Patina challenge

[Stephen B]

Patina Challenge

Yesterday I installed  Pine (Ratiata) architraves against a wall of pine lining boards. The lining boards were installed about 25 years ago and left to naturally age to a rich patina. As can be seen in the photograph there is a great difference in the patina between new and old.

Any suggestions on how to artificially age the new work.

Thanks  [smile]

 

[peter halle]

Do you have scrap available?

Peter

 

[tiralie]

Steel wool soaked in white vinegar and then wiped on the new wood works on pine to age it. Do a search for the process.
As Peter alludes to, make sure you test, and test the test on an extra piece.
Tim

 

[Stephen B]

Thank you both, yes I do have scrap left over and will research this technique further.    [smile]

 

[peter halle]

The reason I asked with scrap is that experimentation can be interesting or disastrous.  Here is a thread where I experimented based on something I read.  My experiment starts towards the end of the first page of results:  http://festoolownersgroup.com/finishing/magic/

Peter

 

[tiralie]

My experiment starts towards the end of the first page of results:  http://festoolownersgroup.com/finishing/magic/

Peter:
Thanks for that link. That half wall looks real good.
Nice photo essay on the affects of lye sprayed on the cherry and mahogany. That cherry looks great. I have to agree with one of the posters to the thread that I really don't like cherry unless it does have some color on/in it.
Tim

 

[peter halle]

It is an experimental process.  I just wanted to add that Red Devil Lye drain cleaner is no longer available due to the fact that people were using it to manufacture drugs (Meth I think).  To get lye now you pretty much have to get it from an online source that caters to soap makers.  I have to have it for the water purification process for my aquariums and have bought from essential depot.com.  It is food grade - used to make pretzels.

Peter

 

[peter halle]

I didn't have any radiata pine available, but I just grabbed a scrap of white pine and have applied some of the lye / water mixture to see what it does.  It is a drizzly day so drying will be slow.

Will post pictures in a couple of days.

Peter

 

[Stephen B]

I didn't have any radiata pine available, but I just grabbed a scrap of white pine and have applied some of the lye / water mixture to see what it does.  It is a drizzly day so drying will be slow.

Will post pictures in a couple of days.

Peter

Thanks Peter, any news?

The paint/stain mixer at my weekend work at a hardware store, and the only one I trust, even though I mix for customers, I get her to mix mine; anyway she suggested highly diluted Japan Black (up to 100:1). Since oiling a countertop this week, I have even thought diluted countertop oil finish is worth investigating.

Will spend some time experimenting shortly with these and other suggestions from this post.

[smile]

 

[Scott B.]

Sometimes you can get lucky with minwax stains on pine. I have cut down Puritan Pine (1/2) by mixing it with their Natural tone. Definitely do it on scraps, and it does take some messing around to get the tone you are looking for.

 

[peter halle]

I didn't have any radiata pine available, but I just grabbed a scrap of white pine and have applied some of the lye / water mixture to see what it does.  It is a drizzly day so drying will be slow.

Will post pictures in a couple of days.

Peter

Thanks Peter, any news?

The paint/stain mixer at my weekend work at a hardware store, and the only one I trust, even though I mix for customers, I get her to mix mine; anyway she suggested highly diluted Japan Black (up to 100:1). Since oiling a countertop this week, I have even thought diluted countertop oil finish is worth investigating.

Will spend some time experimenting shortly with these and other suggestions from this post.

[smile]

The results on pine were dismal at best.  Sorry.

Peter

 

[Michael Kellough]

Pine is not a good wood for staining. The late wood absorbs little or no stain. The result sometimes is a reversal of the natural difference in the color of late and early wood. That can look weird.

I'd spray dye on the new boards. The dye will gradually fade but the new wood will also darken on it's own, quicker if there is no additional finish applied.

.Here is a small sampling of available dyes. There should be a similar selection locally.