So, before us is a wooden board. There is a peculiar pattern inherent in this tree species. Dark and light tones overlap in the picture, and it is created over the years, during the growth of the trunk. In winter, denser dark fibers grow, and in summer - light, light and loose. The latter are more subject to the influence of time - gradually erasing, they give the board an old look.
The brushing method called its name from the English word “brush” is called upon to speed up this process many times. After all, just a metal brush will work, which will quickly erase summer loose fibers. Further, it is up to paints that emphasize the texture of the tree. The final stage is the application of a protective varnish layer. The result is a board that perfectly imitates an old tree, with all its bumps, hollows and darkening. Work takes several hours.
Structuring wood in the interior
Vintage today is in favor, so wood processed in this way is suitable for the manufacture of almost any interior item. For example, to create a designer lamp or a pot-bellied dresser that exudes comfort. Beautiful doors and window-sills are made of brushed wood, such boards plank the walls of a country house and lay massive floors. Garden benches, terrace columns, well logs and wooden fences look wonderful in this way.
A living tree likes to take in the company the same natural materials: stone, leather, metal. Well, if the traces of time are also visible on them, it turns out simply fabulous. There are many options: original notepads made of rough leather with wooden trim, forged elements of garden furniture, walls and ceiling trimmed with aged boards, adjacent to rough masonry.
Practical brushing guide
For self-processing of wood, you must first stock up with a simple tool:
- grinder or electric drill;
- a metal brush mounted on a drill or grinder;
- emery cloth;
- goggles or a mask to protect against splinters in the face;
- respirator for protection against fine wood dust.
Now you can cook a suitable wooden board. If she is with knots or other flaws - it does not matter. It will turn out even more interesting and original. The main thing is to choose the right tree species, since not all are suitable for our purpose. It is necessary that the drawing on the board was sufficiently clear - hardwood, in particular, has this quality. For clarity, make a table.
Suitable for brushing | Not suitable for brushing |
Spruce, larch, pine, walnut, oak, ash, dussia, metoba, kempas, wenge, merbau. | Beech, pear, maple, cherry, teak, juniper, alder, birch. |
Having selected any material from the first column, we begin to “conjure”. And at first it is advisable to try on an unnecessary piece to hone your skills. We have to carefully select all the soft fibers, for which we use a brush metal nozzle, coupled with a grinder (or drill). We carry it strictly in the direction of the fibers, in one long movement - from the very beginning of the board to its end. Do not forget about protecting your face, especially your eyes.
The gas burner will help to speed up the brushing process many times. It is only important here not to overdo it by bringing its flame to the fibers. In no case do we allow the resin to catch fire, for which we do not stop the burner for a long time. Singing the board, you can start to work with a brush.
If thermal procedures are not provided, instead of them slightly moisten the board with a wet brush, and then dry it for about three minutes. When the work of the brush is finished, we take up a small emery cloth - here a respirator is just in handy. Then you need to remove all dust and debris from the board, for which it is nice to use a vacuum cleaner. However, you can get by with a soft-brushed brush, carefully moving along the wood fibers.
Finish stage
- If you wish, you can create an imitation of traces of a bark beetle bug. To do this, we make corner holes in the board with a thin drill, arranging them randomly, but in a heap. This is how insect pests do their moves.
- However, our board, covered with numerous grooves, does not yet have an old-fashioned appearance - the coloring should give the final charm. To do this, special waxes containing dyes, as well as colored varnishes and paints intended for wood, can be used. To enhance the effect, the recesses are painted in darker shades, and the bulges in lighter. However, today the reverse combination is fashionable, which also looks beautiful.
- If the whole product is processed in one color, we again use a fine emery skin. We lightly walk through the bulges, making them brighter. The final step will be the application of a protective varnish coat. By the way, sometimes to enhance the aging effect, special craquelure varnishes are used. They create a surface covered with a network of cracks.
If you have neither a drill, nor a grinder, nor money for expensive paints and waxes, then you can get by with the budget option (however, more time-consuming). We take a metal bagel brush for washing pans and wield it (very carefully, along the fibers). Or you can take a hand brush designed to remove rust - it is also cheap. Instead of wax, we use a wax-based shoe cream that is suitable in color.
Learn from the wizard how to age a tree from a video!
Is it difficult to age a tree at home?
So, there is nothing complicated in this technology. As it turned out, it is possible even to do without special tools. And you can show your imagination at full power at the finish stage - when the painting is done. In addition to natural colors, it is possible to use gold, silver, bronze - in general, what the soul desires. By the way, the paintwork not only does not harm the wood, but also serves as a good protection for it.
Moreover, the resulting boards, seemingly so ancient, are actually brand new. And they can serve as long as unprocessed ones - after all, such a finishing method is absolutely harmless to wood. Naturally, products need to be provided with proper care. To do this, it is enough to renew the varnish protective layer once a year. This is especially important when the product is on the street.
Note that not only individual boards, but also pieces of furniture can be processed. What is disassembled, while it is better to disassemble - it will be more convenient. You can also try to breathe in the noble vintage spirit into many old but strong things. For example, a fence around a country house or a lining board with which it is sheathed.
A similar method is used by large enterprises for the manufacture of fashionable aged products. They have special automatic lines for brushing, and the case is put “on stream”. They make furniture, garden decor items, decorate restaurants, bars, and country houses. Even parquet manufacturers have begun to master this method - after all, there is demand.
However, there is nothing nicer than doing it yourself. And so you can get truly exclusive things that will fill the house with comfort, and the soul with pride. Why not give it a try?