Tool for brushing wood. Artificial aging of wood. Brushing technique

Hello friends! We chose artificial aging of wood as the topic for today's conversation. This decorative finishing technology wooden coverings is now in great demand due to the fact that it allows you to get chic textured surfaces made of wood, emphasizing the natural pattern, giving it a noble “antique” look, introducing original touches into the interior or making the facade unique wooden house. Using OSMO oil for brushing wood, you can get a flawless “aged” surface. First, we should explain where the name of this non-standard technology comes from. The term brushing has English roots (from the English Brush - brush). During the processing of wood, soft fibers are removed using a special brush, resulting in the formation of a surface with a pronounced structure of growth rings. It will take years to achieve a similar effect naturally, but thanks to technology, high-quality tools and OSMO oils for brushing wood, we are able to create the same thing in a carpentry workshop or just at home.

OSMO oil for brushing wood - one of the stages of artificial aging of wood

Let's figure out why OSMO oils are needed in the process of brushing wood. It should be noted that there are many techniques artificial aging tree ( manual method, mechanical, using firing, and so on), but they are all united by the need for final stage finishing with oils, paints or varnish. We will focus on the two most popular methods finishing. Let us remind you that brushing technology is successfully used both for interior work, and in the exterior, therefore the types of coating compositions are selected according to the purpose.

OSMO wood brushing oil: Single color coating

The bottom line is that tinting is applied to the prepared surface, which is then completely removed using a clean rag. Due to the peculiarities of the wood structure, only the soft fibers of the material are tinted, while the hard ones remain untouched.

Let's see what products the German manufacturer offers for brushing wood with OSMO oil in the interior.

Colored oils OSMO Dekorwachs Transparent Tone (transparent). The palette of this series of paints based on oils and waxes includes 18 shades. This product is an ideal protective coating for floors, walls, doors, decorative beams, decorative items, wooden furniture indoors.
OSMO Dekorwachs Intensive Tone colored oils. A rich palette of 14 shades allows you to obtain original color solutions. The density of the tone depends on the number of layers: a transparent matte surface is obtained after applying the composition in one layer, followed by wiping with a clean cloth, and a more saturated shade with a slight shine can be achieved by applying two layers.
Colored fighters on oil based OSMO Ol-Beize is a professional series of color primers of 10 shades. The product is successfully used for finishing parquet, solid boards, flights of stairs, furniture, decorative elements processed using wood brushing technology. Method of use - standard method of one-color coating of artificially aged wood.

Connoisseurs of finishing using brushing techniques successfully implement their ideas also at the stage of exterior work. Let's look at what products for these purposes are presented in the OSMO catalogue.

- professional 2-in-1 product (primer and glaze). A palette of 22 shades allows you to find “your” color, and an innovative composition based on natural ingredients provides reliable protection for a long time. Ideal for finishing window frames, shutters, wooden facades, fences and other elements of a wooden exterior.
OSMO Holzschutz Ol-Lasur is an oil-based glaze with a silver tint. The series is presented in four trendy shades with a metallic effect - quartz, agate, onyx, graphite. It is successfully used to create the effect of aged wood in the process of tinting shutters, facades, pergolas, wooden fencing and other exterior woodwork.

OSMO wood brushing oil: Two-tone coating

Wood treated with creative technology two-color coating - the so-called textured painting method. This method involves the use of two shades of OSMO oil for brushing wood, which allows you to obtain a unique visual effect, as well as increase the durability of the coating. There are many options for two-color tinting of artificially aged wood - in this case, the scope for flight of imagination is truly limitless. We will describe the classic “white/black” option.

White OSMO oil is evenly applied to the prepared surface with a brush. For example, you can use white-matte shade 3186 from the Dekorwachs Intensive Tone series or white primer 3501 from the palette (for interior work), as well as white oil-glaze 900 from the Holzschutz Ol-Lasur series (for “exterior”).
After waiting for 10 minutes, wipe off the excess background composition using a lint-free cloth.
Let the bottom layer dry for 12-24 hours.
After the first layer has dried, we proceed to the next step of brushing the wood with OSMO oil. To do this, apply a color tint in a contrasting shade. As an option, you can use black oil 3169 Dekorwachs Intensive Tone in one layer (for indoor finishing), or primer-glaze 712 Wenge from the Holzschutz Ol-Lasur line (for outdoor use).
After applying the second layer, you should wait 10-12 minutes, then remove the excess with a special rubber spatula.

So that our readers can be convinced that using OSMO oil for brushing wood is convenient and easy, we have selected a video that clearly demonstrates the process of artificial aging of wood using the textured painting for subsequent use of the resulting board in the interior (the story shows the single-layer coating method).

Brushing pine boards

Advice from the experts Best choice for brushing wood with OSMO oil there will be spruce, pine, walnut, linden, oak. In order for the surface you have treated to acquire the most natural touch of noble antiquity, at all stages of work follow the rule: you need to move strictly along the direction of the grain.

Brushing is a mechanical technique that allows you to most advantageously highlight and emphasize the original natural beauty wood material. For brushing work, it is recommended to use cuts that have a clear and bright structure. Ideally, the wood should not be too dense and uniform. Annual rings, a chaotic arrangement of fibers and various knots should be visible on the cut. The most suitable materials are larch, oak, spruce and walnut wood. It is strictly not recommended to subject fruit wood, birch, beech and naturally plywood to such treatment.

Basic brushing methods

Brushing wood can be done in two main ways - using chemicals and using mechanical devices.

When using a chemical method, fibers are removed by treatment with special chemical compounds. They are based on ammonia and others that are dangerous to humans. chemical elements. The solution applied to the surface softens the wood and thereby facilitates the process of combing out soft fibers from it.

If you brush wood yourself, you must follow the following rules:

All work must be done indoors with good ventilation, and preferably in the fresh air;
It is necessary to provide yourself with additional protective equipment in the form of a respirator, thick rubber gloves and goggles.

If the choice fell on the mechanical processing method, then the fibers are cleaned using a drill equipped with a number of special brushes and attachments. When performing this process manually, you need a metal brush with durable metal bristles. They differ in the degree of rigidity and the size of the working surface. Small brushes are recommended for use when processing hard to reach places small area.

The essence of wood brushing work

This process is quite labor intensive. To make it easier, you need to thoroughly sprinkle the workpiece with clean water and move the brush with slight pressure in one direction strictly according to the location of the wood fibers. This procedure will have to be repeated more than once until you achieve the required depth of texture. Manipulations with a drill are carried out in the same way. Its use is necessary for deep brushing work.

After completing the first cycle of work, you need to go over the entire surface of the wood with a brush and flute in order to remove all the particles remaining in the recesses. Then you can begin work on decorating the wood.

Brushing wood with firing

Currently, wood brushing and firing is in great demand. It also applies to the mechanical processing method. Before the brushing process, the surface of the wood is fired. After sampling the soft fibers, the texture acquires a pronounced appearance, which cannot be achieved without firing.

To carry out the firing process, a special apparatus with a high temperature is required. The most popular device is a soldering iron. It is compact and easy to use. In addition to this device, you can use various burners that are filled with gas and have a combustion temperature regulator.

The technique for burning wood is as follows. The switched-on burner must be directed evenly in one direction, without lingering in any particular area. After this, the already blackened wood must be sprinkled with water and left alone for 5-10 minutes. Then you need to work with an iron brush, moving strictly in one direction along the fibers, until the desired result is achieved. Wood after firing and brushing is still capable of for a long time maintain a pleasant resinous smell.

Brushing technology

Brushing can also be perceived as a technique for artificially aging wood. After this type of treatment, it looks more noble and respectable. The work is carried out using hand-held brushes or special brushes attached to an electric drill or grinder. The technology includes three main stages:

At the first stage, the softest fibers are removed. For this purpose, brushes with metal bristles are used;
The next step will be the grinding process using synthetic bristles with an abrasive coating;
The final stage consists of polishing the wood. This can be done using a hair brush.

The main advantages of wood processing using the brushing method

Further painting of wooden surfaces after brushing helps to highlight the textured surface: existing depressions become more dark colors, and various ridges are lightened. You can also resort to such a technique as patination. During this process, specially applied compounds penetrate deeply into the open pores of the wood and focus attention on the texture of the wood, creating the illusion of cracking on the outer surface.

Brushing the walls of a wooden private household allows you to achieve a number of advantages:

Originality and uniqueness of appearance due to the pronounced variety of recesses and ridges of the wooden surface;
Individuality of the building design, created through an artificially aged coating;
Functionality and versatility. Wood treated by brushing perfectly hides emerging minor defects, which are clearly visible on a perfectly flat floor or smooth wall.

As we can see, the purpose of brushing is to highlight the natural beauty of wood. The walls of houses treated in this way look original and at the same time rare. Brushing work can be done either independently or with the assistance of specialists.

Video: Brushing - how to age wood

Wood brushing is the process of artificial aging of the surface layer of lumber. The origins of this name are in the English word brush, which means “to clean” or “brush”. In Russian, the same process is called wood structuring.

In natural natural conditions the tree ages gradually. It is subject to weathering, and wear occurs unevenly - the looser layers age and fall out, while the denser ones remain. As a result, a beautiful picture is formed, painted by time itself.

Man constantly learns from nature. So here, having looked at the history of the creation of the natural aged structure of wood in nature, he decided to take it into his arsenal and achieve a similar effect in a shorter time. Unlike the natural process, which weakens the wood, the artificial aging procedure, on the contrary, increases the strength of the wood. All loose layers are removed, leaving the hardest ones. Treatment special compounds protects the tree from rotting and damage by various bark beetles.

Brushing wood is a technique for decorative finishing of wood. The design idea is not limited by anything, and the idea of giving a good-quality item an aged look has found its followers. Now this is a fashionable trend in decor, extremely in demand. It allows you to create a complete imitation of an expensive exotic type of wood, using ordinary affordable wood. Brown or grayish green with gold veins and pores, oak parquet with white tinting, sky blue or azure with platinum-colored pores - all options are subject to this technology.

Give space to your imagination, just don’t overdo it! Advice experienced designer will be useful to those who do not know the sense of proportion.

Brushing technology is used in the production of furniture, in finishing the interiors of shops, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and in private apartments. Brushing boards is widely used in the manufacture of parquet - with the help of sanding, uneven coloring and varnishing, parquet flooring will acquire its own individuality and a touch of mystery will settle in your apartment, a kind of flair of antiquity.

Brushing furniture in antique interior design

The technology for brushing wood is simple, but labor-intensive. If you need to use this technique on a small object, say a wooden box, then you can independently perform all the operations to decorate it, and at the same time enjoy the creative process. If you plan to completely process parquet or large furniture, then it is better to contact a company that provides such services and performs these procedures using professional equipment.

What types of wood are good for brushing?

It should be noted that not every type of wood accepts this type of decor. It is most preferable to use soft or medium-hard wood: oak, ash, walnut, larch. The structure of the tree must have a pronounced fibrous structure, otherwise the whole meaning of processing is lost. The fact is that the whole effect is based on tearing out soft fibers located between the annual rings of wood. This emphasizes the existing structure and makes it brighter and more contrasting. When the existing structure is homogeneous, it turns out that there is nothing to identify. However, it is possible to create the necessary surface on any wood, the only question is cost and time.

Important! The brushing process itself will not accomplish the task of aging wood. Without the use of wood coloring operations, the work will have an unfinished appearance. And painting with stains and other means requires the artist to creative approach and artistic taste.

Mechanical method brushing

The full cycle of wood brushing consists of the following operations:

Initial treatment with wire brushes to remove some of the soft wood fibers from the surface layer;
Sanding the structured surface with an abrasive polymer brush or coarse sandpaper;
Painting with stain and other dyes, the result of which should be that same “antique effect”;
Surface polishing, sometimes multi-layer varnish coating. In this case, after each layer has dried, the surface is thoroughly cleaned with thin abrasive sandpapers.

When brushing wood, all work can be done with your own hands, or using an electric angle grinder(grinders) or drills. You will need to purchase different attachments in the form of metal (steel, copper or aluminum) brushes and abrasive synthetic brushes; other devices for grinding and polishing wood.

Rough wood processing

When cleaning the surface of wood from soft fibers, it is recommended to move a wire brush in the direction of their growth. The speed of movement of the brush should also be the same on all parts of the surface.

Try to ensure even pressure on the brush so as not to make too deep holes and damage the pattern of the annual rings themselves. The scratches that appear on them stand out from the general series and worsen the result of the work.

To obtain a deeper effect of wood aging, some resort to crude methods of creating the necessary relief. Thus, even making various dents and nicks with an ax can have a highly artistic meaning. Of course, such processing is appropriate only on large interior parts.

To obtain the highest quality result, pay attention to the choice of the position of the lighting source - the light beam should be directed across the fibers. Only in this case will you be able to see all the subtleties of the acquired wood texture.

Wood blanks to be processed must be dried to a moisture content of 15-16%. This is necessary so that there are fewer fibers on the treated surface in the form of raised, but not torn fibers.

Sometimes you can do without a wire brush. You will need to use a universal abrasive brush made of polymer-abrasive materials. The principles of operation of abrasive synthetic and metal brushes are the same, but when working with the latter, the result will be delicate processing of wood, with less pronounced roughness.

Sanding a textured surface

Sanding removes the remaining “shaggy” material, in the form of lint from wood fibers, and creates a surface that is pleasant to the touch. You cannot sand the protruding parts on the surface very hard, because they can break off during use. Grinding is carried out using a universal abrasive brush or sandpaper.

Adding an antique effect with paint

After we have successfully created the desired surface relief of the wood, simulating time treatment, it is necessary to enhance this effect with the help of staining. Agree that fresh wood with signs of wear will still look new if you do not change its color.

The play of colors can change our workpiece beyond recognition. With the help of a simple painting procedure, if done professionally, ordinary wood will have a solid and presentable appearance.

Most affordable way painting a brushed surface - applying stain and then washing it off. The paint will be absorbed into the soft layers of wood instantly, but the hard areas will not have time to paint. Due to this, the natural pattern of the wood layers will appear and the material will receive an interesting texture. You can add gold paint (or another of your choice), after applying which you need to run a spatula along the plane of the wood. This will remove excess paint; it will only paint over pores and dents.

If brushed wood is used to cover floors or countertops and shelves, it would be advisable to fill all pores and dents with special transparent putties. This will prevent dirt from getting into the pores and cracks of the material.

Finishing - polishing and varnishing

In order for the decorated surface to be fully ready for use, it must be thoroughly polished, wired or varnished.

The effect of old wood is achieved through the use of a special craquelure varnish, which promotes the formation of small cracks on the surface. Paint or coal dust is rubbed into these cracks, which ultimately produces a beautiful, unique pattern.

Chemical brushing method

Chemical methods for brushing wood can be used to make it easier mechanical removal fibers, or are carried out without additional mechanical influences at all. The meaning of chemical exposure lies in the ability of some active chemical solutions to soften or corrode wood fibers. It is possible to use acids, alkalis, and any caustic compounds. When using compositions with a high concentration of active components that decompose wood fibers, you can do without finishing the texture with brushes; you will just need several stages of applying and rinsing off the product.

The chemical brushing method is accompanied by the release of pungent odors, so it is better to carry out the work in the fresh air.

After creating the surface relief using chemistry, further decoration is carried out in the same way as with the mechanical brushing method.

Safety precautions

The work of brushing, although not particularly difficult, requires a lot of effort and time. For quality performance decorative processing you will need to purchase expensive paints, stains and other products. Vapors from chemical solutions, the smell of paint and varnishes are especially harmful to our health - we should buy respirators, however, even during mechanical processing there are many points from which we must protect ourselves:

Wear gloves, use a respirator and safety glasses;
If work is carried out using electric machines, follow all safety requirements that protect against electric shock and damage from rotating mechanisms.

City dwellers, who have lived their whole lives in the metal dungeons of the concrete jungle, are gradually losing interest in faceless urban interiors, preferring classic, vintage and rustic styles, characterized by emphasized individuality. An integral component of these interiors is wood - a popular finishing material, thanks to which they acquire uniqueness and original beauty. However, there are tricks here too - if country - and eco-styles are often complemented by wood in its pristine natural form, then within the framework of vintage and even classic styles, aged wood, which has a more attractive and noble appearance, would be more appropriate. Almost any interior element can be made from it: it can be a vintage lamp or one that exudes coziness wooden chest of drawers, and the classic use of wood in the interior is the manufacture of window sills and doors. Under natural conditions, the aging process of wood takes more than one year; intricate patterns on its surface form slowly and unevenly, which makes aged wood a rare and expensive material. However, technology does not stand still, and over time, a method of artificial aging of wood, called brushing, was developed. Interest in this method of processing wooden surfaces is shown not only by lovers of luxury vintage furniture, but also by owners of suburban areas who have decided to diversify their interior decoration country houses. Considering the relevance of the problem, in this article we will look at the essence of the process of brushing wood, the main types and tools necessary for it, and also tell you how to brush wood with your own hands.

Aging of wood: basic information

If you carefully examine the appearance of the wood when cut, you can see a peculiar pattern - annual rings, in which dark and light tones alternate. This pattern is based on the alternation of hard (dense) and light (loose) fibers, the latter being more susceptible to time and aggressive climatic factors, which leads to their gradual wear. This is how the formation of annual rings occurs, which over time not only acquire density and contrasting shades, but also visible volume. This is the basis of the natural aging of wood - a process that takes many decades. Thanks to lightning-fast development innovative technologies Currently, a unique opportunity has arisen to artificially accelerate the aging process of wood. This can be put into practice using the brushing method, which gets its name from the English word brush. In Russian there is a similar term, which is referred to as “wood structuring”.

What is wood brushing: the essence of the method

Brushing is a method of artificially aging wood, which involves the use specialized tools and techniques. The brushing technique is based on the mechanical processing of wood with special metal brushes, with the help of which the softest upper fibers of the material are removed. Thanks to this technique, the hard surface of the wood is exposed, on which the texture of the material and the structure of the growth rings are clearly visible, and a beautiful relief is formed, emphasizing the aesthetic appearance of the finishing material. However, the brushing process does not end there. To emphasize the relief and make the structure of the wood even more distinct, it is highlighted with a color that gives richness to natural shades. To do this, the surface treated with a metal brush is unevenly painted, while the depressions formed as a result of the removal of soft fibers are painted in darker shades, and the surface texture is painted in lighter shades. Thanks to this technique, the wood relief becomes as noticeable as possible.

Important! In order for artificially aged wood to acquire maximum resemblance to the material, the aging of which took place in natural environment, experts recommend painting material that has previously been brushed in grey colour. Without waiting for the paint to dry completely, it is smeared from the relief surface. Thanks to this technique, it will seem that products made from artificially aged lumber have stood in the open air for at least 10 years.

Important! If natural aging negatively affects operational characteristics wood, weakening its structure, then thanks to artificial aging carried out by brushing, the material acquires additional strength.

The artificial structuring method can be used in the processing of both hard and soft wood. The main requirement that wood to be brushed must meet is the presence of a clearly defined texture and clearly visible layers of varying hardness. Such materials include oak, pine, walnut, larch, wenge and ash.

As for alder, cherry, birch, teak, maple and beech, the brushing method will be proven ineffective for these species, since distinctive feature These trees have a fine-fiber structure without pronounced layering.

Advantages of artificially aged wood

Wood that has undergone artificial structuring acquires an original appearance that meets the latest fashion trends;
Brushed wood becomes resistant to rotting and various insects;
By brushing wood with your own hands (the video presented in the article will simplify this process), you can independently make a lot of exclusive things that will not only last a long time, but will also emphasize the exclusivity of any interior;
Having produced decorative finishing common and fairly cheap lumber, you can create an artificial imitation of exotic types of wood, the cost of which significantly exceeds the original price of the raw materials.

Wood Brushing Tools

At first glance, the process of artificially structuring wood may seem complicated, but even an inexperienced craftsman can do it if he has a certain set of tools at his disposal that will save time and effort spent on work. In addition, it should be noted that brushing wood can be done either manually or mechanized, which is largely determined by the tool used. Depending on the method by which wood brushing is carried out, the tool can be of the following types:

Tools for manual wood brushing

Hand wire brushes, characterized by varying thickness and stiffness of the bristles, are used for primary wood processing. The stiffness of the bristles is determined by the length of the wire; the longer it is, the softer the bristles. When choosing a brush for brushing wood, try to give preference to tools with the stiffest metal bristles. If necessary, it can be trimmed using a grinder, which will make the pile even tougher. When using a brush to brush wood, it is necessary to move its bristles along the grain in exactly one direction. Thanks to this technique, you can remove soft fibers from the surface of the wood, leaving hard fibers intact;

Hand chisel- a tool with which you can apply deep longitudinal grooves of various curvatures in wood fiber. When used skillfully with a chisel, you can achieve maximum realism in artificially structured wood by causing sufficiently deep cracks that create the effect of cracking the material;
Sandpaper with coarse grain is also used in the process of brushing wood and allows you to emphasize the texture of the material, making the natural pattern more clear. The technique of using sandpaper is similar to the technique of using a hand brush - it is also moved with pressure along the fibers, as a result of which grooves are formed on the surface of the wood, the structure of which is similar to the structure of natural fibers. By correctly selecting the abrasive grain size and using sandpaper with different grain sizes, you can achieve different depths and degrees of severity of the grooves;
Bulgarian, equipped with special brush attachments for brushing wood - another tool that is used for brushing wood. At the same time, at the initial stage, nozzles with metal bristles are used for rough surface treatment, and for the final stage, nozzles with copper and sisal bristles are used. Currently, a special nozzle for brushing wood “Piranha”, which is an abrasive-polymer brush, is in wide demand. Using this device, you have the opportunity to selectively remove fibers, focusing only on soft fibers and not affecting hard fibers.

Important! When working with an abrasive-polymer brush, you must ensure that the surface of the wood being treated does not burn when working at high speeds. To avoid this, you need to purchase a speed controller.

Important! After performing the initial surface treatment, experts recommend using a kerosene burner, with which the material is fired. remember, that gas-burner not used for these purposes. Burning the wood surface with a kerosene burner promotes:

removal of small wood fibers;

drying the top layer of wood;

highlighting and emphasizing the natural structure of wood.

Process automation: machines and brushing machines

On a production scale, the amount of work is many times higher, and therefore there is a need to automate the process, which involves the use of special machines. This helps simplify the work of producing aged wood, and also reduces time costs, allowing large volumes of work to be completed in a short period of time.

If you want to purchase special machines for brushing wood at home, it only makes sense if you plan to do a large amount of work. Let's look at the most common models of specialized equipment for brushing wood.

Cleaning router or the so-called wood brushing machine FESTOOL RUSTOFIX RAS 180. Three brushes are supplied with this device:

1. The first steel wire brush, which is used for primary wood processing;

2. A second synthetic bristle brush, intended for intermediate sanding;

3. The third - made of sisal is used for polishing the treated surface.

Sanding machine Makita 974 can also be used for brushing wood, however, in the process of working with it, difficulties may arise associated with processing corner areas. In this regard, at the joints between walls and floors, it is necessary to additionally use an angle grinder equipped with attachments;

Grinder Felisatti AGF 110/1010E can be used for processing both relatively flat and uneven surfaces. Metal and nylon brushes are supplied with this device. It has an analogue - the Interskol sanding machine, which will make sanding wood much easier if you follow the instructions presented in our article.

Brushing Wood: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you are not a guru in the field of wood brushing, the master class and advice from our experts will help you study this wood processing technique in more detail.

Let's take a closer look at the wood brushing process.

Before you begin the initial processing of the material, lightly moisten the selected workpiece, which will prevent the formation of wood dust during the work process. Prepare a working tool - a hand brush. To carry out the work effectively, make sure that the tool meets the minimum requirements - the brush must efficiently remove soft surface fibers without disturbing the structure of hard fibers. Having selected the hardness of a hand brush for brushing wood experimentally, use it to rough the material. During operation, the hand brush should be moved along the direction of the grain.

Important! If you decide to automate the process and carry out brushing using a grinder or grinder equipped with special brushes, remember that the movements of the tool attached to the grinding stone are also made along the fibers, and the selection of the rotation speed must be done in advance on a small sample of the material, since for different types of wood this technical parameter may vary significantly.

After you have completed the initial hard processing of the wood, replace the working tool with a polymer attachment with an abrasive coating, using which you can grind the material, removing any remaining soft fibers from its surface. Once you have gotten rid of unnecessary roughness, evaluate the volume and quality of the work done, making sure that the quality of structuring meets your expectations. If you are not satisfied with the result, experts advise making the structuring more distinct by deepening the previously made grooves on the surface of the wood. At this stage, you can think for the first time about the decorative design of the surface of the material and, using a chisel, add additional indentations and grooves, giving them the appearance of cracks that appeared naturally.

The next stage is the final polishing, for which you will need a sisal brush. If you plan to do it by hand, prepare sandpaper with a fine-grained abrasive surface, with which you will get a perfect smooth surface blanks. After this, the resulting workpiece must be dried and cleaned of dust, thereby preparing it for subsequent painting and varnishing.
To decorate brushed wood, experts recommend using golden or silver paint, during the application of which particles of the coloring pigment will clog into the microcracks of the wood, causing reflections to appear on its surface in sunny weather. If you want to give the material a unique luxury and presentable appearance, patina it (painting the deepest cracks with darker paint).

Important! As coloring composition you can use stain. To do this, apply it liberally to the surface of the material and quickly remove the excess. Thanks to this technique, soft fibers will absorb paint, acquiring more dark shade, while the hard ones will remain light.

After painting the wood, polish it again, which will smooth out all the unevenness that appeared after painting.
After thoroughly washing, cleaning and drying the workpiece, you can coat it with varnish. To do this, you should use a specially designed parquet varnish, thanks to which the material will retain its original appearance and performance characteristics for a long time.

Chemical brushing of wood

Unlike mechanical brushing, wood brushing using chemicals is considered the most rare type of artificial structuring. Despite the fact that the use of chemically active compounds facilitates the brushing process, their widespread use is limited by the need for special knowledge and skills of the master working with chemicals. In addition, difficulties may arise in purchasing chemicals.

For chemical brushing of wood, acids (sulfuric and hydrochloric), alkalis and other caustic chemicals (ammonia) are used. After they are applied to the surface of the material, they corrode the soft fibers, and all that remains is to scrape off the unnecessary wood.

The sequence of work for chemical brushing is as follows:

The surface of the material is polished and dirt is removed;
A thin layer of the chemical used for brushing is applied to the surface to be treated;
During the work process, it is important to monitor the evaporation of the chemical and, if necessary, reapply;
After Chemical substance will soften the outer fibers, the workpiece is washed under running water and use a soft brush to remove chemical residues;
Then the wood is thoroughly dried, after which they begin to paint and apply varnish.

Wooden products made from brushed wood will become an original addition to classic and vintage interiors, fitting perfectly into the main stylistic concept. Aged wood in the form of wall panels, massive ceiling beams and columns will make any, even the most laconic interior, refined and aristocratic.

Brushing wood video

Giving wooden surfaces aged appearance by mechanical means- that’s what wood brushing is, in a nutshell. In fact, this is a very interesting and fascinating process, which is carried out not only by professional carpenters and designers, but also by many who like to work with their own hands.

The tree has always occupied, occupies and will occupy a leading position among finishing materials, not to mention furniture and household items. That is why he is always given increased attention and preference. Aged wood goes well with any modern materials, giving the room uniqueness and originality.

What is the essence of brushing?

The natural aging process of wood occurs over a long period of time. The cut surface wears unevenly, the texture becomes uneven and somewhat wavy. Approximately the same effect can be achieved if you process wooden product special tools. Brushing wood when it is young removes the soft fibers, revealing the natural appeal of the wood's natural patterns.

Each product from natural wood unique and inimitable, thanks to the individual properties of each type of wood, moreover, each trunk. However, not every wood species can be aged. Before brushing wood, you need to know about its susceptibility to this method. So, it is best to age pine, oak, larch, walnut, ash, wenge. But in relation to beech, maple, birch, cherry, alder this method finishing is practically ineffective. The wood of these species does not have a pronounced texture. It has little noticeable transitions between layers of different densities, or even none at all.

Brushing equipment

To an inexperienced person, brushing wood may seem like a complicated and inaccessible process. In reality this is not the case at all. You need to have a room for creativity, that is, a workshop, necessary equipment and a little effort. To work you need to prepare:

sandpaper in a set, with different degrees of grain;
a set of special brushes for brushing wood;
stain, preferably several shades to enhance the color scheme;
Transparent wood varnish for final finishing of the product.

Some masters manual labor prefer mechanized. Therefore, instead of conventional brushes, they adapt electric tool for brushing wood, equipped with a set of brushes. You can also use a home drill with a speed controller with special attachments. Each of the brushes has its own purpose:

a steel wire brush is needed for the main process - brushing wood with your own hands;
a brush with synthetic fiber bristles performs the first sanding;
A soft brush is necessary for final polishing of the surface.

It should be noted that it makes sense to purchase special equipment (machines or machines) to perform a large volume of work. If we're talking about In isolated cases, there is no reason to spend money on purchasing an expensive tool for brushing wood, and do the work manually.

How to brush wood correctly

The procedure for aging wood for manual and mechanized method is the same. It is important to choose the correct rotation speed of the machine or adapt to uniform movement brushes. So how to brush wood with high speed engine is undesirable, you can bake the wood and get a defect that can no longer be corrected. Before starting work, it is recommended to pass the board through a thicknesser or sand it with a sander. Stages of aging boards:

The workpiece must be sprinkled with water to reduce the amount of dust. Then they begin the main process. The tool, mechanical, electric or manual, is moved along the location of the fibers with measured movements. For each type of wood, they experimentally select their own pace and mode of operation. It is important to thoroughly scrape the board and remove all soft fibers.
Next, brushing the wood with your own hands continues with a brush with synthetic bristles. Sanding should be done in the same order as hard processing was done - with movements along the grain of the wood. After sanding, the initial processing result will be noticeable. If the depth of the grooves seems insufficient, the process can be repeated. The main thing is not to overdo it, as you should brush the board carefully and accurately. At the same time, additional decoration can be done. Using a chisel, create artificial cracks and grooves that highlight the natural wood structure.
Final sanding is done with a soft-bristled brush or, if the work is done by hand, with sandpaper with the finest grain. The main thing is to make sure that the surface of the workpiece is absolutely smooth. This action prepares the board for final finishing. Upon completion of grinding, the workpiece must be cleaned of dust and dried.
The finishing stage is giving the product a touch of antiquity, grace, and nobility. This is where artistic talent comes in handy, if you have it. For this purpose, stains of different shades, gilding, and silver plating are used. For example, if you literally fill a board with stain and immediately remove the excess, then the soft tissues of the wood will absorb it and darken, while the hard ones will remain light. It turns out to be a very beautiful effect.
The painting process ends with another polishing cycle after the paint has dried.

Varnishing of brushed wood is done last, when its appearance fully corresponds to the expected result. But before this, the workpiece must be thoroughly dried.

Sometimes, in order to speed up the process and make labor easier, acids, alkalis and others are used for brushing. chemicals, corroding the tree. In this case, steel brushes are not needed. The composition is applied to the surface of the board, then washed off, and so on several times. Such work will not bring much satisfaction, and it will cause great harm. You should work with chemicals wearing protective equipment and outdoors.

Where are products with brushed surfaces used?

Brushed wood looks appropriate in the interior of any style and architectural direction. With her participation, stylish decorative items are created. Planks with an aged surface are used to decorate sections of walls and ceilings; they fit perfectly into the lining of fireplace portals, ceiling beams, decorative and real columns.

Furniture finished with brushed details in combination with patinated metal, especially copper, always looks sophisticated and elegant. Very popular among connoisseurs of antiques and cabinetmakers wooden blanks, on whose appearance bark beetles have worked. It is impossible to achieve such an effect artificially. Therefore, products made from such wood are especially highly valued by experts.