How to Age New Wood Fence Planks
- 1). Tear 12 extra-fine steel wood pads into small pieces, and put them in a 3-gallon glass jar. Fill the jar almost to the top with white vinegar. Let it steep for at least 24 hours.
- 2). Boil 3 gallons of water, and add 24 inexpensive black tea bags. Let the tea steep long enough to make a strong tea.
- 3). Brush the fence's wood planks with the tea using a paintbrush, and then let the tea dry on the wood. Brush the vinegar-steel wool mixture over the dry planks. The planks will darken as if they are aged. If the wood is lightly grained, then a bit of rubbing with fine-grit sandpaper will enhance the grain.
- 4). Combine the tea with the vinegar-steel wool solution, allow the mixture to steep for several days and then apply it to the fence to create a more silvery hued wood. It works especially well on pine. Experiment with various mixtures of the formula to see which gives the fence the best appearance.
- 5). Mix 1 part liquid drain cleaner that contains sodium hydroxide with 1 part water if the fence is pine wood. Brush the solution on the pine fence. Initially, the pine wood will oxidize as a bright yellow, but then it will turn a traditional grayish green.
- 6). Sandblast the fence. Wood is made of soft wood and hard wood. Over time, sunshine, rain, cold and ice wear away the softer wood, making the hard wood stand out. A light sandblasting produces the same effect.
- 7). Fill a canvas bag with large, steel nuts, and swing the bag against the fence. The action creates dents and impressions -- which a fence normally acquires over time -- with smooth edges as if they aged and wore down.
Source...