Quote:
Originally Posted by surferguy
Hey Grimm - the rumors are true that steel wool and vinegar will give you the oxidized patina you are after. That said any of the barn wood tables Ive made I have sanded to edges and joints to smooth those out so that there are no hard joints. When doing that you end up getting back to the original bare wood (no patina left).
Personally I find that the wood will turn darker no matter you end up putting on for a finish - the result can look very nice with a mottled colored top that ranges from bare wood to grey patina.
Finish - I would get it lacquered professionally (in a satin finish). Not super expensive and the result will be better than you can achieve on your own. Ive screwed around with finishes so many times and I just cannot replicate the look. You can go with a Danish oil/beeswax combo as well and that will give you a bit more of a satin look but it will difficult to get a nice polish as the texture of the barn wood will not allow you to buff off all the wax.
I can get more into the minutia of it all but it may be best if you have more questions to send me a PM or call me(details in sig) as there are many factors at play. I've built a few of them and I am more than willing to help you based on my experiences.
What kind of wood is it? Where was the farm at? Always curious about these projects - thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for the input! It is Cedar I am fairly certain, we have a farm just north of Chestermere that's been in the family for over a hundred years now. I am thinking about using a test piece and trying a few different techniques. My hope was for the finish to be on the gray side to match some other barn wood pieces we have that aren't planed but I am also hesitant to do any kind of faux finish or stain because I just feel it wouldn't be right.
I can post the results here if anyone is interested in seeing them? I've also read that a water based polyurethane finish might be good for this application as it tends to not darken the wood as much?
The big thing I want to avoid is a high gloss, super contrasting wood finish like those tree stump tables we've all seen around as I don't really love that "wet" look. Yet still protect the table as much as possible... might be asking the impossible haha.