How to Finish Wood Furniture For a Rustic Look
If you’re looking for a more rustic look for your wood furniture, here are a few tips: Distress the wood, wire brush, and oils. Once you’ve gathered these supplies, you can begin the finishing process. Once your furniture is ready for staining, use high-grit sandpaper to lightly sand between coats. Afterward, weather the edges and add decorative details with low-grit sandpaper.
Distressing wood
The process of distressing is a popular choice for furniture that’s looking a bit tired. It can be used on a wide variety of materials, but it’s best used on pieces that have many layers of paint or a thick, lacquered finish. Distressing is easy to do on wood, and once you learn how, it’s not that difficult to achieve the look you’re after. For a quick and easy way to distress wood furniture, try a scrap piece of wood first, then move on to the original. If you’re not able to distress wood furniture, you can restore it in several ways.
Using oils
When choosing a finish for your wood furniture, the type of oil you use will depend on what type of wood the piece is. Coconut oil, Danish oil, and boiled linseed oil are all options, though they do not completely seal the wood. For a more intense finish, you can use Tung oil, which is a petroleum derivative, or Linseed oil. Both types of oil will penetrate the wood pores, but they are more expensive than the others. Using oils to finish your wood furniture does not require removing the existing finish. They can be applied lightly, and you should allow the furniture to dry before applying another layer.
Wire brushing
If you’re looking for a natural rustic finish on wood furniture, wire brushing may be the perfect solution. Wire brushes are made from stainless steel bristles, which makes them the most effective for creating distressed wood. Stainless steel brushes are best for large surfaces, while smaller ones are useful for finishing small pieces. You can use clamps to secure individual pieces to the work surface. For more information, please check out the wire brushing for wood furniture article.
Staining
To give wood furniture a rustic look, you can stain it with a wood stain. There are different kinds of stains, from the lighter ones that can leave the wood’s original color to the dark ones that require dyes to achieve the desired color. The type of wood also plays a role in the color variation, so you must experiment to find the right shade for your wood furniture.
Glazes
To give wood furniture a rustic look, try using a glaze. A glaze adds a patina to a wood finish, making it appear older and more worn. You can use glaze on areas of your furniture that get touch-ups, such as door edges and knobs. Once the glaze has dried, wipe it with a clean cloth to remove excess. You can apply a second coat to your piece to achieve a darker finish.
