Brushing pine boards. Wood aging techniques: brushing and firing. So, why do you need wood brushing?

Do-it-yourself wood brushing is an interesting technology that allows you to artificially age wood. The natural aging process takes decades. But now, with the help of special tools, this effect can be achieved at home quickly and without significant material expenditure. Aged material is ideal for decoration in classic, vintage and rustic styles.

Do-it-yourself wood brushing: how the process is carried out

Residents of modern cities increasingly prefer styles with a clearly emphasized individuality when decorating their premises: classic, vintage, rustic and country.

The main detail of such interiors is wood. Thanks to this material, the design of the room acquires uniqueness and unique charm. But for a classic and vintage style, wood in its original natural form is not suitable. In this case, aged wood, which has a more attractive and noble appearance, is best suited. This material is suitable for making any decorative element: a vintage lamp, a wooden chest of drawers, stylish doors and window frames, a fireplace surround.

Under natural conditions, the process of aging wood drags on for decades, since the original patterns on the surface of the wood are formed slowly and unevenly. Therefore, this material is rare and expensive. But among modern technologies there is a simple and quick way to artificially age wood. This process is called brushing. Interest in this method is shown not only by lovers of elite vintage furniture, but also by those who want to diversify the interior interior of country houses.

Do-it-yourself aging of wood (brushing) is a decorative technology for processing wooden products, during which an artificial antique effect is created for an ordinary wooden surface. The method gets its name from the English word brush. The aging process is also called wood structuring.

The artificial brushing method is based on the difference in hardness of the layers that make up the wood. During the work process, the soft light layer is removed. As a result, the areas become embossed, which gives the material a special appearance, characteristic only of fairly old trees.

The depth of brushing the board depends on its purpose. If it is necessary to create the effect of deep aging, then the depth of irregularities and roughness can be up to 2-3 mm. Deep wood relief is not recommended for flooring, otherwise the coating will get very dirty and difficult to clean. The optimal depth is 0.5-0.8 mm.

Wood aging methods: basic information

Special tools and techniques are used to structure wood. It is based on mechanical processing of wood using special metal brushes that remove the upper soft fibers. Thanks to this, the hard surface is visible more clearly, forming a beautiful relief. But this is not the entire process of wood processing.

To emphasize the appearance and make the structure more distinct, the material is coated with special paints that have natural shades. Painting is carried out unevenly: the depressions acquire a darker color, and the surface texture becomes lighter. This makes the relief more noticeable.

Helpful advice! In order for artificially aged material to be as similar as possible to wood that has aged naturally, it is necessary to paint it gray. In this case, the paint, even before it dries completely, must be smeared from the relief surface. This will create the effect of a tree that has stood in the open air for about 10 years.

It is better not to use wood with a fine-grained and unclearly defined structure, since the brushing method is ineffective for such species. The following trees are not suitable for aging:

• maple;

• alder;
• cherry;
• birch;

Both soft and hard woods are suitable for aging wood. The main requirement is that the material has a clearly defined texture and that layers of different hardness are visible. Wood brushing is best done on the following species:

• pine;
• ash;
• nut;
• larch;
• wenge.

It is preferable to use coniferous wood for artificial structuring. The most affordable is pine. But this tree does not have a beautiful and unusual pattern. And, unfortunately, brushing the pine will not greatly improve this situation. If you use larch and spruce, the result of using the method will delight you with a unique pattern and rich texture.

Aging technology allows you to create unusual textures that are suitable for interiors of different styles. Structured wood is used to create decorative elements, furniture, and flooring. Brushed furniture looks unique and very beautiful.

Do-it-yourself wood aging: benefits of brushing

In contrast to the natural aging process, wood structuring helps to increase the strength of the material and its longevity. Brushing also prevents the material from rotting and damage from fungi and insects. This occurs due to the use of special antiseptic agents to protect the wooden surface.

The result of brushing is an excellent appearance of the material, meeting the latest fashion trends. Using a variety of woodworking tools and equipment, you can get a lot of exclusive items and interior details. In this case, an artificial imitation of exotic types of wood will be created, the cost of which is significantly higher than the original price of the lumber used.

Woodworking tools: brushes, machines and machines

At first glance, the process of artificial structuring may seem very complicated. But the method of brushing wood with your own hands is the most affordable and easiest way to visually age a natural material. Even an inexperienced master can do this.

To complete this task you will need a minimum of equipment. In addition, brushing technology allows you to achieve excellent results both manually and mechanized. Depending on the chosen method, the master will need different tools.

Brushing wood: toolfor manual processing

During work, you will need certain tools for brushing wood.

Metal hand brushes are used to roughly remove soft fibers from the surface of the part, while leaving the hard ones intact. They are used for primary wood processing. The stiffness of the bristles depends on the length of the wire: the shorter it is, the stiffer the bristles. At the first stage of processing, it is better to give preference to a brush with the stiffest bristles. It is desirable that the brush has a wide end part and is close in shape to a roller. This shape guarantees a more uniform processing of the wood.

A hand chisel is a tool that can be used to make deep longitudinal grooves of various curvatures in wood fiber. With skillful use of this tool, you can obtain maximum realistic material by applying deep cracks.

Coarse sandpaper for polishing is used to highlight the texture of the material, making the natural pattern more clear. To achieve an optimal result during work, it is necessary to move the sandpaper along the fibers with pressure. By using paper with different grain sizes, you can get grooves of different depths and degrees of expression.

A grinder equipped with special attachments for brushing wood is used at the initial stage for roughing and final processing of wood. At the beginning of the work, a metal brush attachment is used on the grinder to brush the wood, at the final stage - with copper or sisal bristles. Nowadays abrasive-polymer brushes are very popular. This tool makes it possible to selectively remove soft fibers without affecting the hard ones.

Helpful advice! If you don’t have a high-hardness brush, you can use a grinder to trim the pile. This will make the bristles harder. When selecting brush bristles, it is necessary to take into account that the bristles are 7-10 times thinner than the soft fibers of the wood. It is better to use a brush with straight bristles. When working with an abrasive-polymer brush, it is necessary to ensure that the surface of the wood does not burn when the robot operates at high speeds.

After the first stage of processing, experts advise burning the wood using a kerosene burner. A gas burner is not suitable for this type of work.

Firing with a kerosene burner will help complete the following stages of work:

• remove small wood fibers;
• dry the top layer of wood;
• emphasize and highlight the natural structure of wood.

Process automation: machines and machines for brushing wood

Mass production of artificially aged wood requires speed. Some stages of wood processing can be mechanized, which will simplify the work of obtaining aged wood. To do this, you will need drills with variable speed control and special brushing machines.

Let's look at the most popular models of specialized equipment for structuring wood.

Festool rustofix ras 180 stripping router or brush machine for brushing wood. Along with this tool, you can buy brushes for brushing wood. They come in three types:

• steel wire brush for primary processing of boards;
• synthetic bristle brush for intermediate sanding;
• sisal or hair brushes for polishing the back surface of the product.

The Makita 974 sander is used for brushing wood. But during work, difficulties may arise with processing areas at the corners of the part. Therefore, at the joints, it is recommended to use a special angle grinder with different attachments or use a nylon brush attached to an angle grinder for brushing. This brush is highly wear-resistant and allows you to process the ends, edges and contours of parts with complex shapes.

The Felisatti AGF 110/1010E grinding machine is suitable for processing both smooth and uneven surfaces. Nylon and metal brushes are included with the tool.

Helpful advice! It only makes sense to buy a wood brushing machine if large volumes of work are planned. Brushes for brushing wood can be purchased either with the machine or purchased separately.

How to age wood with your own hands: technologies

The aging process opens up the widest possibilities for the master to change the structure and color of different types of wood. Before proceeding directly to structuring, the wood must be prepared. The material for brushing must be free of defects, nicks and irregularities, and the humidity must be 10-12%, but not more than 15%. If the wood does not meet these characteristics, then the wood fibers will tear during processing, and a beautiful result from structuring will not be obtained.

Let's take a closer look at the process of aging wood at home. Working with the material can be divided into several stages.

Before starting work, it is necessary to perform initial processing of the part, namely: moisten the wood. This will prevent dust from spreading throughout the room during operation.

Next, you will need a hand brush for processing. Depending on the hardness of the wood, we select the hardness of the metal brush for roughing. The bristles of the tool should easily remove soft surface fibers, but should not damage hard ones. It is necessary to move the brush in the direction of the fibers.

If you decide to automate the processing process using a brush for brushing wood on an angle grinder or a grinder, then you should remember that the movements are carried out along the fibers. It is necessary to move the tool with such intensity that the fibers are effectively scraped out.

You need to be careful when choosing the speed: too fast a brush speed can lead to baking of the wood. When using hand tools, this problem does not arise, but more effort is required. Also, manual processing will take time.

Helpful advice! It is better to select the speed on a separate small sample of wood. The optimal number of revolutions is 1500-2200, but it may differ for different breeds.

Then we carry out the initial grinding of the part. To do this, we use a polymer brush with an abrasive applied to it. This stage will remove roughness and fiber fragments from the surface of the part. Having removed everything unnecessary, you can evaluate how deep and high-quality the structuring of the wood is. If necessary, the grooves can be further deepened, making the structuring more distinct.

At the next stage, you can think about the decorative design of the part. To do this, use a chisel to make indentations and grooves of arbitrary shape in different places on the part. In appearance, they will resemble cracks that appeared naturally.

Next comes the final polishing. To do this you will need a sisal or hair brush. This wood tool will give the detail a finished look, fully revealing all the decorative texture. When manually processing, instead of a brush, fine-grained sandpaper with an abrasive surface is used. It will allow you to create a perfectly polished surface of the workpiece.

Then the wood needs to be well dried. It must be completely cleaned of dust and thus prepared for further painting and varnishing.

The use of stain will age the product by creating contrasting textured patterns. Applying liberally and quickly removing excess will allow you to paint over parts with soft fibers and leave light areas with hard fibers. Soft fibers quickly absorb paint, which means they become dyed, while hard fibers do not have time to absorb the pigment during this time, so they remain light. Wood painted with gold or silver paint looks especially beautiful.

Against the background of the natural color of the wood, this pigment creates reflections on the surface of the part in the sun. This gives the product original decorativeness and luxury. The product will look especially presentable if the wood is patinated - painting over the deepest cracks with a darker paint.

At the final stage, the product is polished again to remove roughness and irregularities that appeared after painting.

Helpful advice! Varnishing is carried out on completely dry and cleaned wood. To paint brushed parquet, you must use a special parquet varnish. This will allow the finished coating to maintain its presentable appearance and performance characteristics for a long time.

Brushing wood: features of chemical structuring of wood

Brushing with chemicals is rare, even though the use of chemically active compounds greatly facilitates the process of artificial aging of wood. To carry out chemical treatment of wood, you must have special knowledge and ability to work with chemicals. In addition, the method has a drawback - it is not always possible to easily purchase the necessary reagents.

For the chemical structuring of wood, acids are needed: hydrochloric and sulfuric, alkali and ammonia. Reagents applied to the surface of the material corrode soft fibers. The master can only scrape off the unnecessary wood.

Stages of chemical brushing of wood:

1. Surface grinding and removal of dirt.
2. Apply a thin layer of chemicals to the surface of the part. During chemical structuring, it is necessary to monitor the evaporation of the reagents. If necessary, it is recommended to reapply them.
3. When the chemical takes effect, that is, softens the outer fibers, the part must be rinsed under running water and the remaining reagent must be removed with a soft bristle brush.
4. Next, the wood must be thoroughly dried, painted or varnished.

The availability and demand for brushing allows you to perform this method at home. When structuring wood, it is imperative to adhere to safety regulations. You should work with tools and a wood brushing machine carefully and carefully. All artificial structuring processes must be performed in special protective clothing, glasses and gloves. If antiseptic solutions are used during work or too much dust accumulates in the air from the wood, then you should work in a respirator.

Brushing a wooden surface is an unusual way to make a wooden product more beautiful, unusual and attractive. This method is very popular among interior designers and ordinary people, since anyone can perform artificial aging of wood. You need to spend a little time and effort to get luxurious furniture or a chic original ceiling, stylized as antique. For a better effect, you can patina the furniture.

Artificial brushing of wood: cost of work

The main task of brushing wood is to create and emphasize the unique texture of the surface of the board. The result is a material with a clearly visible pattern of natural material. The procedure is suitable for many types of material. The cost of standard brushing is 350 rubles. per sq. m. When ordering additional painting, the cost increases. The price of the work depends on the type of wood chosen, as well as on the size of the board.

The cost of each stage of artificial aging is usually calculated separately. You can order sanding separately or just impregnation. The most profitable option is a full brushing service from the beginning of work to the final coating with the purchase of material. It is possible to perform artificial structuring from your material.

Workshops that brush wood carry out an individual calculation of the cost of processing depending on the type of wood, the size of the product and the list of services.

Brushing is performed on any type of wooden materials:

• bar;
• lining;

• planks;
• block house;
• planks.

Scope of application of wood structuring technology

The structuring method is very popular in the manufacture of interior items and room elements. Such wooden products will become an original addition to classic and vintage interiors. In addition, the advantage of brushing technology is the ability to independently create exclusive items. In addition, this method falls into the category of simple processes accessible to everyone.

Brushed boards are used to decorate fireplaces, shelves, columns, wall panels, and aged wood is used as ceiling beams. This material creates a unique ambience for living rooms and halls, cafes and restaurants. The interior design is filled with aristocracy and luxury, and aged wood creates warmth and comfort in the room.

Wooden furniture with brushed elements looks stylish and sophisticated. Artificial aging and patination of wood with your own hands allows you to make absolutely any furniture: cabinets, chests of drawers, pegs, beds. The use of brushed elements in furniture and interior design has no restrictions or prohibitions - it all depends on your imagination and creativity.

Do-it-yourself wood brushing is an interesting technology that allows you to artificially age wood. Under normal conditions, this process occurs very slowly; patterns are formed over several decades. In winter, darker stripes appear, while summer is characterized by relatively light, loose fibers. However, now you can achieve a similar effect at home, without overpaying for expensive aged wood.

Brushing wood - what is its essence

The main purpose of this process is to give an ordinary wooden surface an artificial antique effect through tooling. Light soft fibers are removed, which makes the wood visually older, and a kind of original relief appears, characteristic only of fairly old trees. Depending on the goals pursued, the depth of surface treatment can vary significantly. Thus, the depth of roughness and irregularities can reach 2-3 mm, when it is necessary to recreate the effect of deep rough aging.

Unlike natural aging, brushing wood helps improve the strength of wood, its durability, and also prevents the development of rot and damage from fungal growths or insects. All this is achieved through the use of special antiseptic solutions and compositions to protect the wooden surface.

You should know that not all tree species can be subject to artificial aging. For example, wood with a uniform, dense structure is extremely undesirable for this process. Therefore, some species, including teak, alder, beech, maple, will be quite problematic to age.

It is best to use softwood. Unfortunately, pine, which is the most affordable, cannot boast of a beautiful and unusual pattern, so even brushing cannot greatly improve the situation. If you take larch or spruce, the effect will be simply excellent; you will be able to obtain unique rich textures of patterns at home.

It is also worth remembering that before proceeding directly to brushing, the wood must be prepared for this process. First of all, the material should be as smooth and even as possible; there should be no nicks, irregularities or other defects. Humidity should be within 10-15%, otherwise the fibers will only tear during processing, forming small pile, and artificial aging will not be achieved.

Brushing at home - what tools will you need?

When doing brushing yourself at home, you will need a small list of available tools. First of all, these are brushes, which are rather rough disc-type brushes, the bristles of which are made of steel or brass. To obtain uniform processing, experts recommend buying brushes that are similar in shape to a roller, as well as with a wider end side.

The main work is carried out precisely by brushing, the task of which is to remove the largest part of the fibers. Naturally, the surface after such treatment remains too fleecy and rough. To improve the appearance of the surface we need nylon synthetic brushes. A special feature of such brushes is abrasive powder of various fractions, which is fused into the thickness of the plastic. The cost of synthetic brushes may be unpleasantly surprising, but it would still be very advisable to purchase them, since they eliminate and remove fine lint that interferes with polishing and painting, and besides, the wood looks much prettier after treatment with such brushes.

Next, brushes with natural hard bristles, for example, made of coarse wool or sisal brushes, come into play. They are used to polish the surface. This stage of brushing is not mandatory, but if you want to achieve the maximum quality of wood, then polishing is indispensable.

If necessary, you can use electric tools, for example, an angle grinder or drill. However, working with brushes is more advantageous in the sense that you can completely control the force of pressure and the direction of stripping. In any case, do not forget to purchase anti-dust glasses, as well as gloves, since when sanding, a lot of small fluff will get into the air, which can harm your eyes.

Brushing technology - main stages

So, all the necessary tools have been purchased, wooden boards lie in front of us. Let's start brushing.

All surface treatment technology is carried out in accordance with this scheme:

• metal brushes to remove soft fibers
• Sanding cleaned wood using synthetic abrasive brushes
• Painting with special solutions that help give a visual aging effect
• Wood polishing and varnishing.

Step 1. Preparatory work. We check the tree with which we have to work. If it is too wet, it is necessary to dry it, but if it is too dry, then, on the contrary, moisten it, since with dry wood the amount of waste, sawdust and dust increases significantly. At this stage we will use a wire brush. It should be remembered that only soft fibers must be removed. If the brush is so hard that it even touches hard fibers, the tool should be replaced immediately. Movements are made at low speed along the direction of movement of the fibers.

Step 2: Sanding. Now we need an abrasive brush with which we will polish the wood. Carefully pass over the cleaned surface in order to remove all remaining fibers and eliminate roughness. As a rule, this does not require much time; it is enough to carefully sand the wood several times to achieve the desired result.

Step 3: Polishing. To give the brushed treated wood a polished look, we use sisal brushes. It is worth noting that this tool allows you to achieve a unique decorative texture of a wooden surface. You may also need fine-grit sandpaper to polish the material. After completing all the work, we once again carefully remove all debris, dust, and dry the surface.

Step 4. Painting. A beautiful decorative look can be obtained as a result of gilding, painting, patination and other effects. If you apply several layers of stain to wood, you can observe the appearance of beautiful contrasting textured images. Products are also brushed with gold paints, which look original in microcracks and depressions. After applying the paint and its complete drying, the surface will need to be polished again. This is due to the fact that during painting various irregularities and roughness may appear, including paint sagging, but polishing will completely eliminate these defects.

Step 5. Varnishing. Coating with various compounds to protect the surface, increase its durability and reliability. If parquet boards are brushed, then a special parquet varnish is required to preserve the basic positive consumer qualities of the floor throughout its entire service life.

Wood aging technique – where is it used?

Brushing falls into the category of relatively simple processes that are accessible to absolutely everyone. For this reason, this technology has found application in many areas of human activity. Brushing is most popular in the production of interior items and room decoration. Living rooms and halls, decorated with wall panels, mantels, columns, and visual furniture, look very beautiful and original, creating warmth and comfort in the room.

Furniture deserves special mention, as manufacturers are increasingly trying to use brushed wood elements and structures. Moreover, using this method you can make absolutely any furniture, be it a closet, shelves, chests of drawers, beds, etc. The only limiting factor in this case is imagination and creativity.

Finally, we note that due to its availability and demand, broaching is often performed at home. In these cases, you should never forget about safety precautions. Therefore, you should work with tools very carefully, especially if you work with a drill or other power tools. All processes are carried out in special equipment - safety glasses and gloves. Sometimes you may even need a respirator if the amount of dust in the air is too high, or when working with antiseptic solutions.

Brushing a wood surface is an original way to make wood more beautiful, unusual and attractive. This trend in the field of room decoration is gaining more and more fans both among designers and ordinary apartment owners, since the process of artificial aging is very simple and accessible to everyone. You just need to spend a little time and effort to get luxurious furniture or a chic antique-style ceiling.

Designing interior items in accordance with the style of the room is one of the integral tasks of designers in our time. The method of giving wood an aged look using various means has become especially popular.

This is explained by the fact that in the age of cars and fairly dense urban development, natural materials, such as wood, are a kind of island of safety for humans - their connection with nature. This can be achieved using brushing, which has its own secrets and features.

Wood brushing method

Wood brushing is a chemical-mechanical aging of wooden products, which can be carried out using both certain technologies and special tools. This process is quite good due to the fact that the natural aging of wood occurs for a very long time and unevenly.

Removing soft fibers from the structure of wood to reveal its natural pattern is an excellent decoration method that you can do yourself without spending a lot of money. Every person can master this method; the only condition that is required is desire and a little free time.

Wood Brushing Tools

To a beginner who is not familiar with the process of working with wood, the technology of its processing may seem quite complicated and difficult. But in fact, by setting up or using a home workshop, as well as preparing the appropriate tools, you can even brush wood yourself.

This can be done without the use of technology using improvised means, or you can use the mechanization of the process. In the first case, you will only need a few things:

• several metal brushes, which have varying degrees of hardness;
• 2-3 types of sandpaper of different grain sizes;
• stain;

Brushes are designed to clean wood from unnecessary fibers and dirt. Sandpaper is used for polishing or rough grinding. After this, stain can add brightness and color to the design, and varnish can protect the product from the influence of external mechanical damage.

You can speed up the process by mechanizing the work, for which there are many tools and devices. This type of wood processing is productive and the right choice if the surface to be decorated is too large. For small amounts of work, classic traditional brushes are suitable. The following power tools are suitable for brushing wood:

• drill with speed control;
• a brushing machine, which comes with special brushes;
• grinder with different discs and operating modes.

Often, a stripping router equipped with three types of brushes for wood processing is used as a brushing machine. They all have different structures and perform different functions:

• steel wire brushes intended directly for brushing;
• brushes made of synthetic material, which can be used for intermediate grinding;
• sisal brushes, with which you can finish polishing the entire product.

In each specific case, wood processing is carried out using certain tools that best give the desired effect. Therefore, it is necessary to make the right choice so as not to purchase and use unnecessary tools.

Brands of woodworking products

Tools for working with wood are produced by both domestic and foreign companies. The most popular companies in the Russian market these days are Interskol, Makita, Jet and Triton.

Brushing wood with JET 10-20 Plus

Interskol is a domestic brand that has existed since 1991. The tools that the company produces are presented in different CIS countries and are in certain demand. The products of the Interskol company are gaining more demand every year, which is why the company is expanding its range.
Brushing with Interskol

One of the leaders among the world's woodworking companies is the Japanese company Makita, founded at the beginning of the last century. Its product range includes more than a thousand items, ranging from drills and screwdrivers to machine tools and laser equipment.
Brush sander Makita 9741

Cheaper tools are sold by domestic Russian companies, such as Interskol. In addition, such instruments are easier to obtain, as they are popular in the country. Foreign companies, including Makita, do not present their entire range on the Russian market, but it can be ordered without problems through official dealers and regional distributors.

If wood aging occurs on a large scale, you can create a special machine that will semi-automatically carry out this process. You can create it yourself or order it, for example, from Jet. Russian Interskol does not manufacture such mechanisms. The cost of such a mechanism will be quite impressive, since the machine efficiently simultaneously performs several brushing processes. It is also very important that only removable products can be used on it. If the floor or wooden part of a complex configuration is aging, the machine will not help.

Wood brushing process

Before starting work, it is necessary to slightly wet the wooden product to prevent the spread of dust during the process. After this, you need to select the appropriate tool that can remove the top fibrous layer without damaging the hard fibers. The selected brush should be moved along the grain of the wood, regardless of whether a mechanical or manual tool is used. A brush sander with different attachments and operating speeds will greatly speed up the process.

After the first process, preliminary grinding is carried out to eliminate roughness using a softer brush. In this case, the nozzle on the tool is changed to a polymer one. This cleaning can also be done with a grinder with a special type of disc. At this stage, you can decorate the product according to your wishes and give it the look it should have. Oil can help improve the appearance of wood, and you can use hand tools to create additional chips. Final polishing with an even softer brush can add uniqueness to the structure. After this, the surface is cleaned and prepared for external coating.

The next step may be a patination technique, which will paint the deep grooves a darker color. After all the necessary steps are completed, painting and varnish are applied. Before painting, you can use oil to tint. It can also be used after applying paint. Oil, wax and varnish are applied using standard technology and do not require any special precautions.

You can also age wood using various chemicals and firing using a gas burner. In the latter case, flame treatment is carried out and the darkened surface is cleaned with sandpaper. These different methods provide a huge selection of means to carry out brushing. Therefore, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money to age wood, the main thing is the optimal way to do it!

The method is based on the difference in hardness of the layers that make up solid wood. The cross section clearly shows growth rings, which are formed by fibers with different physical characteristics. In products, these layers form a pattern characteristic of each type of wood.

When the soft layer is removed, areas consisting of hard fibers become embossed, clearly appearing on the surface and giving the wood a particularly decorative appearance. Under natural conditions, this happens over time, when soft fibers are removed as the product is used. Brushing allows you to visually age the wood and give it texture in a carpentry workshop.

Do-it-yourself wood brushing: artificial aging of wood

This wood structuring technology is suitable for use with soft and hard woods that have a clearly defined texture and obvious layers of different hardness:

• pine
• oak
• larch
• ash
• nut
• wenge

Wood species with a fine-grained and indistinct structure are unsuitable for brushing, since they do not have the necessary layering. These types of materials include wood:

• maple
• alders
• birch trees
• cherries

The use of brushing technology allows you to create original textures that look ideal in products for interiors different styles. Structured wood is actively used in manufacturing floors, furniture, elements of decorative finishing. Natural wood fits perfectly into any design, adding original touches to it.

Wood structuring equipment

Brushing is the most accessible and easy-to-perform method, allowing you to quickly visually age natural material. This process can be carried out in a home workshop using a minimum of equipment.

This is one of the few technologies that allows you to achieve excellent results using exclusively manual labor. For this you will need:

• metal brushes of varying hardness, which are used to roughly remove soft fibers from the surface of the workpiece

• sandpaper of various grits for rough sanding and final polishing
• stains and other means to give wood maximum decorativeness

• varnish for opening the product at the end of the brushing process

• The selected workpiece can be slightly moistened so that wood dust does not fly around the room. The first pass is carried out with a metal brush, the rigidity of which is selected depending on the hardness of the wood. The “bristles” should not damage the hard fibers of the material, but at the same time should successfully remove the soft ones. The movement of the instrument is carried out in the direction of the fibers, at a speed sufficient for effective scraping. Increasing the rotation speed of the brush can lead to baking of the wood, so it is necessary to select the best option for each sample. When working with a hand tool, this problem does not arise, but you have to apply more force and spend significantly more time on processing.

• By replacing the nozzle with a polymer brush with an abrasive applied to it, the part is initially polished, during which roughness and fragments of fibers remaining on the surface of the wood are removed. Having removed all unnecessary things, you can evaluate how deep and high-quality the structuring was done, and, if necessary, further deepen the resulting grooves. At this stage, you can add decorative elements to the finishing of wooden products. Using a chisel, indentations of arbitrary shape are selected in different places of the workpiece. After rough grinding, they can be corrected and given the most natural appearance of old cracks that have formed in the material.

• The final polishing is carried out using a sisal or hair brush, which gives the part a finished polished look, fully revealing all the decorative texture of the wood. When processing by hand, the finest grit sandpaper is used to create a perfectly polished surface. Having smoothed the structured texture of the product, it is prepared for further painting and varnishing. If the wood was wetted before work, now it must be dried and completely cleaned of dust.
• To give a particularly decorative look, the part can be painted, patinated, gilded and other finishing options. Using stain will age the product due to the formation of contrasting textured patterns. Abundant application of the composition with quick removal of excess allows you to paint over areas with soft fibers that absorb paint, and leave light areas of hard fibers that have not had time to absorb the pigment. Gold paint looks especially impressive when applied to microcracks and depressions against the background of the natural color of the wood. Such reflections of gold will give the product an original decorative effect. After treatment with coloring compounds, the surfaces are polished again to get rid of the roughness that arose during painting.

• Varnishing is carried out on completely dried and cleaned wood. When making brushed parquet, it is necessary to use a special parquet varnish to open it so that the finished coating can serve its intended duration.