Re: Distressing wood

[Kevin Strong]

The vinegar/steel wool method is a recent favorite of mine--use just as 
Trot described. The "simulated" rust effect on painted surfaces is 
absolutely magnificent--especially since it isn't really "simulated" at 
all. It *is* rust.

Word of caution with the vinegar/steel wool solution. It reacts to 
different woods differently. Basswood turns a reddish grey, while balsa 
turns brown. Cedar turns anywhere from grey to black. This may have 
something to do with the strength of the solution as well as the type of 
wood, so test a small piece of the wood first to see how the solution 
will react. Note also that the reaction isn't an instantaneous thing. 
When treating wood, it will take a few minutes to change color. When 
using it on painted surfaces for a rust treatment, it will often take a 
few days to achieve the full results. This is largely dependent on the 
amount of moisture present in the air. I would imagine you'll get 
quicker results across the pond than what I get here in the arid 
Colorado climate.

Before "weathering" the wood, I usually run over it with a bit of 60 
grit sandpaper to give it a bit of a texture. Some people use razor saws 
or broken hack-saw blades to do the same thing. I think the "grain" 
looks entirely too parallel then, so I just use the sandpaper. If I want 
to simulate a small split or something like that, I'll break out the 
X-acto knife and carve one in.

For the ends of the beam, I do use a razor saw. I spin it around to cut 
in the rings. Again, the depth and amount is up to you. An X-acto knife 
can then be used to carve in the cracks on the end.

Art, If you saw my mogul ("Phillips") at DH, then you saw examples of 
using the steel wool/vinegar solution for weathering both wood and 
painted surfaces.

Other examples exist on my web site: 
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/kcstrong/trr/TRRHomepage.html
Click on "rolling stock" to look at a flat car whose deck was done with 
the vinegar solution. Under "motive power," look at TRR#3 to see 
examples of using the solution for weathering.

Later,

K