Antique Finish for Natural Pine

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Finishers share ideas for creating this effect. February 26, 2005

Question
I need an antique finish on natural pine. Any suggestions for stains and glazes would be appreciated. We normally use SW products, but are open to advice.

Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
Two light coats of amber shellac. Scuff lightly with 320. Gilsonite (no fiber) or asphaltum wipe. Allow to dry a few hours even though it will still be tacky. Light coat of vinyl sealer and the topcoat of your choice.

Gilsonite is a redder brown and asphaltum is a greener brown. Either way, these tars will have to be diluted with naptha or mineral spirits quite a bit, maybe more than 700% (7 parts thinner to 1 part tar).

The asphaltum will look more antique than the gilsonite because a greener brown is a more authentic anitque/aged look than a redder brown.

You could also add some flyspecking. Van dyke brown or raw umber specks will work. Your flyspecking material ought to be one which does not clump and leave a pimple shape. Glaze definitely leaves little mounds. Colored lacquer does not. But colored lacquer is a one shot deal and not very reversible unless you use a fast-dry thinner so that the specks are almost dry as they hit your surfaces.



For flyspecking I like UTC colorants mixed in VM&P naptha. If you don't like how they look, wipe them back off with a rag soaked in naptha. When they look right, spray on a light coat of sealer or lacquer to lock them in.


Try flyspecking over a vinyl or clearcoated sealed surface with TransTints mixed with water. If you don't like the effect, wipe it off with a damp rag. It doesn't leave mounds as there's no binder. You can flash dry it with a hair dryer if you're in a hurry.