Finishing Pine

[Dave Richards]

My brother asked me this question and I couldn't answer. I told him I'd ask the experts so here I am.

Is there a way to make pine look aged? He is going to build a cabinet from pine and, while the exterior will be painted, the inside will not and he'd like to make the inside look old.

Any ideas? Thanks.

[Jason Roehl]

What does he mean by "aged"? One way would be to use a yellow dye stain (like Minwax Natural or Golden Oak), then a oil-base poly, which would really deepen the color.

Jason

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

.....but, from my experience, Pine is a little finicky when it comes to staining. Like many softer woods, it likes to blotch when stained. A good quality pre stain wood conditioner goes a long way in eliminating this streaking/blotching effect. I have used Minwax Wood Conditioner with good results on pine, however. For an aged look, you would almost have to select a wood finish that would mimic the effect that aging has on the wood. As far as pine goes, that shouldn't be to difficult. One thing to remember is that wood ages differently when exposed to the sunlight, and the interior of even really old pieces can still look reletively fresh, due to the protected nature of being in the inside. Maybe if he wanted to consider a painted interior, he could utilize a crackle finish paint? I have seen some newer work that was done with the crackle finish, and they apperared to be antiques. There is a TON of knowledge and experience here, I am sure someone else has some ideas as well.

[Jason Roehl]

The two stain colors I mentioned really don't splotch all that much on pine because they are fairly light to begin with.

Jason

[Phil Phelps]

The first thought was, aged as in what? I have yellow and sugar pine in my shop that is fifty years old. It hasn't been in the weather, so other than a little yellower, it looks pretty much the same as the young stuff. I wonder if he has "barn wood" in mind?

[Jason Roehl]

Or, you could beat it with a chain. Then it will look "aged." Oh, wait, interior decorators call that, "distressed."

Jason

[Dave Richards]

Wow, that was quick work, guys. I expect the deeper yellow is what he had in mind. When he first asked how to age pine I said throw it outside and leave it in the weather. I'd bet that darker yellow is what he's got in mind.

I think he'll use the chain on the outside a little. I told him to take it easy that way.

Well, if there are any other thoughts, I won't report you ideas for a bit.

thanks.

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

I'm building a primitive pine cabinet right now. See this thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=4371#post4371)

Essentially, I would recommend:
Sand with 80 then 100 grit.
Apply 50/50 BLO/MS. (Boiled Linseed oil & Mineral Spirits)
Apply Bullseye Amber Shellac. Several coatswith a pad.
Apply stain. I used Min Wax Provencial Pine. Highlights the grain and any distress.
Sand the nibs lightly with 220 or 320
More shellac. Up to 6 coats
Apply dark wax. Mine is Fiddes
Buff vigerously. Buff, Buff, Buff
More Wax, more buff, buff, buff
I finished with Johnson's Wax(It buffs easier)


If you want to distress. Do it right after initial sanding. I put wipe on poly on the shelves, not necessary though. If you poly, do it before wax. I have tried this finish with and without the BLO/MS. The BLO is much better. Don't know why.

An ice pick or scratch awl makes good distress marks. Experiment. I did.

Another idea is to pick boards that are crappy on one side. You know the kind that they sell for good lumber today: bark, fork lift gouges, cracks. Put the bad side in.

[David Rose]

I suspect you have a good reason or you wouldn't apply the dark first. I guess I don't understand using the Johnson after the Fiddes. Does the Fiddes not give the sheen you want?

David

[Todd Burch]

When I want the look of old pine, I find and use old pine. The older the better.

The older pine gets, the more patina it develops through and through - noty just on the surface. I'll ever-so lightly plane the dirt off, and use it as is, sanding only as much as I have to to remove any mill marks.

I don't stain pine. Not only does pine blotch*, but the grain reverses when stained. If you apply a sealer coat like shellac, or poly, or whatever, and then you stain, well, then you aren't staining pine - you are staining shellac, or poly, or whatever, and you don't get grain reversal.

Todd.

*blotch: if you can read the grain, botch is not unpredicatable in pine. On at least one side of a every knot yuo will get blotching.

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

This was on the Pond in November 2002:
<img src="http://www.buttuglybikers.com/pond/Shellac.jpg">
.....I having been using a lot of shellac and read every past thread on Badger Pond and other forums. One observation is that Amber shellac does not impart the same color to every wood.[No surprise] This board was a grayed out weathered barn siding board I lightly sanded and passed through the planer. The old nail holes and scars were filled with epoxy (just a two part epoxy glue syringe) tinted with black Testors paint (just a drop). The shellac coat was sanded and sealed with 2 coats of wipe on poly. After a few weeks, I will wax with Johnson's wax.
.....Who out there has had a problem applying a finish over Shellac? Is there a chance that the poly will delaminate somewhere down the road because there is wax in the Shellac? Is lacquer the only finish that will not go over a waxed Shellac?
.....Using Epoxy: I think that epoxy gives you the opportunity to use boards that otherwise wood be better suited for kindling. Epoxy will seal cracks, scars, nail holes etc. Epoxy and good finishes will resurrect old wood. I like to put a couple of coats of Johnson's wax on top to protect the finish but I feel it may be prudent to allow the finish (wipe on poly in this case) a few weeks to fully cure. Applying wax with steel wool softens, smoothes and enhances the patina.
..... Anyway, back to using Barnwood. I love the look of old boards. I'm looking forward to using some in furniture projects. One problem is getting enough thickness to be able be able to clean up the board with sanders and planers. This board is now @ 1/2" thick. That's a little thin for structural integrity. Anyway, I love the challenge of woodworking. If it was easy, We wouldn't have much to talk about at the "Pond".

[Hal Flynt]

I haven't had any problems with anything I've put over "dewaxed" shellac.

I mix my own and use dewaxed most of the time at least for the first few coats. Garnet (about the color of coffee) looks "older". I find it on a lot of antiques and used it to repair an old cedar chest. The faint "greenish" tint in this shellac browns up the red in the cedar making an outstanding finish.

I can't be positive, but I remember from 30 or so years ago, my dad telling me that shellac was a natural lacquer.

Also I read an excellent article on finishing pine this weekend and I think it was FWW. If not in the lates issue, it may have been in my son-in-laws Wood. It suggested BLO and let it dry 5 days then garnet shellac.

[Rob Sandow]

I mix them with alcohol and rub on with a rag dampened in the mixture. Don't "flood on" and wipe off as recommended for most woods because that will blotch pine. Honey amber with a hint of orange should give the look you want. Add additional coats or a stronger mixture to darken. Then spray on a thin coat or 2 of clear shellac to seal it and then finish with anything you want.

Rob