Replies

1. 
   ring | May 21, 2005 08:59am | #1

   Bob,

   For oak you will get good results with iron and vinegar solution.  Put some steel wool in a jar of vinegar for a few days, then strain the contents.  Try brushing it on some scrap pieces and start diluting the solution with water until the gray color you get looks right to you.  The effect is usually very strong, so you need to play with it before you use it on the actual job.  Any finish can go over it after it's dry.

   DR

1. 
   user-484962 | May 21, 2005 04:49pm | #3

   Ring and Miami: Thanks much. This is exactly what I was looking for but it had been 10 years since I read the story. Long and short term memory problem! Thanks again. Bob

1. 
   Miami | May 21, 2005 09:39pm | #5

   Here is a post with a coupla pictures of my current project using iron buff on white oak - I am trying for a much blacker look. 

   Jeff Jewitt says the ratio is 1/2 oz. of steel wool (I assume that's by weight) in a pint of white vinegar, I'd suggest you then strain it twice through paper coffee filters - any iron bits left will make black spots in the oak.  I tried mine after about a day, and it gave a very nice gray.  (I put about half-a-bag of 0000 steel wool in a gallon of vinegar - the vinegar itself doesn't change color too much.)

   Having just done this, here's another tip - It's even more critical with this than with most finishes to work from small amounts.  Pour small amounts of the vinegar either straight on the wood or into a new rag and wipe on, then start with a fresh rag for each large section.  If you use a larger container and 'dip' the rag, somehow the oak tannin gets carried back, blackens the solution, and the finish starts getting muddy-looking. 

   (BOY, do I wish I'd thought about this before I just did my 160 square feet of finish - I kept dipping from one can the whole time, ignoring how black the solution got, and that error bought me lots and lots and LOTS of effort to clean it up, and it simply isn't ever gonna look as good as if I'd never muddied it in the first place ... )

   Also, the vinegar on white oak will raise the grain like mad, and sanding or planing it down afterward risks cutting through the color, so be sure to wet, raise and sand off the grain (maybe twice!) before hitting it with the vinegar at all.

   That's all I can think of for now, but I'll let you know all my other mistakes with this finish as I make them ...  (Y'know, I think I wanna be you in this exchange!)

   Clay

   http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=23695.1

2. 
   JulienBoivin | May 21, 2005 09:31pm | #4

   One thing I find looks awesome on red cedar is the black oxidation streeks that comes with time.... would the iron/vinegar work or would something else be better?

1. 
   ring | May 21, 2005 10:07pm | #6

   To tell the truth, I don't know.  It's the tannic acid content in oak that causes the reaction.  You would need to try it on cedar, but I doubt that you will get anything similar.  Different species need different treatments, and there is no one formula that will work for all.  Some species turn a nice weathered gray when treated with lye (NaOH in water).  Experiment...

   DR

2. 
   Miami | May 23, 2005 03:09pm | #7

   If the iron/vinegar didn't work on the cedar, for lack of tannin, you can add tannin to the cedar before the iron buff - just drench it in tea and let it dry!

   But, try it first, many woods have enough tannin for this to work (cherry, walnut, mahogany to a lesser extent, based only on our playing with it).

   Clay

1. 
   user-484962 | May 24, 2005 06:57pm | #8

   Thanks, Miami. I will let you know how it works. Bob

2. 
   JulienBoivin | May 24, 2005 11:02pm | #9

   Interesting.... thanks guys, I'll try a few things....

2. 
   Miami | May 21, 2005 04:26pm | #2

   Yep, the iron/vinegar (iron buff) will work to give you a good gray, but I'd do the first test piece after the steel wool's been in the vinegar for only 24 hours or so - the longer it steeps, the blacker the result ...

   Clay

3. 
   Telemike | May 25, 2005 07:24am | #10

   All of the advice so far addresses the color of the wood. The texture of aged wood is also important. You can mimic aged wood by sandblasting. This will leave the hard rings of the grain raised by eroding the softer rings.

   You can also use a wirewheel in your drill. Make sure that the wires move with the grain rather than across it.

   You can simulate cracks and checks using a V parting tool to carve them. If the piece will be painted or use a heavy pigmented stain (yuck!), you can carve knots and other blemishes too.

   If the ends are not tight against another surface, you can use a bandsaw or a scroll saw to saw the end to an uneven ragged look. If you carve or "raggedize" the end, do it before sandblasting to let everything look old and eroded.

   Lastly, paint a dark pigmented glaze onto the board after staining and sealing, but before clearcoating. Then, wipe it off before it dries leaving just a little dark in the cracks and crevices.

1. 
   user-484962 | May 25, 2005 06:23pm | #11

   Thanks for the help. We are going to build a set for photographing western wear so need something that will look pretty authentic. I think all the info has been very helpful and should do the job. Will try to post a photo when we are done. It will be a few months.
   Thanks to everyone who has been so helpful. Bob