Antiquing a painted surface.

[tablesawtom]

When I built my present work bench I wanted the painted surface to look aged. I wanted the painted surface to look like the shaker bench in the museum in Handcock Massachusetts. I took a photo of the picture from the Workbench Book by Scott Landis. He will never know if someone doesn't tell him.

   

Anyway I matched the color as best I could by getting paint samples, lots of then and then I applied a a few  different colors of glazes to the paint samples. I liked Van Dyke Brown glaze from General finishes. I had the color mixed from the color on the pain chart. I used Chalk paint because  Chalk paint is easy to sand through, so the glaze can get to the bear wood and also fill into the sanded areas. It also colors the paint some so one gets different shades on the same wood. I would suggest doing a sample piece first if you have never did anything like this before.

Then I gave it a couple coats of Antique Oil by Minwax to seal everything in. Trust me on this one. The Antique oil added the finishing touches and brought it all together.

The next photograph doesn't do the finish painted surface justice, But it will give you some idea of what it looks like. Also the lights I have in my shop makes it look a little more green than it is but o well.

   

I do hope I have passed on some useful information to someone.

Tom

[Brent V.]

When I built my present work bench I wanted the painted surface to look aged. I wanted the painted surface to look like the shaker bench in the museum in Handcock Massachusetts. 

Tom:
I don't do much painting, so a lot of this was new to me. If I can summarize:
* Green chalk paint
* Van Dyke Brown Glaze
* A couple coats of Minwax Antique Oil
I hope you're happy with it. I sure would be!
Brent

[tablesawtom]

Tom:
I don't do much painting, so a lot of this was new to me. If I can summarize:
* Green chalk paint
* Van Dyke Brown Glaze
* A couple coats of Minwax Antique Oil
I hope you're happy with it. I sure would be!
Brent

Yes and No. I checked a lot of green colors by putting glaze on them There are a lot of different shades and tones of green so it is not as easy as just green chalk paint. Usually there will be about 4 different colors on the same chart and they will be of the same tones. Could be warm or cool. I used to go to an actual paint store and had them match the color in sanding sealer. Colored sanding sealer is easier to work with than chalk paint but now even most paint stores don't want to bother. Matching reds for tones is the hardest. But with chalk paint you can go even to home depot and get the paint mixed.

Also I have Pitch Black glaze, Van Dyke Brown Glaze, Burnt Umber glaze, and Red Sienna glaze.  And each different glaze went on each particular color chart. 

When going on paint that has been sanded the glaze can be very powerful. You can end up with to deep of a glaze with out blinking an eye. Again gloves and a paper towel waded up and a very light touch. It is very easy to make it darker, and more so in certain areas. But it is almost impossible to reverse the process and make it lighter. Do a test piece.

And to Brent. the old work bench chose the color, not me, but it can be any color to fit any piece, not just green.

You have to also pay attention to detail. The legs on my bench are Cherry but if they were Walnut the same color could clash with walnut. My wife and my daughter are both good with colors. I get it even if I put on a shirt and then a sweeter over it and they will say no, they clash, so get the colors right. That is why a color chart and each color of glaze on each color.

One can do the same thing with stain. But glaze is by far easier to control You want the piece to look like is has some grime from years of use as well as a lot of wear in certain areas.

Actually it is easier than it sounds and it goes quickly, I am just saying check to make sure before you comment, so you do not have to try and fix it after.

[Scoony]

Looks great Tom Really like that green color.

[MichaelMouse]

Looks great Tom  Really like that green color.

Florescent lights, I would imagine.  If the camera won't correct enough, change color in processing software.

[Cooler]

Before the pandemic there was a furniture builder whose claim to fame was that he perfected the aged painted surface look.  Interior decorators loved his stuff.  The build quality was iffy, but the overall appearance was hard to replicate.

I visited the store once and spoke with the owner/craftsman.  I set him on the correct course for avoiding the splitting of the solid wood doors (he was screwing and gluing across the grain on tongue and groove panel doors).

I asked him how he achieved the antique effect and he said it was a six coat process and it took him a year to perfect and he was not giving out any more information than that. 

It was clearly done with a brush and paint.  Some stain underneath and a few coats of paint and some distressing.  It was very consistent across all his work (except for the colors used).  Extremely well-done. 

But unless you are willing to put in that same one year of experimentation, I doubt that you will achieve the same quality of result.  You may achieve a result that you are happy with, but to create a demand from high end interior decorators, I think you have to put in the work.  (I was not willing to do so myself, though I did like the effect and I suspect I could have come up with a suitable process to achieve that effect.

He apparently was not able to survive the pandemic as a retail store.  He probably still retained his contacts with the interior decorators so he may still be working, but the store is closed.

[tablesawtom]

Before the pandemic there was a furniture builder whose claim to fame was that he perfected the aged painted surface look.  Interior decorators loved his stuff.  The build quality was iffy, but the overall appearance was hard to replicate.

I visited the store once and spoke with the owner/craftsman.  I set him on the correct course for avoiding the splitting of the solid wood doors (he was screwing and gluing across the grain on tongue and groove panel doors).

I asked him how he achieved the antique effect and he said it was a six coat process and it took him a year to perfect and he was not giving out any more information than that. 

It was clearly done with a brush and paint.  Some stain underneath and a few coats of paint and some distressing.  It was very consistent across all his work (except for the colors used).  Extremely well-done. 

But unless you are willing to put in that same one year of experimentation, I doubt that you will achieve the same quality of result.  You may achieve a result that you are happy with, but to create a demand from high end interior decorators, I think you have to put in the work.  (I was not willing to do so myself, though I did like the effect and I suspect I could have come up with a suitable process to achieve that effect.

He apparently was not able to survive the pandemic as a retail store.  He probably still retained his contacts with the interior decorators so he may still be working, but the store is closed.

I am happy with my results and I shared it with everyone. I posted a picture of my results. I could care less about spending to spend a year of experimentation to get the same quality of results. Results that are not readily available to see. I posted pictures and wrote about the whole process so that anyone can get nice antiqued finish that most people would be happy with. Right now repurposing is popular. Whether one builds something or he repurposes something and his wife loves it, what has that got to high end antiquating.

My philosophy is make something the wife wants, get it out of the shop into her hands, and she will find the money for anything you want for your shop. 

His store is closed, mine is not.

Tom

Tom