Artificially aging wood question

[Lyndon Graham]

I have acquired two ancient beautiful 2x6 pieces of grey weathered barn-wood that look like they are 100 years old. I want to make a picture frame of them.

My problem is that I only have two pieces and will need to rip them. When I rip them, I assume the color of the ripped surface will not be grey but more normal wood color.

Is there a way to artificially age these surfaces and make them look like old grey wood?

Thanks

[Prashun Patel]

I built some frames for a friend out floor boards from his grandfather's barn. Instead of simulating the old wood on the ripped faces, I just skip planed the faces. That revealed some fresh wood to match the edges, but left enough character and texture on the faces to show the age. The effect was quite nice.

[Cary Falk]

Rustoleum sells a product called Weathered Wood. You can buy it at HD or Lowe's. It does a good job at turning wood a weathered grey. Unfortunately when you try to coat it with poly, laquer, etc. it turns more brown then grey. I have been able to give it a coat of white pickling stain to lighten it up and protect the grey from going brown. I would guess you won't be able to match the 2 boards exactly. It would look best iif you just us all new bards and weather tem all the same.

[Mark Gibney]

A solution of ferrous sulphate is used frequently on film sets to age wood.

It reacts to tannins. I tested it last week on some oak, and it ebonized the wood. Maybe a weaker solution would just age it.

Your problem is that you don't have enough pieces to do tests on.
The solution offered by Prashun above of planing the freshly revealed wood sounds like it might give you an interesting look, that is also "authentic", and avoid the possible oops! of trying to stain wood.

- just realized Prashun planed the entire surface of the boards. I had in mind that you could face the freshly ripped edges to be the insides of the frame.

[Chuck Nickerson]

Since the back surface of a picture frame is not visible, you could saw veneer sheets from the back and glue them to your fresh faces.

Color-matching is doable but it's a trade-off of trial and error vs experience.
Post a photo and we can provide better advice.

Texture-matching can also be done if that's part of the effect you're trying to achieve.

[Andrew Hughes]

The most convincing artificial wheathering I've seen was done by sand blasting the surface then artist that knew how to combine colors would take over.
I saw it happening at Disney land the newer part of the park. I was doing the roof on the tower of terror.
Dont feel dumb if you can't get it right. It take some very particular skills to get right.

[Bradley Gray]

Red devil lye about 1TBS in a quart of water. (wear rubber gloves) will darken cherry and sassafras and turn most other woods grey

[Steve Demuth]

I built some frames for a friend out floor boards from his grandfather's barn. Instead of simulating the old wood on the ripped faces, I just skip planed the faces. That revealed some fresh wood to match the edges, but left enough character and texture on the faces to show the age. The effect was quite nice.

I endorse this. I did something similar with some white oak fence boards - planed them down to where I had long random streaks of the weathered surface surrounded by "fresh" white oak. However, even that "fresh" oak was actual pretty well caramalized, so I had to darken any cut surfaces (with ammonia) to get a match. The effects were very satisfying.

[scott vroom]

Potasium Dichromate

[Jill Magill]

Nails soaked in vinegar for several days. Use the vinegar solution as stain.

[Lyndon Graham]

I decided to use flat black paint. It came out well24302131_1587962757936596_5951371297369898602_o.jpg

[Jim Becker]

That looks great, Lyndon...a great setting for that beautiful photo!