How do weather wood.

[charlie 14]

How do I take a knew cedar board and make it grey without applying any stain on it. I know if you leave it outside long enough it will turn grey, but I don't have time to wait for it to go through that process. I heard baking soda with hot water will spead up the process. Has anybody done this process if so please let me kno. If there is another way please let me kno that to.

Thank You

Charlie

[Firedkm 14]

Why are you trying to grey out the board?

[charlie 14]

For marketing purpose.

Charlie

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

You're better off talking to a fence or deck company and asking them if they have any scrap left from a job where they had to tear down an old structure.

I have not heard of speeding up the greying process.

Beth

[Paul B. 523]

To age wood, you need to remove its natural moisture.

Soaking wood in degreaser and water will speed up the process (just like driftwood). After removing from water, exposure to sunshine will speed up the aging process. The cycle needs to be repeated several times. Baking soda will work, but a higher pH degreaser such as HD-80 will work much better.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Make you a deal that you can't refuse. ;) You pay for the new boards, and I will ship my old and grey fence to you. You gotta pay the shipping though. I will not charge a handling fee since it saves me the time and trouble of trying to clean mine up.;) Do we have a deal?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Oh man Alan, that's the easy way out. Just wash it. Then seal it. You can do it. Really. You can. ;)

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Thats 3500 psi at 210° using my turbo as close as I can get right?? Then I wait five minutes and seal it up, using my hose end pesticide sprayer. Presto, Concrete cleaner turns to wood restoration specialist.:D

Anyone have some extra jobs i can practice my theory on??;)

[Tim Smith 14]

This past summer, I replaced a lot of spindles on this old cedar deck.

I kept some of the spindles and did the following:

The first 1/3 of the spindle - I left all grey and old looking.

The second 1/3 (middle section) - I washed and brighten.

The third 1/3 - I restored (Washed, Brighten, Sealed).

I keep one in the truck and use it as part of my sales pitch - It shows before and after - as well as three steps of our wood restoration process. Its a powerful tool.

I've also done the same thing to cedar shakes and boards.

I've created a display board (2ft by 2ft) with different types of wood using different tints of sealant. Customers really seem to enjoy it.

I plan to do three trade shows next year - so I have been working on props over a year now. I've found that these props work well in getting bids also.

[James 625]

Bleaching- using bleach and leaving it on to long will speed up the aging process and there is another product not mentioned yet but I can't think of it . Sorry.?

What I have done and because I do yearly maint. I let the wood age for the year,

.

[paul-uk 500]

could it be a "uv light" ???? or a "sunbed" ;)

[James 625]

If you apply a strong tea solution let it dry.Then make a solution of ferrous ammonium sulfate, and apply that. This will achieve different shades of grey with how strong you make your solutions.

This is from a book by The Forest Labs-Finishes for exterior wood.

[Robert Ray 14]

I saw this on a TV show once if you take some old nails and leave them in a coffee can with some water for a week or so untill the nails rust mix and apply to the wood let dry and apply stain worked on TV. I wonder how long doing that would last :)

[Everett Abrams 501]

Cabot makes a Bleaching Oil, it is linseed oil based. It is supposed to speed up the graying process. I have never used it, only know of it.

[PiPhi95 14]

I know this is a late post, but I thought it might help others.

I make "Shabby Chic" style furniture and often need to make stuff look old when it's not. Take 1 piece of 0000 steel wool and tear it into small pieces. Put it into a quart glass jar and fill with distilled white vinegar. Let it sit for a day or two, shaking ever so often. The steel wool will dissolve in the vinegar and then you can just paint it on to your new board. When the vinegar evaporates the dissolved metal will have been soaked into your board and will look just like it came off the side of an old barn! Good Luck.

[charlie 14]

Thank You

[Chazz 14]

Try some Tequila and a bad divorce

It's helped me grey and weather real quick. ( just kidding). Haha

[Rick2 42]

Hahahha There's always a good laugh in here somewhere.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

PiPhi95 - you need a signature....

And to all the skeptics.... http://miniatures.about.com/od/miniaturebasics/f/vinegarwood.htm

There are pages and pages out there supporting his post you are laughing at. I might have to try it. I'm curious.

Beth

Edited July 5, 2011 by Beth n Rod
added more