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How to flawlessly age a tree with your own hands - brushing. How to age a tree: ways and styles Aging a tree at home

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

Mandatory attributes of rural style are somewhat rough benches, massive tables, separate stools, cabinets and shelves above them. Ax products were made with a fairly thorough finish. Only time has changed wooden structures. Due to intensive use, the structure appears brighter, the pattern of fibers is more deeply visible.

For boards that have existed for more than one decade, the presence of a silvery coating is characteristic, 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 wish to purchase ornamental material, which for a long period served as an auxiliary structure on the site. Old boards are transported for hundreds, and sometimes thousands of kilometers, in order to be used in the hands of a modern master as a semi-antique structural material.

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

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

Most often, not one chosen 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 12th ... 19th 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, sat on this chair back in the nth year. Listeners enthusiastically touch the creation of the master of the Middle Ages, admiring how they managed to preserve the product from the depths of centuries.

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 show the texture by removing some of the soft fibers using a brush with a hard metal bristle (Fig. 1). By 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 prepare a certain amount of wood, then you will have to use the means of mechanization of labor. 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.

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

The process is performed in the following sequence:

The board (bar) is fixed on the desktop (workbench). It is convenient to use a comb or a fixing wedge here;
Turn on the power tool and brush along the fiber, moving towards the stop.
When working, they try not to press hard from above, the brush itself will choose what it can remove from the surface.

After three or four passes, examine the result. 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 been started. After a couple of days, the grooves themselves will deepen, as there has been 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 has seen that old boards have a grayish coating, giving them the appearance of light silvering. With the help of paints, you can give a similar color to any wooden product. Acrylic paints are used for this (Fig. 3). But they white color. Therefore, tinting paste is added to them (Fig. 4). By changing the concentration of color, you can achieve different shades of gray.

Rice. 4 Coloring paste for coloring wood

In practice, furniture makers also use more complex methods of coloring to give the tree an old look. There is a method called patination. the effect similar processing consists in applying not a continuous coating, but only a touch of a bronze film. With this treatment, shiny bronze fragments appear. On fig. 5 shows one of the ways to patinate wood. In addition to applying a bronze (gold) hue, additives were used that create the effect of antiquity. Craquelures are macro-irregularities specially created on the surface.

Rice. 5 Patinated facade fragment

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

Rice. 6 Antique bedside table

Antique wood burning

Heat treatment opens up enormous possibilities. With its help, the tree is applied:

its unique pattern, because any cut is created by nature, which never repeats itself in anything;
during 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 presented in the table.

Antique wood processing

Chemical preparations: alkalis and acids, give the new wood an aged look. For acid treatment, sulfuric acid for batteries is used (Fig. 8). When exposed to the product, even on hard grades, deep stripes of texture appear. This method is used for oak, walnut, ash. You have to use concentrated acid with a density of 1.42 g/cm 3 . An acid of lower density works through the texture more slowly.

Upon completion of the treatment, it is necessary to neutralize the action of the acid, therefore, a solution of caustic soda is used or spilled with a solution baking soda. Then you need a long exposure to water.

Rice. 8 Sulfuric acid

An excellent effect for a tree is given by processing in a solution of copper sulphate. For such an operation, plastic sewer pipes. The bottom hole is closed with a cork, and then boards or bars are placed inside. Then a solution of ten percent strength of copper sulphate is poured. The duration of exposure depends on the type of wood. To get the look of a driftwood, you have to withstand up to a week. Even soft varieties: pine, spruce, acquire high hardness and resistance to decay. The wood darkens, becomes brown. Looks impressive on finished products.

On fig. 9 shows furniture elements made by modern semi-antique craftsmen. During processing, all the described methods were used. Products look quite interesting.

Rice. 9 Modern antique furniture

Video: Facade patination. Master class from an Italian

Things that have been aged artificial way, look very stylish and can transform any interior. Therefore, the cost of such pieces of furniture can be quite decent. In order to save some money and let you decide what your furniture will be, we offer simple techniques for aging wood with DIY paint.

Using wet paper

This is a versatile and fairly simple technique with which you can easily give wood an old look. You can use the wet paper aging technique on both raw and painted wood.

For work you will need:

dye;
paper;
brush;
a bowl of water.

First, tear a sheet of paper into pieces of arbitrary shape. After that, moisten them with water and lay them on the wood in random order.

The next step is to paint the wood in the color of your choice. This must be done immediately after the wet paper has been laid out, without waiting for it to dry.

After the paint dries or dries completely, you must carefully remove all pieces of paper from the surface.

Paint Fill Method

A fairly simple method that is used to transform any type of wood with textured surfaces.

For work you will need:

dye;
scraper or plastic card;

The essence of this method is that a small amount of paint is poured onto the surface of the wood and smeared with a scraper.

With the help of a candle

Aging a tree using a candle is very simple task. To do this, it is necessary to rub the surface to be treated with a candle in arbitrary places so that visible traces of wax remain on the wood. After that, the surface of the tree is painted with paint and left to dry completely. The last step is to rub the wooden surface with a rag with force, as a result of which, in those places where the wax was applied, the paint will lag behind, creating a worn effect.

Dry brush method

As a result of applying this method, you can get furniture that will look old and scratched, but at the same time incredibly stylish. Simply dip a stiff bristled brush into a small amount of paint water based and quickly apply the paint to the surface of the wood.

Scraper

Using this method, it is necessary to paint the surface of the wood and, literally a few minutes after painting, while the paint layer remains sticky, scrape off some of the paint with a scraper or plastic card.

Rinse method

Ideal for elegant furniture in Provence style. Apply a layer of paint and, without waiting for it to dry, wipe the surface with a damp cloth, as a result of which part of the paint will be washed off, and you will get a designer item.

Using wooden blocks

The method is that a wooden block is dipped in paint and used as a brush to paint the surface.

Grinding technique

The easiest way to age a tree. This technique is suitable for processing both painted and unpainted wood. The bottom line is to grind individual sections wooden furniture hard sandpaper.

When working with wood, don't be afraid to experiment and mix the techniques described above. We also recommend that you try the chosen method on a single piece of wood or on the inside of the furniture before you start transforming the furniture.

The current trend is transformation various items furniture, their decorative trim. Methods of influence on the surface are chosen in accordance with the interior, preferences, or simply according to mood. In this article, we tried to describe the basic techniques, materials, sequence of actions and their results that will help you age almost any surface.

Consider the options:

"Dry brush"

Dry brush- a technique borrowed by decorators from painters. And if in painting this method creates an image, then in practical decor it is a great way to make an object look old, to add years to it.

The essence of the technique: a little paint is picked up on a flat synthetic brush, the excess is wiped off, this is done on paper (palette, rag) until each hair of the brush gives a separate line.

And now, with light movements, lightly touching the object, we “dirty” it, focusing on the protruding parts: ribs, convex pattern, etc.

Thus, the relief is emphasized and scuffs are imitated.

Applying patina or patination

Patina is a greenish-brown coating that forms on objects made of copper and bronze as a result of oxidation under the influence of environment. In a broader sense, patina is understood as traces of aging on any objects created from any materials.

Patination in decoration is an imitation of the darkening of the surface, which in its natural form looks like changes in color after a long period of time and frequent contact with hands. Patina is dark, colored, metallic, white (laying).

The patinating composition is applied to the edges, corners of the object, or vice versa, into the recesses of the relief parts. There are several types of patination.

2. Patina based on acrylic

3. Chemical patina

A special oxidizing agent is applied to the paint with finely dispersed metal particles, which causes the metal surface to age (oxidize) within a few minutes.

Glaze

Glaze- This is a painting technique in which the lower layer of the paint layer shines through the upper translucent one. The technique is widely used not only in painting, but also in interior design, including painting objects. The technique allows you to get deep iridescent colors due to the translucency of the glazing layers.

Various paints and coloring compositions are suitable for glazing: watercolor, oil, acrylic paints, strong brewed tea. Easy to use solution acrylic paints. A wide palette allows you to get the desired color.

The paints are easily mixed with each other, diluted with water or acrylic thinner to the desired consistency, dry quickly after application, then resistant to moisture and mechanical stress and can be applied to any surface.

Technological process: With a synthetic brush or sponge, apply the solution to the prepared surface, wait for it to dry and evaluate the result. Glazing does not completely paint over the structure of the base or the previously applied image, it only sets the tone. To enhance the effect, you can apply a second layer of glazing paint and then the color intensity will increase.

If you apply several translucent layers of paint different color, as a result we get different shades, translucent through each other.

Spray

Spray- droplets-splashes on the surface of the decorated product, which create an image of a thing that has passed through time, reflect the history of its use.

An artistically soiled thing like this in a simple way receives a unique visual charm and a relief that is pleasant for tactile perception. This is all very important, since the items chosen for decoration are designed for the beloved home and for people dear to the heart.

The process itself is very entertaining. Before you start, you need to prepare the workplace. For example, cover the surface with newspaper or cloth. Of the tools you need a toothbrush or a hard brush. From materials: paints and water in a glass.

Working process:

Wet the brush with water and pick up a small amount of paint on it. We try with a fingernail or a toothpick to launch drops on the still test surface of the sample, simply by running the tool along the bristles.

With a wide brush, you can simply shake off drops or tap on your hand with a brush, then small colored droplets break off the brush and fly down. Having decided on the application process, it's time to conjure.

Spraying is the last operation before varnishing. Drops applied on top of the varnish will differ from the general glossiness of the surface of the object, this effect will introduce an additional effect of a gap in time.

Crackle

Crackle- the technique of artificial aging, the creation of cracks in the paint or varnish layer.

1. Craquelures are divided into one-step (single-phase) and two-step (two-phase)

One step craquelure looks like a cracked layer of paint, through the cracks of which the lower layer of paint or the base of the product is visible. The basis can be any: glass, metal, plastic, wood and similar materials.

Two step craquelure looks like a network of fine cracks (cracked varnish) on the surface of any image or coating.

2. Eggshell crackle

Gives a bright high relief cracking effect. A clean shell is glued onto PVA or acrylic varnish in pieces at some distance from each other. Sometimes the relief is additionally emphasized by patination or the “dry brush” technique.

Color self cracking lacquer. It is applied to the surface in a thick layer and left to dry. Forms large cracks.

4. Two-component microcraquelure

Gives the effect of thin cracks - cobwebs. Transparent, due to which it is often used over images.

After drying, cracks are often emphasized by patination.

5. Paint-craquelure

Self-cracking paint with one-step craquelure effect.

Gentle scuffs in the style of Shabby Chic or Scuffing Technique using a candle

The technique is simple and consistent. The corners, sides, joints of the primed planes of the object are covered with paint of a saturated shade, the paint layer is rubbed with paraffin, then covered with light paint, most often 2 layers are required.

Now the mechanics: sandpaper in places where paraffin and the 1st layer of paint are applied, the top layer is removed. Thus, scuffs, imitation of use, the effect of aging appear.

Delicate pastel colors are traditionally used in this technique. with "sweet" shades, as if sun-bleached or faded from time to time:

Light pink;

Ivory;

Creamy;

Hyacinth;

Lavender;

White (but not snow-white, but as if slightly yellowed from time to time);

pistachio;

Linen.

You can add “shabby chic” with painting, motifs from decoupage cards or napkins, add splashes. top coat several layers of acrylic matte varnish will serve.

Etching

Suitable for objects of any size made of wood. Best of all, rocks lend themselves to this method of processing. deciduous trees. In this way, you can give the wood noble, rich shades, without losing the natural beauty of the texture of the material.

Etching produce various formulations- mordants. Some of them have complex names or strong smells, but along with them there are many recipes available for making your own hands, such as tea, coffee, leaves, bark compositions; potassium permanganate, blue, vinegar are used. For those who feel like a bit of a chemist, tinting wood surfaces is a good idea.

The process can take place in two ways:

1. Hand painting with a lint-free swab or synthetic brush.

2. Dyeing by soaking in the etching composition.

Most often, the process is elevated temperatures. After selecting and acquiring (mixing) the desired composition, the wood is cleaned of excess and cleaned with sandpaper. Then the etching-staining process itself. As a rule, the time of exposure to the composition and the expected result are attached to the mordant recipe. Basically, all the same, control is carried out visually and, of course, here is the place for creativity.

The effect of various dressings on different types of wood

	Copper vitriol, 1%	Iron vitriol, 4-5%	Iron vitriol, 1%	Zinc vitriol, 2,5%	potassium hrompik, 3%	potassium hrompik, 5%
Oak, willow	Brown	blue-black	Lilac gray	Red-brown	Light brown	Dark brown
Nut	Brown	blue-black	Lilac gray	Red-brown	Brown	Dark brown
Beech		The black	Lilac gray	Red-brown	Light brown	Dark brown
Maple		Dark grey	Light lilac gray		tan	yellowish golden
Birch		Dark grey	Light lilac gray	Dark red	greenish yellow	yellowish golden
Aspen		Dark silver gray	Silver gray
Linden		Light brown	Pink	Dark red
The Red tree		The black	gray purple		Reddish brown dark	Dark brown

	sulfate manganese, 2,5%	Chloride calcium, 1%	English salt, 2%	Chlorine iron, 1%	Chloric copper, 1%	potassium hrompik and iron vitriol (by 1.5%)
Oak, willow	Dark brown	Red-brown	Brown	bluish gray	Light brown	olive brown
Nut	Dark brown	Red-brown	Brown	Dark blue	Darkening
Beech	Dark brown	Red-brown	Brown	Gray		olive brown
Maple				taupe
Birch	Brown	Coffee	Purple			Olive
Aspen
Linden	Brown	Coffee	Purple
The Red tree				gray purple	Darkening

The most common method of mechanical aging of wood is brushing. Its name comes from the word Brush - "brush".

The surface is treated with metal brushes, choosing the upper soft fibers, leaving only hard ones.

The ideal way to age if the furniture is from:

Larches;

This method will not work if the furniture is made from:

Wood brushing with firing or smoking

It is carried out using either an open flame, or, which is much more convenient, using a blowtorch or gas burner. Directing the flame to the surface of the wood, you can achieve a different shade of wood - from light golden to black. The color depends on the initial color of the wood and on the number of fire passes. Then brushing is performed - processing the surface of the wood with a hard wire brush. At the same time, the softer, burnt parts of the wood are cleaned out, while the harder ones (annual rings) remain in place.

Another way - firing in hot sand

Fine clean sand is poured into a metal container and heated to a temperature not exceeding 200 degrees C. Place the items prepared for firing in the hot sand and hold there until they darken. If the tone of the individual parts of the product should lighten gradually, then these parts are immersed vertically in the sand. The lower layers of sand are heated more than the upper ones, respectively. Bottom part piece will be darker than the top. Thus, a tone is obtained that changes from light yellow to dark brown.

The surface treated with brushes and fire can be tinted using the glazing or dry brush method, add images using decoupage technique or add colors by splashing.

Additional mechanical action

Sometimes time comes in the form of a wood-boring beetle. To simulate such damage left by insects, craftsmen use an awl, a drill, and even a laser. In the same way, minor damage is applied - chips or scuffs similar to those that surfaces have received for decades.

Another way to cause noble damage is to put nuts and bolts in a rag and beat an object with this bag. And then artistically ennoble to the desired result.

Imitation of the past decades, aging techniques and techniques combined with chemical and mechanical processing, give excellent decorative results.

For practical decoration, most of the materials in the arsenal are deservedly occupied by acrylic-based compositions. They are convenient to use in work: almost odorless, diluted with water, easily washed off the tools. They have a variety of effects (imitation of metals, oil paints, matte tempera) and various textures. A color scheme can inspire a makeover, even if it hasn't been planned. They are durable, resistant to water and sunlight.

Sebilkova Anna

Recently, the use of aged wood in the decoration of furniture and interiors has come into fashion. Even the simplest cheap wooden furniture will look stylish and expensive after artificial aging. This article will open up some simple and not very expensive ways to make old wood for furniture and other wooden products with your own hands.

IN natural conditions the tree ages under the influence of the sun, wind, rain and other phenomena. And this process takes place over a long period of time. We will make the process of aging wood artificial, which will significantly reduce time and improve final result. If the whole work is described briefly, it will consist of two stages: mechanical processing of wood (light damage, removal of soft fibers) and painting with varnishes and paint.

To age a tree, you will need:

hard metal brush;
circular brush;
large and small skins;
estimate;
several brushes;
antiseptic for wood;
White Spirit;
dark Pinotex or dark azure Belinka;
white azure Belinka;
big sponge.

With a set of these tools and materials, we can age a tree in five different ways. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

The first way to age a tree is to remove soft fibers and paint

You can artificially age a wooden surface with a stiff brush, which removes the soft fibers of the wood and thus creates a relief, the lines of which will be emphasized by the color of the wood.

The wooden surface is pre-sanded, then it is processed along the fibers with a circular (using a special nozzle for a grinder) or a metal hand brush, as a result of which soft wood fibers are removed from the surface.

Sawdust is removed with a special brush with soft bristles, but in no case by hand, in order to avoid splinters.

The tree instantly changes its appearance, acquires a beautiful relief and a contrasting color, which is specially emphasized by staining in two layers.

For staining, Belinka translucent azure is used, which is applied to the cleaned surface with a brush or roller.

The tree will already have a rather attractive appearance.

After a few minutes, a sponge is taken and with its help the layer of glaze is carefully removed, as a result of which the wooden surface acquires a relief. You can leave the surface as it is and cover it with a clear varnish if you like this color of aged wood.

But if you want to add color to the style a la Provence, then another autumn thin layer of Belinka white azure is applied on top of the first layer.

After a few minutes, we carefully remove the fresh azure with a sponge, as a result of which we get a bleached aged tree, with which we create stylish interior a la Provence. When the glaze is completely dry, the surface can be varnished with the same base as the azure, or another layer of colorless azure can be applied.

This way of aging wood is ideal for beams and other elements of wooden structures, when creating an antique style.

The second way is the relief of antiquity and multi-layer coloring of wood

With the help of this method, the tree is specially given the appearance of an old, antique thing, worn by time. For this, multi-layer coloring of the tree is used.

Previously, the surface of the tree must be specially subjected to all kinds of minor damage: it is beaten with a hammer, pierced with an awl, torn with a saw, sealed with screws or steel rods, everything possible is done to give it the relief of antiquity.

Then the surface is primed with a layer of Pinotex. After it dries, it is covered with a continuous thick layer of tinted paint (antiseptic).

Since Pinotex has a thick consistency, it can be placed unevenly, as it is much thicker than Belinka azure. It is used in cases where you need to create a thick bottom layer on an aged tree.

Azure Belinka is more liquid, it is easily and evenly distributed over the entire surface of the tree, creating an even surface color.

When the first layer dries, it can be intentionally subjected to minor damage: rubbed with a fine or coarse sandpaper, walked with a metal brush. The main thing is not to overdo it. The time span here should be kept to a minimum. According to experts, the most reliable effect of antiquity is given by painting with Pinotex with an uneven layer.

After a deliberate aging procedure by scratching with a sandpaper or a wire brush, a translucent layer of white azure is applied to the surface so that a dark lower layer can be seen through it. It is not necessary to apply the paint in an even layer.

After the top layer has dried, the upper layer of white glaze is scraped off with a metal brush with longitudinal movements, as a result of which a relief pattern of aged wood is created. Such a pattern has a very contrasting color, which is very far from the natural color of aged wood. To bring the color to a more perfect tone, it needs to be made a little muted. To do this, the white glaze is diluted by half with white spirit and the wooden surface is covered with this mixture.

Aged wood, created on the basis of Belinka blue, has a calm warm tone after final processing. Pinotex gives a more interesting decorative effect, with a deep dark base color. It is used in the creation of aged furniture, as well as in decoration elements.

The third way is brushing and white icing

This way to age a tree is the easiest and fastest. The wooden surface is treated with a metal brush, then covered with a layer of white glaze.

After the glaze has dried, the surface is again treated with a metal brush. As a result, we have a bleached wooden surface, slightly aged with a relief pattern from a metal brush.

Master class: "How to age a tree?"

Let's look at another way to age a tree with your own hands. The photo above shows the stages of work, and below I will describe them in detail.

1. You need to choose the right tree for aging. You should not choose young wood, because of the small fibers it has no decorative value. Resinous wood will be difficult and long to process. The tree should have a pronounced structure and healthy knots.

3. With a chisel, you need to make shapeless serifs on the edges of the board, as if with an ax.

4. A drill bit with hard nylon bristles can be used to remove soft wood grains. At the same time, you should not be too zealous and put pressure on the tool, pressing should be light so that the efficiency of the work does not decrease. You can also use a metal brush for processing - in this case there will be a rougher result.

5. You can add the effect of wormholes, but this is not for everybody. Using a core or a blunt nail, we make holes 1-2 mm deep.

6. Now you need to clean the surface and open it with Pinotex Uitra paint-lacquer. This coating will be resistant even to atmospheric conditions. You can also use Senezh aquadecor.

7. After the paint has dried, the surface must be sanded with fine sandpaper No. 80. The result will be very beautiful effect, when the depressions on the wood remain dark, and the protrusions are light, that is, we highlight the volume and structure of the wood.

8. The final stage is the re-opening of the red tree.

Aging wood with fire

You can age a tree with a gas burner.

There are three main ways here:

1. Aging without prior mechanical processing of wood. That is, we simply emphasize the texture of wood by firing it. Then we pass with fine sandpaper and open it with varnish.

2. First, mechanical processing of wood is carried out - we remove soft fibers, and then we carry out firing. This method will give the tree a relief and three-dimensional look, which will certainly look chic.

3. Intensive firing of wood, which will burn out the soft fibers of the wood and subsequent mechanical processing with a hard brush.

Finally, I want to give some advice:

Aged products from old boards will look more beautiful and effective. If you do not have such material, ask your neighbors or acquaintances, often such material can be obtained completely free of charge, and it will be much easier to work with it.
Different types of wood will age and paint differently when using the same materials. This must be taken into account when collecting wooden structures.
Now in stores you can buy a ready-made aged board without performing the above operations.

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 goals: in one case, you need to protect the wood from decay, in the other, to make it more fireproof, just change the color or give it a more expressive shade.

Important Points

Recently, such a type of processing as wood aging has become increasingly widespread. Artificially aging a tree is quite simple, and this is usually done solely for a decorative purpose, because after aging the wood of the interior or exterior, the house or furniture made from it looks like antique, old and worn by time. In the eyes of connoisseurs and aesthetes, the aging of wood gives buildings and finishes more value.

A sample of furniture using the technique of "aging" wood.

Several more or less simple techniques are known, according to which artificial aging. They can be made independently, having a basic set of tools and substances for wood finishing.

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

Painting after removing soft fibers

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

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

One of the wood aging techniques is called throwing.

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

Instead of a conventional metal brush, you can also take a circular one, which will require 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 the processing of wood is inevitable, so 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. A translucent dark composition is applied to the surface, and then removed by soaking with a sponge. After that, the surface can be varnished, left in this form, or treated with a light translucent glaze and also wetted with a sponge.
In the second case, a pattern is created in the “à la Provence” style, which is often used for ceilings and floor beams, for example, in basements or attics, thus creating an atmosphere of antiquity.

Multi-layer processing

In order to give the wood an even more antique look in the interior and at the same time look like it has already been worn out enough, 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, and saws. This creates the effect of high wear of wood.

Already with a relief, the wood surface is covered with a layer of ground paint until it dries completely. When it dries, a fairly 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 compositions 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 damage layer is also covered with a white translucent glaze, which, unlike the primer, can be unevenly layered to create the desired embossed effect.

Lacquer gives an aged surface an even more noble look.

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

Other Methods

Most fast way how to age a tree at home, which does not require much effort, is aging a tree 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 the grooves on the surface.

White glazing gives this surface an antique look. Surface finishing is carried out with a brush.
By this method, it is possible to obtain a bleached wood surface, for which the effect of aging is provided by processing with a stiff brush.