Wood is a beautiful material from which a variety of interior elements are made. It can be decorated in many ways. One popular technique is aging wood. This is a rather complicated process, requiring certain knowledge from the master.
Expert advice will help you figure out how to do this processing yourself. Aging of wood can be done in several ways. Having considered all the techniques, it will be possible to choose the best option.
Why do we need to age wood?
Wood aging is carried out for various reasons. This technology allows you to give the material the required decorative qualities. With the help of such finishes, certain interior styles can be designed. To save money on the purchase of antique, sophisticated and very expensive decorative elements, the technology of artificial aging of natural material is applied.
The choice of such finishes can also be caused by the individual preferences of the owners of the house. If they want to decorate the interior of their home with just such products, the artificial aging of wood will provide a wide field for creativity. It will not be difficult to give the material the necessary appearance using the methods presented below.
There are several approaches that help give the wood the necessary decorative qualities. For them, certain materials, tools are used. Also, the master will need enough free time. Haste in this case can lead to an unsatisfactory result.
Mechanical aging of wood
There are various methods of aging wood. They allow you to give the array a specific look. One of the most popular approaches is mechanical aging. It is also called brushing or texturing. The wooden surface is treated with a special brush. This allows you to stylize the material, giving it an antique look.
Brushing a tree involves removing “flesh” from the structure. This gives embossment to the workpiece. It is this process that has been occurring with wood for a long time. It dries out under the influence of various environmental factors.
Experienced craftsmen claim that this is one of the easiest ways to process wood. However, it is not always possible to put this approach into practice. It depends on the characteristics of the wood species. Also, when machining mechanically , it is possible to obtain a relief surface. In some cases, the interior is best decorated with other varieties of processed wood.
Features of mechanical aging
Wood brushing may not apply to all breeds of natural material. This method is suitable for processing almost all coniferous species, especially pine. Brushing is also used for larch, walnut, ash and oak. These are the most popular types of wood that are used today in the construction and decoration of premises.
Mechanical aging is not carried out for fruit varieties of natural material. Also, this technology is not used for processing beech, maple, teak, a number of exotic types of wood. They are rarely used in finishing work. Therefore, the mechanical method is so popular.
For processing, you will need to prepare a special brush. She has a metal "pile". The procedure requires enough free time. You can’t rush. Otherwise, you can ruin the appearance of the array. This way you can age small workpieces. For an extensive scope of work, it is necessary to use a grinder, drill or a special machine.
Manual brushing
Do-it-yourself wood aging requires a certain concentration from the master. The material must be dry. Otherwise, it will not be possible to provide the required decorative surface. Bullies will appear. Dry wood along the path of the fibers is carried out with a brush. To make the pile stiffer, you can trim it.
As a result of such manipulations, it is possible to remove the softest fibers from the external structure of the array. After this, the grinding process is carried out. To do this, use a brush with finer bristles or sandpaper with a large grain size.
After this processing, you can color the array. For this, stain is most often used. This allows you to create the desired shade. Other colorants may be used. The appearance of the finish will depend on the correctness of this stage. After that, polishing and varnishing is carried out. This protects the natural material from decay. Varnish the surface several times.
Machine processing
To process a large volume of material, it is necessary to use special equipment. It can be a grinder or an electric drill. A special wire nozzle is put on the angle grinder. Work must be done carefully so as not to damage the material.
A wood aging machine can also be used. Such equipment is most often used in enterprises. With its application, it is possible to achieve high speed and quality of aging of woodlands. Roughing takes just a few minutes. At this time, small soft fibers are removed.
Wood processing machines are purchased only if it is necessary to process large volumes of materials. The most popular varieties are the Festool Rustofix RAS 180 aggregate. The Makita 974 grinder, which comes with an abrasive brush, is also used for independent wood processing.
Chemical aging
Artificial aging of wood can be performed using another technology. During processing, the array is cleaned with large sand paper. Then proceed to its chemical aging. If you want to process hardwood, an ammonia solution can be used. You can also use ammonia. It contributes to the darkening of the array.
You can simply clean the surface slightly to more clearly highlight the annual rings. After that, stain and varnish are used. There is another method. Another possible option for chemical aging is the use of water-based stains. When the desired shade is obtained, the composition is washed off with a sponge with water. This emphasizes the contours of the rings, makes the edges darker.
Another option is patting. This is the most complex and highly decorative treatment. In this case, it opens the pores against a more even surface. For this, special chemical compounds are used. They can be purchased at specialized stores.
Heat treatment
Thermal technology of aging of wood is another way to give the array an antique appearance. The procedure is carried out in several stages. First, firing is carried out over the entire surface of the material. You can also perform processing only in selected areas. It also gives a decorative finish. It is best to use a gas burner for these purposes. Before you begin, you need to practice on an unnecessary piece of wood.
Firing will remove all soft fibers. After this, the knots, tree rings of wood appear more clearly. Further, machining is performed. Carbon must be removed with a brush with a metal "pile". This will also increase the relief of the picture.
Further, if desired, you can impregnate the material with stain. The composition will give the desired shade to the wood. After the material dries, it is varnished. It can be colorless or have a tint.
Dry brush method
Another relatively simple approach is the aging of wood using the dry brush method. To carry out it will require the use of imagination. First, scratches, potholes, chips are created on the material. You can skip this step, since this processing is irreversible.
First, one layer of paint is applied to the surface, and then a second. Then they should dry well. Next, with the help of fine sandpaper, the upper layer of paint is erased. This must be done unevenly. In some places, scuffs should reach the first coat of paint, and in others - to wood. Particular attention must be paid to the protruding parts and the hem.
Then, with a dry brush, paint is applied. You need to pick up a flat hard brush. The paint should be contrasting. If the base is light, the top coat should be dark. The paint should look like a trace of bristles. Smears cannot be crossed. Next, a smear grease fresh strokes. Then apply a clear varnish. It is applied in 2 layers.
Wood restoration
Another type of aging wood is its restoration. This must be done if the appearance of the decor is lost. First you need to clean the surface. Next, the wood is covered with acrylic paint in 2 layers. Then the protruding surfaces are rubbed with paraffin. They are painted in the desired shade. Then, after drying, the places treated with paraffin are cleaned off. Finishing is carried out using varnish.
Having considered the features of aging wood, you can independently create the necessary decor.