For the Woodworkers: how to finish weathered barn wood?

[Andyman]

I've done probably as much or more woodworking than most, but this has one a bit stumped, so before I start experimenting on my own, I'll look for some help here.

I've got some old weathered red oak lumber from an old firewood rack that I'm thinking of turning into an audio rack. I want to preserve the look, feel and weathered patina of the lumber, but some of it is rough cut, so sanding it, before and after finishing most likely will abrade the surface and remove some of the character i seek to preserve.

I'm thinking maybe some sort of penetrating oil like a BLO or Tung might be the way to go, or to build up layers of film via many thin coats of diluted finish, as i don't want the puddling of a thicker finish.

What's worked out there? let me know!!

 

[Dinobob]

Well... I think just about anything you put on it will darken it, ie. "wet look".
Thats what happened to a coffee table I built for my son. To match the gray barn wood color where cuts were made I used carefully mixed and applied acrylic paint. I varied color to match appearance. This worked OK, but I think its a lot of work. If I were to do it again I think I would start by building up successive layers of a lightly sprayed acrylic sealer, this might prevent the darkening of the wood patina as the spray would dry on the surface not having time to soak in. Test it on scrap whatever you choose to do. Hope this helps.

Bob

 

[mayidunk]

Why even try finishing it? I believe that many people who used barn wood as wall paneling and cabinets pretty much put it up as is.

 

[Oerets]

I don't know if it is the look you are going for but have seen some rustic furniture with a thick coat of clear poly over it.

Barney

 

[mhardy6647]

usually nothing is done to barnwood AFAIK.

 

[LWB]

Iron oxide and vinegar can be used to silver or darken new wood surfaces. It is acidic, so you might want to seal the item before use, so it cannot affect anything that comes in contact with it.

 

[tommarantz]

I work with reclaimed wood daily, making furniture and rustic flooring. Also, in my photo sets you can see a stereo stand I built using reclaimed material.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=418601

There are lots of ways you can finish old reclaimed wood, it just takes experimenting. It's true that barn wood is often left unfinished, but if you want to make it stain-proof and wipe able, you can put something on it.

I recommend using a fine sand paper (120 or 150 grit) to knock off any loose splinters and smooth the surface lightly. Give all of your material a light rub by hand, especially the edges and corners. Basically you are just trying to 'break' the surface. This will make it easier to rub or paint on any finish you plan on using, and get rid of any loose splinters without taking away the character of the wood. The fine paper will clean it up a little but is not coarse enough to remove cool-looking saw marks, which is what you want. :yes:

You can use a rub on finish such as tung oil or rub-on poly, but if you don't want to change the color of the wood you should experiment with it first since some of these products will significantly darken wood that is rough-sawn or left unsanded.

I caution you that using any stain, even light-toned stains will make the wood much darker if it is not dressed and/or sanded.

On my stereo stand, I rubbed on a coat of Cabot's Bleaching Oil to obtain a 'whitewashed' or 'pickled' look. Minwax also makes a greyish stain which will achieve the same look.
After that, a single coat of satin Varathane, which is just waterborne wood finish.

Any satin waterborne finish will work fine on its own too. It's enough to protect and seal the wood, make it somewhat washable, but won't change the color or lustre of the wood. Easy to brush or wipe on, and dries very fast.

Good luck and feel free to PM me, I work with wood all the time. Cheers!

 

[Andyman]

Nice work there Tom!!

We went to this place called Restoration Hardware the other day and some of the reclaimed stuff they had there got my juices flowing. I'm using this really neat looking old dresser with a outstanding flecked white oak veneer right now, but despite my efforts to clean and seal it, I'm still getting a slight allergic reaction of a metallic taste in my mouth from it. I'm going to try one more thing with it, and if that doesn't kill the taste, I'll probably sell it and build something from this barnwood.

 

[tommarantz]

Nice work there Tom!!

We went to this place called Restoration Hardware the other day and some of the reclaimed stuff they had there got my juices flowing. I'm using this really neat looking old dresser with a outstanding flecked white oak veneer right now, but despite my efforts to clean and seal it, I'm still getting a slight allergic reaction of a metallic taste in my mouth from it. I'm going to try one more thing with it, and if that doesn't kill the taste, I'll probably sell it and build something from this barnwood.

Oh right! I remember your thread about the dresser. Sorry to hear that it's still making you feel sick. Bummer. That's really not unusual though, and it happens to me too with certain woods. :thumbsdn:
Not to scare you off, but I caution you that some barnwood can be pretty noxious also (due to manure/urine impregnated in the wood), especially boards that come from the threshing floor of a barn. Usually the wallboards are a better bet, it's much cleaner and easier to work with.

Anyway, reclaimed wood can basically be used in the same way as fresh-cut lumber. I'd say the general rule of thumb is to experiment with finishes first to obtain the look you want. Also, watch for nails if you put it through your planer! They will destroy your planer knives.

 

[Andyman]

Thanks tom. I'm going to gibe it one more full coat of dewaxed shellac as a sealer and see if that does the trick. i didn't seal the finished parts, so hopefully a good wash and then seal will do the trick.

Here's a few picks of the wood. There;s a lot of insect damage on it, plus rot, but I know I can get some good pieces out of it.