Antiquing/Aging fiinish

Hi, my wife recently brought a writing desk from one of those cheap furniture import companies and it has the look of an old Sea Captains desk. It looks very knocked about in a fashion that makes it look a hundred years old. It even has a patch in the top as if a hole had been repaired.

The joinery is very open and the timber drawers look rough cut, almost hacked out of a solid piece of timber.

My problem... my wife likes it so much she now wants me to build a whole suite of furniture in the same style and I have no idea of where to start to make a piece of furniture built from new timber look a hundred years old!

Can anyone suggest a website tht may have some instructions/ideas on how to artificially age a piece of furniture and what finish might be suitable for it.

She wants: a bookcase, a display cabinet, a side board, a hall table, a coffee table, etc, etc...

Cheers
Gary

short article here:

http://www.architecturals.net/tip.cfm?articleID=3065

another:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_faux_ant...377715,00.html

there's also an article in one of the latest WW mags too from memory

I personally cringe when I see this type of furniture, crudely made and finished for the 'rustic' look (or distressed, whatever!), such a waste of timber! (often coming from quickly dimishing rainforests)

What happened to the concept of finely finished??? I know it's just a fad but still...:(

step1
use rough timber that most " refined woodworkers" would feed to the fire.
step 2
don't be too fussy with the preparation of the stock
step 3
adopt a slopy attitude.... think packing crate

get the idea

cheers

a blow torch.
a hammer .
a bike chain .
and a todler with a pen.
or better still when your finished leave it at your local kindy for a week that should do the trick .
um or tie it to your car and fly round the block.
ok well ive seen how they do the distresed look and its with blunt wood working tools inc saw blades scaraped over the piece well were do we get some of these um i know my neibour cause thats why he keeps boroing mine yep you glen.:D

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Originally Posted by womble

.... there's also an article in one of the latest WW mags too from memory
.....

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This month's edition of the Australian Woodsmith! Just opened my copy this morning. It's an exceptionally good edition this time round - I think they copied my spider's cobweb table though :)

Antiquing furniture - I put a dark stain on the pine and wiped off to get the colour I wanted, mortised out the area for some hinges, attached them, didn't like them, removed them added others, happily carried the miniature treasure chest in a bag to and from work a couple of times, letting it get dinged about a bit.... Yep, looks 'antiqued' now:rolleyes:

cheers
Wendy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gazza

my wife likes it so much she now wants me to build a whole suite of furniture in the same style
She wants: a bookcase, a display cabinet, a side board, a hall table, a coffee table, etc, etc...

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Doesn't the imports shop stock these in the same style? Then you can get on with what you like doing.

Don't bother making it. You can buy that crap style furniture to match the desk for less than you can buy the wood to make the stuff.

Comes from Indonesia or somewhere like that and it's everywhere.

Cheers - Neil :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gazza

................It even has a patch in the top as if a hole had been repaired...................

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Probably did have a hole in it!:D I despise the stuff too, absolute waste of diminshing resources. What's more, the unwashed masses assume that timber furniture should be cheap because of this stuff, putting even more pricing presssure on people that are trying to make a living making furniture here.

Mick