# What wax and wood to achieve 'plank type' finish?



## M7 ATW (15 Apr 2012)

Hi,

I've recently bought some 'plank type' furniture from Indigo Furniture and was wondering if anyone could give me any tips on how to achieve the rustic look and finish. I'd like to start with a couple of tealight holders to start with, just to try and hone my skills and to ensure i can create the right look. 

It states on their website that it's waxed finish, but there's still planing and saw marks on it that is highlighted by darker finish on the wax. Do you think the timber is just rough sawn with a light sand to create the texture and give the multi tonal finish?

I've tried some Briwax rustic pine on a bit of PSE timber and it doesn't look anything like it, as there's not the differences in the colour and texture and just looks bland.

I'd appreciate any advise you could give me, as i've never done any wood finishing before.


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## deserter (15 Apr 2012)

I have seen furniture made to very high standards and then distressed using a variety of methods, there is a machine rather like a belt sander but with three bass wire wool bobbin type attachments instead of the sanding belt, this literally scours the softest part of the grain out leaving the harder part behind. Another method used is to flog the timber with chains rather like a medieval flail. I have even seen the finished work taken to the yard and pulled over the concrete floor before now. 
Sometimes these treatments are followed by the finish coat and other times the piece will be stained before being attacked and then finished again with a different finish afterwards, sometimes the timber is actually scorched with a gas torch instead of the first staining step even. 
I imagine yours will be stained, cut back and then finished. 
Try staining a piece dark, then wire brushing it with a brush on your drill, then once you have just enough colour left stop and apply your clear coat. 

A lot of time and attention can go into making a piece of furniture look badly made/finished.


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## mickthetree (16 Apr 2012)

I seem to recall seeing something about the machinery they use. I think it is rough sawn on a bandsaw (course blade) or ripped down on a very old wadkin table saw and stained / waxed straight on top of that.

An offcut of a bandsaw blade can be stuck to the back of a board and used to create a similar rustic effect.

Sanding will most likely remove most of the rustic effect.

I recently made a few rustic pine bits and was very surprised by the fine finish achieved from some 80 grit on my belt sander!! I was hoping for a much rougher surface. Medium brown wax gives a nice look IMO


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## M7 ATW (16 Apr 2012)

mickthetree":1mzd71dv said:


> I seem to recall seeing something about the machinery they use. I think it is rough sawn on a bandsaw (course blade) or ripped down on a very old wadkin table saw and stained / waxed straight on top of that.
> 
> An offcut of a bandsaw blade can be stuck to the back of a board and used to create a similar rustic effect.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the reply.

it looks like the band saw might be the one. 

Sorry, but what do you mean with the bandsaw blade on a board? I haven't got access to a bandsaw, so an alternative method would be great.

I think i'm going to buy some Fiddes rugger brown wax for the finish.

Thanks for all your replies.


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## mickthetree (16 Apr 2012)

I'm sure it was Mike G over on the a different place forum that mentioned the technique before. Goes somethin glike, cut a piece of bandsaw blade eg 20cm. Fix the flat side to a piece of wood a little bigger than the blade min both width and length then rub the flat face with the blade attached against the face of the workpiece and it will scratch it up. The teeth of the blade have a skef (stick ot to the side slightly) and it is these sticky out teeth sides that will cause the scratches. Or pop over to the wood haven and ask the question there.

All the best


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## kevin dwyer (18 Apr 2012)

I used to distress quite a lot to make some fairly impressive fakes, different coloured ink blots the lot but the polisher who taught me would just say I'll distress it when I polish it. So sand it all smooth, round off the edges, stain light to medium brown, sanding sealer is a good idea and then wax. Wax is not the variable at all because most of it is wiped off again and would only give an insiped finish on it's own. Actually it's quite subtle to copy and give the illusion of age as opposed to making chainsaw furniture.


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## bugbear (18 Apr 2012)

I wasn't sure what was being discusssed, but google provided:

http://www.indigofurniture.co.uk/living ... -map-table

Since the saw marks are straight, it must be a bandsaw, presumably with large teeth. To get the empsasized texture, I would suspect a dark wax (which would sit in the texture differentially). I would imagine a light hand sand with around 240 grit would remove the fluff and splinters so that the furniture doesn't manage to damage clothing, but it wouldn't remove the deep/coarse texture.

Disclaimer: All guesswork.

BugBear


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