Aging Wood

[Ember]

Here's the basic recipe that I've been using for staining spruce and balsa to look like hard and soft woods weathered to silvery finish.

 

The paints. Acrylic all. Black, Raw Umber and Ultra Blue Deep. Note, the Raw Umber I'm using is artist quality, and has more pigment in it than student or craft quality. The Jo Sonja paints actually qualify as student quality. I know I've mentioned the difference a few times, but this is one of those instances where you get what you pay for. $2 tubes of acrylic paints just don't cut it for washes, not enough pigment, too much filler and too much deflocculant. When mixed to a wash they will produce a soapy lather.

 

I start with approximately equal parts of each colour. This will be adjusted according to both the wood being stained and the wood being represented.

 

For instance, to stain spruce which has a slightly warm colour, I add a little more blue. To stain balsa to represent hardwood palings, a smidge more black. To stain balsa to represent baltic pine, add a bit more raw umber.

 

To create warmer tones of wood like cedar or redgum I'd probably swap the raw umber for burnt umber. And possibly change the ultra blue for a warmer blue like cobalt. I say probably, because I haven't tried it.

 

Two additives that I've found extremely useful. The All Purpose Sealer is particularly important when working with balsa as it is so porous. The Clear Glaze Medium basically turns the opaque paint into a translucent stain. The alternative to using the glazing medium would be to mix a water based wash. The porosity of wood makes this undesirable.

 

Having mixed the colour, I've added approximately an equal volume of sealer. Which is mixed thoroughly with the paint.

 

Glazing medium is then added. Approximately an equal volume to the mix of paint and sealer. Once again, this can be adjusted as desired. More glaze medium will allow more of the wood's natural colour to come through.

 

Like many things I don't mix the glaze and paint thoroughly. The incomplete mix aids in obtaining natural variations in colour of the final product.

 

Now that the stain is mixed and ready to roll, from here it is simple.

 

Paint.

 

Wait a little while for the stain to soak in a bit.

 

Wipe excess stain off.

 

Done. Set aside to dry.

 

As the stain is on both sides, I leave the stained wood to dry on plastic. This is actually an old album protector (y'know those round black vinyl things that used to come in cardboard sleeves).

 

Once dry the wood can be used as required.

 

Hope this helps a little.

Embs

[Eno the Wonderdog]

Very nice Miss Ember.

[Ember]

Thanyou Mr Wonderdog.

[Slo]

Great pictorial Embs!

[knoath]

Thanks Embs.

 

Clear and precise for those of us who thought we knew what we were doing, but obviously didn't!

 

Thanks for adding the pics too, makes it easy to spot the products on the shelf (I hadn't seen the clear glaze medium or the sealer before)

 

I give it :nice: (Couldn't find any stars)

Edited December 11, 2010 by knoath

[Ember]

The bottles may have changed since I bought them Dick. They've been packed away in the bottom of a box for just a few years (ok, more like 10). But you should still be able to get them.

 

The clear glaze is the most useful one. But the sealer is great when working with balsa. Although I'll still give the ouside of the garage a spray of clear matte to act as a separation layer before I do any paint treatment on the outside.

[KarKraft]

Thanks Embs!

 

'Zachary what us newbies need to see.

 

I've seen plenty of Sonja at Dick's fav material shop - Spotlight.

[Ember]

No problemo.

 

Took some doing. I had to get an extra hand grafted on. Still, I'm sure it'll come in handy for something else.