Aging pine to look like barnwood

[Dan Lambert]

I have a request to build a bed frame that looks like old barnwood, but I don't think that all the splinters and roughness of natural barnwood would be good to use for a bed frame. I'm considering building it from select pine, and then aging it to look like barnwood in color. I want to give it some texture, but not make it coarse.

What would be the best method to obtain the variegated color of barnwood on pine? I plan to use a wire brush on a grinder to give me some texture, but I'm not sure about how to color the wood. Has anyone done this successfully before?

[Nick Uhler]

Try the black tea/vinegar and steel wool combination. On pine, it turns a gray/brown that soaks deep into the wood and it looks very pretty.