I am wanting to make some barnwood picture frames and also a photographic set using aged/weathered wood. I would like to use it relatively fast so just leaving the wood outside probably would not work. I specifically need a fence section that looks weathered. As for the picture frames, what kind of wood should I use and is there a process to weather that wood as well as the fence. Thanks for the help. Steve
If you live in a sizeable city or near one, check with the local fence building company, as they may have some weathered old fences that they have replaced. Although not barn wood.
Use cedar for the frame and spray on a dilute solution of iron sulfate, the iron sulfate comes from nurseries. If you want to really make it an authentic look, add a little raw umber tint to the iron solution. That's the way we did it in the movie industry.
Ed Angell
I forgot to mention, if you use cedar, you can easily wire brush some texture into the frame for real authenticity.
Ed Angell
There is a solution available in hobby shops called "Weather-it" that will do the job. Don't know what quantities it's available in, but perhaps you could try some and see. Not terribly expensive and they also make a "blacken-it" for metal.
At the risk of being horribly obvious, let me ask if you've considered loading up some nice clean 1x lumber and a box of 10d nails, driving to a farm with old outbuildings, and offering to trade the new wood and nails for the same number of old weathered boards?
Another technique not mentioned yet is to lightly char the wood with a torch and then wire brush it.
Art
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