Faux Finishing - Aged wood

Hi all,

I am a novice at finishing and am trying to reproduce the aged look of a factory store piece: black on the corners fading smoothly into brown wood color underneath as you move away from the edges.

My base is a walnut stain with shellac sealer so glaze wipes off easily and I have had no luck trying to feather black glaze with dry brushes or sanding it to create a smooth gradient.

Just remembered this great site and thought I'd ask the experts if there was an easy way to get a decent result, or a product that is easy for a non-pro beginner to try.

Thanks!
~A

Still searching, found this:

Paint Technique: Gel Stain : Decorating : Home & Garden Television (http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/paint-technique-gel-stain/index.html)

I will practice with a rag. Maybe need thicker gel for easier blending: the glaze tends to be all-or-none.

Not quite sure I got what you're doing, but a lot of times people don't make the glaze strong enough. Or, Perhaps an oil base black paint will do what you want. Paint the corners, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then wipe it with a soft cloth as desired, heavy on the corners and nearly off as you move away. Use two coats of shellac to make sure you can get t he paint back off as needed.

Bill

Thanks, Bill. I will try a few techniques like you suggest before giving up. I think my goal is called "sunburst" in pro-world and it's normally done with a spray gun, probably easy to get that smooth gradient with spray. I may also try multiple layers so the first one is very thin, next one closer to edge a bit thicker, and so on. :)

In retrospect, I think another easy do-it-yourself method would have been 1) dye bare wood black; 2) add topcoat of shellac; 3) add (lighter) walnut stain over that.

Then sanding through the brown should give a smooth transition to black.

And there's probably more ways.

Oh well, maybe next project. :)

You probably would have achieved the look you wanted if you painted your wood a metallic gold or any base color then use a product called Bella Gesso. It is a thick product made for wood that is perfect for creating an aged look. It comes in black or white and can be tinted. You would want to apply the black and then wipe off to achieve the desired look. I have used it many times, a great product.