How can I accelerate the ageing process (ie greying) on oak

[RogerS]

I've searched the forum without much success. I thought oxalic acid was recommended but seem to have misremembered that. Certainly I had a go on some oak and it made diddly squat difference.

I'm after that weathered look.

TIA

 

[marcros]

Fuming gives a rich brown when a polish goes on. It is a dull grey before that.

I have just done a fish tank stand from a green oak sleeper and have fumed it so will upload a couple of pics shortly. It is very much an experiment to see how it moves for a few weeks- I know that it will but am planning to use that as a feature.

 

[RogerS]

Thanks for that. Do you have any links to fuming ? [note to others...please ....no wisecracks re Angry of Tunbridge Wells !]

 

[marcros]

This is the underside of a green oak sleeper. Forgive the rough work- the hole was made with the domino but is only for location to allow movement- when assembled it doesn't look as bad as it does here!

On the outside edges you can see the oak as fumed. The uncoloured areas is where the ammonia fumes didn't touch it. In the centre I have wiped on a bit of linseed oil and then a dark shellac- somewhere near garnet or equivalent I think. It might be out of shot on the larger pic but I rubbed on a bit if teak wax- it was the darker of the two I have and is not the right colour for the piece (I now realise).

The close up is a nice area where the finish is as I plan, except I will add a bit of a dark wax.

The aim of this was rustic, so the bits of torn grain, tool marks, cracks are deliberate. It won't fool a woodworker but my good lady seems content. The pics were to show somebody so not the best to demonstrate this post, but might help!

 

[marcros]

There is also this post which may be relevant. black-oak-how-t24179.html

 

[RogerS]

I tried the ferrous sulphate route and turned a test piece black...not what I was after ! I think I may well scout around auction sites for some old weatherbeaten oak.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I read a long while ago about a guy whose grandfather had made repro furniture that was actually authenticated as genuine by experts and put in museums. He aged it by hanging it for several months over a pig sty, and in the case of farmhouse tables actually putting them in the sty so the pigs scratched themselves on the legs (and washed them down occasionally), and the bottoms of the legs went black.

So ammonia's worth a go, if you don't need it too dark.

 

[CoreDefence]

I've done this with various woods but not oak. However I understand oak has a fairly high tannin content so give it a go.
Take old nails and ferrous metal screws, the older the better. Put 'em in a jar of water for a week or so to get nice and rusty. On the day of the treatment make a good strong brew of tea, preferably leaf tea but teabags will do. Paint the wood with a coating of cold tea then, while the wood is still damp, coat with the rusty liquor from the nails. The wood will go dark from the reaction between the Fe and the tannin. More coats will make the wood black as soot.
It works and it's free (almost).

 

[marcros]

Test it first- I have always ended up with a black even with a single coat.

 

[marcros]

This is another example of fuming- the start of a clock I am making.

1 o'clock is unfumed and it works round at 2 hour intervals. So 2 was fumed for 2 hours, 3 for 4 hours, right up to 12 for 24 hours. Then a coat of hard wax oil and a bit of wax. 12 had Jacobean, 7 or 8 had teak wax to just correct the colour and the rest had neutral.

The picture is on its side from my phone. 12 is where 9 should be.

 

[RogerS]

Thanks guys...the thing is that the examples given either take the oak black or dark brown. And I'm after that silvery look!

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

Hi Rodger, I don't know of a way to create that silvery finish but you can help it on its way by using a wash of soda crystals. It will give a greenish brown colour to the oak and then if left in sunlight will take about a year to silver as opposed to about three or four years without. If you dissolve about one tablespoon in a pint of boiling water and try it on a scrap piece then adjust the strength as necessary. It will react differently on each batch of oak depending on the tannin levels.

 

[marcros]

a guess would be to blitz it with intense uv light somehow. But that is a guess based on what the sunlight would do to it.

 

[RogerS]

Some very helpful ideas here, thanks, chaps.

Coredefence ..I think that indirectly I have probably tried your suggestion although without the tea by using ferrous sulphate crystals. Which turned the oak too black.

MrP...I'm afraid I don't really have time to wait for a year but I will bear it i mind
Marcros...that is quite a good idea...combine it with MrP's suggestion. I did search eBay to see what they had but am in the dark (no pun intended) in terms of intensity of say a 100W lamp cf. the sun of presumably UVA