Wood aging/weathering help needed

[xtremek]

I need some advice. I built a frame for a Woodie Radio flyer and I absolutely love the patina of the wood. Problem is that one of the slats is broken. I had a friend at work make me a replacement, the question is how to get it to look like it's original. Spell it out clearly for me please, because I don't do wood real well,

 

[wrenchguy]

I'd paint it red (oil base) and wipe it off cross grain after bout a hour. Don't thin 1st coat and experiment with results. I think i got the same slats stored on a shelf in the barn.

 

[The Cobbler]

can you get a few pcs to experiment with? that would be a bonus.
get a colour match done on the red paint , preferably oil base ( I imagine the original is oil) a good paint store can do that, and match the sheen too.
start experimenting with the scraps by wiping at different times, etc. I'm actually wondering if a light, thinned coat of urethane as a primer would help you achieve the look

 

[The Cobbler]

read thru this thread too https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=327531& . I think a weak solution of that to first darken the wood a bit.
Also try to PM user Zeke on here, I think he does antique restorations and may be able to help you.

 

[rayra]

biggest trouble is you have to age the paint and the wood. You can 'age' the wood first and then try and get artful about the paint. But it isn't really easy.

as a side note, a baking soda and water solution will give a decent sun-bleached look to fresh pine. Lay it flat and saturate it with a spray bottle and let it sit.

 

[fourbyford]

As others have mentioned, practice on scrap! I would use a very light stain to tint the wood so it doesn't look fresh cut. Then, the red paint. I agree that an oil based paint would be best. Wiping some paint away after it's partially dry might give you the result you're looking for... if not, you might try letting it dry completely and then use very fine sandpaper to sand a few areas away.

HTH,

...D

 

[fourbyford]

...couple of additional thoughts...

You probably don't want the wood to be glass smooth before you start. Hopefully, the piece you select will have a bit of grain "character"

When you try wiping the partially dried paint, a rag slightly dampened with solvent (mineral spirits of what ever is recommended on the can) may help get the desired effect.

...D

 

[MAYOR28]

For the woods itself, The Wood Whisperer has a good tutorial on using baking soda.

...

 

[rayra]

Another trick from model making is to pre-apply rubber cement to areas you don't want paint on, paint the surface, rub the painted glue off after the paint dries. leaving gaps in the paint.

Other useful tool is a heat gun but practice on something else first. It's a fine line between bakign and flaking paint and flat out burning things.

 

[turbowoodworker]

One thought that would make it easier:

Don't try to match the existing wood. That is difficult. Instead paint all the slats and age them any of the ways mentioned. That way they all turn out the same.

If I were doing this project, I would sand all the slats with 150 grit, even removing some of the color. Then I would use multiple layers of all the half empty cans of paint in the shop. Then I would cover in the color red that closely matches desired color. Then use 180 sander to scuff up the hard used edges and corners. If this were inside furniture I would then coat with a clear, and preferably a half empty can of satin polyurethane that will yellow quicker than new stuff.

I have done this with furniture builds where I stain a dark stain (again any thing in the cabinet) then I'll cover it in black then red, then (in my case) white. Sanding exposes the color. Don't overdo the sanding, try to reflect where and how much wear there is now.

You could make it look pretty worn with that technique.

Sorry no closeups but you may get the idea:

 

[turbowoodworker]

I just noticed the decal. That complicates things.

 

[rattle_snake]

hmmm. Why not just use it as is? sand the edges of the broken piece and use it.

Else I would try:
-beat up the edges a bit and give some character
-paint the 'right' red, let fully dry
-sand selectively
-apply vinegar to darken fresh cut/sand as needed
-sand again

 

[wrenchguy]

Repair it, easier to match paint.

 

[xtremek]

Thanks for your help guys. I've got a few other projects, so I haven't gotten to this portion of this one yet. But when I do, I'll post the results, good, bad, or otherwise.

 

[didit]

As mentioned, experimenting with scraps is the way to go. A cheap trick to pre-age the raw wood before finishing is to dip a rag into a cup of black coffee and apply until a desired faux patina is reached. Allow to dry between coats. Then a color and gloss matched oil base should be OK. Good Luck! Be sure to post a pic of your results.

 

[HotrodHR]

Start by researching techniques... plenty of tips and tricks on YouTube. I do like the idea that was suggested about refinishing the entire wagon, not necessarily perfect, but painted all the same and then remove paint by sanding until they all look pretty close.

Patina or aged is cool but personally I'd prep and paint to look new, add logos, and maybe even pinstripe it. When people ask about you can tell them you restored and customized an original.

Other paints to consider if you're trying to match are woodworking glazes (usually oil based) or milk paint which is water based and can be used for faux finishes (think shabby chic furniture). Just google for examples... someone in you community probably "refinished" old furniture for reselling using these techniques, they may even offer workshops or classes if you're really into it.

 

[ard]

ive watched enough antiques roadshows to know that rpainting the other pieces or the whole thing is a bad idea. Time after time you hear the guy say "you lost 80% of the value by cleaning/refinishing it"

Getting it to properly match is very very hard. It may involve chemicals, baking, aging..etc. If you really want to do it right, do your research. terms 'conservation, preservation, restoration. whats kind of tricky is that you want to match what it looks like now, but ALSO have it age the same as the rest.

 

[HotrodHR]

^^^^^^^ The value of a custom hotrod wagon made with "old" wagon parts would be whatever someone might be willing to pay for it, not its antiquity. It's not like he built something from an antique Chippendale piece... I stand by my preferred choice - refinish/paint to look new, add logo, and pinstripe.

 

[xtremek]

I'm not worried about the value of being original. As you can see, I hacked it up pretty good. If I could get identical decals, I'd just paint the thing. But the decals I find for it now are plain and boring, so down this road I go. I'm not horribly worried about it, just trying to get it close. ..............and maybe learn a new skill.