how to get that old barn wood look???

[ryhunter]

I have some old barn wood that has been sitting in a shed for years, but instead of the grayish look it has to it, it is a real light brown, looks more like just everyday wood. was real dirty and dusty, i cleaned it off real good and it just doesn't have the same look as some of the pieces that laid on top of it..   anything or tricks i can do to these pieces of wood to make them look like others??

[Sikk]

weather and exposure to sunlight cause the look, you may be able to force it by trying to bleach it lightly, I would try different concentrations of bleach on small scraps to see what effect they produce. You may also alter the color then with a transparent  spray on stain after the wood is thoroughly dry. paul

[lee, tees valley]

sand blast the wood..

[Nancy C]

I have been able to fake it reasonably well by starting with new lumber and then using a wire brush mounted on a drill to "age" it and bring out the grain. I'm sure that sandblasting it would be even better, but I don't have a sand blaster. After it had been textured I stained it with a Minwax stain called "Driftwood" and then lightly airbrushed it from an angle using Payne's Gray to shade it a bit.

[Matt]

You can have a stain tinted to acheive those results. I can't remember what it was called, but you could take a sample in of what you are looking for and they could match it for you.

[J Brown II]

For the life of me I can't remember the name of it but there is a chemical or acid that will age wood instantly. I saw it a few years back on the Furniture Guys Show. Just found this

Creating the Wood Aging Solution

To age new wood to a natural silvery grey, to grey brown or black patina (depending on the wood) , let a small piece of steel wool sit overnight in ordinary white vinegar, then dilute the vinegar solution 1 to 1 with water. (If you used ¼ cup of vinegar, add ¼ cup of water.) Test the result on a piece of scrap wood to determine if the aged finish is the correct color, if not, for darker solutions, leave the solution to sit longer, or add a bit more vinegar, and test it again. Solutions which are too strong produce very dark coloration. They will need more water added to dilute them before you test again. When the solution produces the desired effect, brush it over fresh wood to create an instant greyed patina. This is a great way to create barnboards, use with wire brushed balsa to create a thatched effect, or to create weathered shingles or fence posts.

[Killn Time]

That sounds like a great tip. I will just add, get some pine and get a belt sander and put some 60 grit in it and go across the grain at about a 45 degree angle to replicate the marks left behind by the saw blade. It is really effective. I will definitely try the steelwool,vinegar, water tip.

[J Brown II]

Hell it can't hurt! 

[roostinridge]

maybe some inexpensive latex paint thinned with water,dryer the wood the more coats make paint just a little firmer than water

[Tim Duncan]

the sun will help

[NOAH@aarrkk]

Seems I read a model railroad magazine article about using diluted India ink to create the 'grey' color of aged wood.

[wetnwild]

Gray automotive primer. Let it dry then sand lighytly with oo-steel wool. Looks terrific

[Bobbi Meyer]

is pickled wood the word you're looking for?

[Greg Livbucks]

Wire wheel it to remove some of the cellulose from between the grain and then lightly go over it with a torch to darken the grain and cause graying. If you burn it too much, it will just look like burnt wood, which isn't what you seen to be looking for, so be careful.

[George Roof]

In my other life of building rustic furniture, I used a recipe similar to what J. Brown listed.  I took steel wool and let it soak in muriatic acid.  I "stressed" the wood with a grinding die and a wire wheel, then painted the muriatic acid solution on the board for an instant gray.