# Aging pine with caustic soda



## fjhart (9 Nov 2013)

I tried a tip from the internet to age new pine. I washed it down with caustic soda, the tip said don't worry if it goes bright yellow, it will fade after 24 hours. well two days later it is still very yellow. What did I do wrong? Too much? Too little? Help!!!!


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## blackrodd (9 Nov 2013)

The last time i heard this discussion, the easiest way seemed to be putting the new pine in the dip tank with the old juice still in it. I believe this is how the repairs using some newer softwoods looked half decent. Regards Rodders


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## Cottonwood (9 Nov 2013)

I used that method a few times, I quite like the turmeric effect. Anyway, I used diluted vinegar (sprayed out of a plant sprayer) to neutralise the strong alkali cuastic, then very thourough rinsing with fresh water and a hose pipe


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## fjhart (10 Nov 2013)

Thanks, but I thought the whole point of using caustic was to make the wood grey, not yellow?


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## mrpercysnodgrass (10 Nov 2013)

A method I use for aging oak, ( I'm not sure how it will work on pine ). Mix up some vandyke ( in solution ) with soda crystals not caustic soda. Leave overnight and then finish. For pine I make up a casein lactic paint then add raw umber and yellow ochre to the shade desired, works well for me.


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## Cottonwood (10 Nov 2013)

fjhart":2g98cmvv said:


> Thanks, but I thought the whole point of using caustic was to make the wood grey, not yellow?



The yellow color went away after using the vinegar, that was the whole point of using the stuff.....


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## rafezetter (23 Dec 2013)

errm...I'm an utter philestine I guess but I used ...strong (2 spoons) coffee; apply, wait to dry - 220 grit to take off the nibs and do again.

Of course it wasn't a fancy piece or anything, but I just wanted to take the edge off the brand new pine look.

This is the item I treated:
http://s982.photobucket.com/user/Ra...nts/DSC_0562_zps0437b12e.jpg.html?sort=4&o=21

and this was the original colour:
http://s982.photobucket.com/user/Ra...eFireplace16_zpsb53bf5d4.jpg.html?sort=4&o=17


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## charlesholz (9 Jan 2014)

I think you've done a nice job of that


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## CoreDefence (31 Jan 2014)

I've tried this and it works a treat. Rusty old iron nails in a jar of water for a few days. New steel nails are not so effective. Buy a brand of black tea leaves (not teabags). When you've got a nice rusty juice in your jar, mash a strong brew of the tea, when cool paint your pine with the tea and while still damp, give a coating of the rusty nail juice. The Ferrous oxide reacts with the tannin in the tea and goes a dark colour. Allow to dry. If you want it darker, repeat the process. I did 3 coats and the piece went as black as our fire back.


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## rafezetter (1 Feb 2014)

I saw on tv the other day (george clarke's amazing spaces) where they had oak shiplap planks and they used an angle grinder on some steel to get the spray of sparks onto the wood and it turned it black (but oak has a very high tannin content) - it looked very good so CoreDefence's method sounds good for a more dilute way - I'm going to try it myself next time!


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