A video tutorial to create weathered wood from brand new wood.
Hey guys! Today we are going to show you how to create weathered wood using new wood that can be used in a wood wall liked we made for the back of our reading nook.
Spruce-Pine-Fir Furring Strips (various widths)
Rust-Oleum Wood Stain, Kona
Hammer
Nails
Clamps
Drill
Wire Brush Drill Attachment
Table Saw
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How to Create Weathered Wood Video
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When we started making our wood wall we tried to use old weathered wood from left over pallets but we quickly learned that wood pulled off pallets tended to be gross and broke apart really easy. So instead we bought new Spruce-Pine-Fir Furring Strip in various widths and decided to create the weathered look ourselves so that we could control the color and appearance of each board so that when we put the wood on the wall we could create a pattern that appears random yet balanced. That makes sense, right?
First we hammered two nails into the ends of the boards and then pulled the nails back out to give the appearance that the board had been ripped off of a pallet. After that we use a metal brush attached to a drill to remove the soft wood from in between the grain lines. This is the approach that we found give the most significant and realistic weathered appearance. This also evenly roughs up the surface so the stain soaks in more easily creating a darker more even finish.
The last thing we did was run the surface of the board along the edge of the table saw blade to give it the circular blade marks. When cheaper wood is milled, the surface is not finished smooth. The new wood we used was smooth so we needed to add these marks back on to give it an authentic appearance.
The final step is to stain the boards. We used an oil based stain. Even though it is messier than water based stain we have had better luck achieving a darker finish with the oil based stain. The boards that haven’t been roughed up will be lighter and the ones with the marks will be darker.
Once the stain is dry to the touch, you can start putting it up on the wall! Have any questions? Let us know in the comments below.
Check out how to install weathered wood boards on a wall like we did in our reading nook.
This video is really solid, great job. My wife and I love the way you used it on the coffee bar. This will be my next project. I was just curious on getting a little clarification on the running the board thru the saw blade part. Is it the side of the blade that is creating the groves? should the gap between the saw and the guard be a tight fit for the board? I hope my question was clear haha. Thanks for the help.
Thanks, it is good to hear that the video is helpful. I used the table saw blade to cut into the side of the boards. The fence was set to be slightly more narrow than the thickness of the board to ensure that the blade only barely cut into the surface. The board would fit tightly between the blade and the fence with the blade off but with the blade on it cuts the board. Be sure to maintain control of the board to prevent any kickback.
-Brent
I just saw this and am totally gonna do this to our nook that has just sat empty for 7 years! Plans for the bench?
We can’t wait to see how your reading nook turns out! We have been meaning to put together the plans and will have to get on it.
-Brent
You guys are brilliant! I have researched making new boards look old, but this is the best I have seen. I too have an empty nook and am so doing it just like you did! thanks for the inspiration, and beautiful job. Can’t wait to go tell my husband what I found.
Aw thanks Shelly! We’re So glad we could provide some inspiration. Good luck on your nook, we would love to see it when you are finished! 🙂
-Courtney
Saw your reading nook on Hometalk and absolutely love it! Followed the links to see how you made new boards look old! I am re-doing parts of my kitchen right now and want to use a similar look to make a custom vent-hood as well as covering the ends of my cabinets (I’m painting 90’s oak cabinets)Am thinking NEW wood would be preferred especially in a kitchen so am glad to get your tips on ageing the wood. My question is what color stain did you use? I am also thinking of white washing some of the boards for a different look.Have you tried any of that technique? So glad I found your blog! Thanks!
Thanks so much Shelley for the kind words and stopping by our blog! We used Rust-Oleum Ultimate Wood Stain in Kona to stain our boards and we varied the color by how much we roughed up the boards. We haven’t tried any white washing yet, but it might be something we try on a future project. 🙂 Your project sounds great. We haven’t attempted to tackle our kitchen yet. We would love to hear/see how your kitchen turns out when you finish!