Replies

1. 
   rreeger | Nov 22, 2002 10:33pm | #1

   Matt,

   My wife and I have done several pieces in this fashion and have been very happy with the way they turned out.  Both of our families liked them so much, that we have now created a backlog of furniture to refinish.  We acutually utilize two similar (but distinct) methods, depending on the desired result.  In any event, here is what works for us...

   For a piece with a single color of paint, apply two coats.  We use latex paint.  After the paint has dried, we sand the edges and any other places that would have received "wear" on this "old" piece.  After sanding and wiping down the piece, we will rub on a waterbased stain.  We have found the darker the stain, the older the appearance (although a dark stain is not appropriate with all color combinations).  After the stain has dried, we coat the piece with faux finishing glax (partly because it is for use of water-based finishes, partly because my wife is a faux painter and we have alot of the stuff just laying around). 

   For a piece with more than two colors, apply one coat of the "base" coat.  Rub parafin wax randomly over the edges and other desired wear areas.  Apply the second, contrasting color.  Repeat the above for another color, if desired.  We then sand and finish as above (for a single color).

   We have alot of fun with this!  In fact, we just painted a primitive style bench I made in a faux zebra print using the above method for more than one color.  After sanding, staining and applying the glaze, it really looked old and classy.  So much so that I have already had three people put in orders for me to make them one!

   I am sure there are others out there with additional ways to do this, but this works for us and we sure enjoy it.  It must be fairly easy as we just started doing it one day on our own.

   Enjoy!

   RR

2. 
   forestgirl | Nov 22, 2002 10:39pm | #2

   I love rookie's ideas on this -- sounds like great results.  Another option to consider is milk paint.  It gives a very different look than latex or oil paints.  It can be waxed after it's done.  The best paint comes from:

   http://www.milkpaint.com/

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   sorethum1 | Nov 23, 2002 12:03am | #3

   I winged it on a couple of items.  Actually though, the best pieces are from old wood I took off my shed, or found in dumpsters.  I've made rustic frames, shelves and the like.  Cedar pieces with worn or partial paint look great.  On others, I've stained first or painted on some out of fashion colored paint.  Then paint over the stain or paint.  Then sand off almost all the top coat.  Finally, I often wax it with a dark stained wax, which fills the worn areas.  This worked great on a  Leopold bench I made that I wanted to look as though I found in a  park.  My wife liked the heart with initials I carved in it.  Sounds more complicated than it is.  I just figure I'll use whatever is around, then sand through. 

2. 
   rreeger | Nov 23, 2002 12:48am | #4

   Always wanted to try Milk Paint and now, thanks to Forsest Girl, I might.  Thanks for the site address FG!

   Check out the gallery photos on this site.  G.L. Sawyer shows some of his work and gives his recipe for old finishes.  Looks like something I may want to try!!!

   RR

3. 
   Paul_Snyder | Nov 23, 2002 03:12am | #5

   Matt - there's an article with lots of photo illustration on this finish in "MORE Finishes and Finishing Techniques - The Best of Fine Woodworking." The article is called "Creating an Antique Painted Finish." If you collect back issues, you may even have the original article.

   Paul

   F'burg, VA

4. 
   DWRead | Nov 24, 2002 03:14am | #6

   You might find this information at http://www.valspar.com/val/resident/howTo.jsp , especially the instructions on "distressed" finishes.

   I like that these techniques are applied to the paint, so the wood itself is unchanged. Martha Stewart--wait! don't leave!--uses more drastic treatments to new furniture such as whapping it with a heavy chain to dent the surface, gouging it with a chisel, or adding cigarette burns. Sure, the distressed look can be attractive, there's no way I would intentionally damage a new piece!

5. 
   JasonMI | Nov 25, 2002 10:03pm | #7

   You want a worn finish? Just drop it off with my kid for about four hours. We don't call him "Boom-Boom Benjamin" for nothing, you know!