fir wood, but the effect was not very spectacular. I think it would need more help with patinas to get an effect similar to the photo. On oak it looks much better because it reacts with the tannins in the wood. Finally, oil and wax.

I hope to have piqued your interest in getting your wood or outdated furniture so that it looks like it's from grandma's time. I've refinished antiqued furniture pieces and the satisfaction of seeing furniture going back in time under your hands is extraordinary. If you have any other ideas about the wood I've been talking about, or are any questions, queries, or any confusions, leave them below in the dedicated space. I will certainly reply.