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This is a little 411 on how to make some new wood look old – or in my case my old wood look old again.
I sanded down my craft table with a palm sander to get all the potential slivers away and i was left with a table that had a “fresh wood” look – well, that was definitely not the look i was after. I loved how the table looked prior to sanding, and i wanted that same old gray weathered look back. I decided to sand it down and seal it because i want the top to get even more beat up – i didn’t want glass or anything on top.
Before sanding…
After sanding…yuk, too new for me 
I did a little google searcharoo and found a few how-to’s to gray wood. I picked the easiest one and gave it a shot. One piece of 0000 steel wool, glass bottle and vinegar. Just take the steel wool and rip it in small pieces, put it in the jar and cover with vinegar. After 24 hours most of the steel wool will be dissolved. Mine didn’t turn dark like this until the metal on the lid reacted with the vinegar and turned it dark – it was like my own little science experiment 
Then i just brushed it on the table and as soon as the vinegar touched the wood, it started to change. I guess the steel wool reacts with the vinegar and when this is put on wood, it speeds up the natural oxidation process – neato.
But, let me just tell you that this little process STUNK!!! Not like vinegar that you would think – but it was worse – seriously nasty. It smelled like…i cant even think of what it smelled like…it made me gag every couple of minutes. Gross, gross, gross…
So here’s half the table with the vinegar and the other freshly sanded – big difference
This is what it looked like after all the vinegar was on – then i let it dry for a day – soak up all that vinegary goodness.
After it was dry, i gave it a light sand and it is back to its good ol’ gray self – just the way i wanted it – i love when things work out like they are supposed too – it makes my world a happier place
So, now that its all dry i will be sealing it with some Tung oil (thanks Christa!!) – i will post some updated pics soon along with my almost finished craft room
OH, and just think with what you could do with the knowledge of how to gray wood!! You could buy some new picket fence posts and make some wood boxes that have the weathered look (remember the boxes that i posted about here?)… imagine a table with the top grayed and the legs painted white (i seriously need to do that one)… you can make some hand painted signs on a left over piece of lumber – the gray wood would look like its been hanging outside for years. TONS of stuff that you could do – just use your noggin
I'm just a semi- regular girl that cant get enough of decorating and then re-decorating! Painting my house and then re-painting my house! Not to mention all the DIY projects, my furniture refinishing business and my family that supports me along the way. 
This may be the most useful post I have ever read –and that is saying something! I wouldnt even have known or thought to google this! You are a girl after my own heart. There is nothing better than old, gross, gray weathered wood. Thank you for posting this! Cant wait for warm weather to give it a try!! ~tai @ taidye original
I have a jar “cooking” right now! After applying the solution, how long will it be until the wood is dry?
i dont remember exactly,but not too long
Hey, thanks for sharing…this is great info and I'm looking forward to seeing this all done and put together!
B R I L L I A N T
Wow, this is excellent! I love reading about how to do those kinds of things. I think you can do something similar with rusty nails in vinegar, it makes an ebony finish or something? I'll have to find out.
Anyway, can't wait to see the Tung oil too, I've never used that. I'm sure it will look great!
What an interesting technique. Certainly not one I would have thought of on my own. The wood looks really great afterwards!! I may try this, but I'll have to buy a gas mask first ha, ha.
Did the smell linger in the wood? I want to age some beadboard that I'm going to use in the bedroom.
I love your table and thanks so much for sharing how you aged it. I'm working on one now (its on the top right side bar on my blog) that I couldnt figure out how to give that old aged look.
Holy Cow! This is mighty good knowledge to have around. I've been wanting to make some old-ish looking signs for my kiddos new play room but had no idea how to make the wood I had look old. Now I know! Thank you soooo much for posting this! I am so excited to try it out!
Just sent you an email let me know what you think.
Chris B.
YAY Sausha, thank you SO much for posting this. I am going to building a bench for my dining room table and I wanted an old farmhouse/barn looking one but I knew I wasn't going to be able to fine wood from an old farmhouse/barn being torn down. Now all I have to do is use you lil trick, outside of course, and I'll be all set : ) Thanks again ~ Deanna
Sausha- like i said before you know everything… and if you don't you google it! Fab job on this tutorial, i was about the go rip some old wood of a old barn across the street! Really! But its okay we own the barn. anyhoo! AWESOME! Thanks for sharing. cant wait to use this!
I found your blog via Ana White today and I am loving it so far. I posted your laundry pedestal on my blog- genius idea. Can't wait to keep on reading!
Oh, perfect timing… one of my readers sent me this link. I have brand new wooden floor in my farmhouse, and for months i've been thinking about how to make it a bit worn or older looking, since I'm not really into paints and chemicals.
It looks great, I must try it, thanks for this idea
Piszke, from Hungary
A day or two after posting this a friend at school told me how she wanted this very look for the walls of her soon-to-be built cabin. I sent her your link…exactly what she wants! She doesn't want to do it herself, but said she's more than willing to hire me to do it! Hope she's got lots of windows planned. Awesome post. Thank you! Can't wait to see the final finish with the tung oil.
Can you help me? My vinegar solution is not changing colors…you said something about the metal of the lid….did you turn the bottle upsidedown?
Thanks!
Nicole, dont worry about yours not changing color. Mine only did once my liquid touched the lid, but that doesnt matter (my liquid touched the lid when i was carrying it down the stairs). All that you need is the steel wool to break down in the vinegar and thats what will change your wood color.
Hope that helps!!!
Wow, this is a great trick! What a neat effect. By the way, Formby's Tun Oil is the only one I use now – get low sheen. It goes on like water and not like honey like Minwax does.
I just found your blog and what a day to do it! This tutorial is brilliant! and yup, the possibilities are endless! definitely a new follower!
Oh my!! Found you via the How To party at Lettered Cottage. What a post! We're planning to diy a vintage industrial wood and metal table and were looking at reclaimed wood for it's aged look. This could drastically reduce our cost!!! Thanks for posting.
Shannon
{aka}|design
So….Does it still smell?, I only ask because I am considering doing this for a tabletop.
Thanks!
i agree, looks much better now! great post, saw it on the lettered cottage.
I am distressing some café doors for Apple Works Orchard, where I work. They are new doors that need a white wash. We have other white washed items at the orchard but the wood is gray. I just put a wad of steal wool in a jar of vinegar. Can't wait to see how the doors looks!
Thanks so much for the info!
I wish I had seen this post before I stained my wine crates twice! Thanks for posting. I'm now looking for a posting of AFTER the tung oil was applied! I am going to try this on my kitchen table and will pain the legs creamy/distressed white. Blessings…
Hi Sausha- I keep coming back to this post. I just stripped my dining room table and was hoping for a bleached wood look but my wood is way too red. I'm thinking I'll try this method to give it more of a natural, gray tint. Wish me luck!!
xo~
T
So I tried this little experiment with distilled white vinegar and it didn't work at all.
The steel wool didn't dissolve so I guess I'm heading back to the store to try it again with a different vinegar. Any suggestions?
I've done this on a scrap piece of wood. My steel wool didn't dissolve all the way, but it seems to be okay. It totally changed when the liquid touched the metal lid! Kind of like magic. It looks like a walnut color stain. It's been on for a week now, with no change. I'm going to take some sandpaper to it and see what happens. And for those concerned about the smell…there is no lingering smell after a bit. Even up close.
Follow up: Yes! Sanding is the final, must-do step. Mine isn't exactly grey (might be the wood?)- still a walnut color…but it has a beautiful worn, aged patina to it. Thanks!
This seems to be the answer to my questions about weathering the wood. My next question to you is what type of vinegar is best.
What is the best type of vinegar??
Thanks for the info and great post! I will be trying this on a tractor seat bar stool;) Thanks!
What an awesome project! Just wanted to let you know I featured it today on "You Sew Rock Me Fridays" at sewrockin.com.
You can see it here: http://www.sewrockin.com/2011/11/11/you-sew-rock-me-fridays-4/
I look forward to seeing what you come up with next!
Jamie @ Sew Rockin'
Thank you again for such a great tutorial! I had to come show you what I did with this technique thanks to your awesome instructions!
http://tomiannie.blogspot.com/2011/11/family-rules-sign-inspired-by-gazillion.html
Sorry I'm a little late to the party. For those of you who have trouble with your steel wool dissolving, you may have to do a search for REAL steel wool. Oddly enough, all steel wool is not created equal. Some doesn't have as much steel content as others. I ran into the same problem and ended up aging my wood with a solution of baking soda and water. It went from high glass t&g pine boards to sanded down new wood and finally with the aid of baking soda and water, a warm silvery gray, like barn wood.
Just saw your post on Pinterest. Thank you for sharing this very clever idea. I am wanting to make an “old looking” barn door and this technique will make my job a lot easier.
Looks amazing! Did the smell ease up? Thinking this trick would be perfect for an island in my kitchen.
ya it did, i think it took about a week, but then it was fine
Just found this post. I did this too, and it works awesome. A couple of tips:
- Let the steel wool sit in the vinegar for a couple of weeks. Yes, it has to be real steel. And yes, iron nails can be used instead.
- Any kind of vinegar can be used. Experiment with different ones for different shades.
- The colour doesn’t change much on pine boards. Pine doesn’t have tannin in it. If you use pine, you need to also stain the boards with strongly brewed black tea. Put the tea on first and let it dry. Then go over it with the vinegar for a nice antique oak colour. Or, brush the vinegar on first. While it’s still wet, apply the tea. The colour changes to a dark weathered grey.
I used distilled white vinegar because that was all I could find, is that right? also my steel wool is not breaking down after 24 hrs and I am using the 0000 steel wool. Any suggestions or corrections I should be doing? thanks
yes,just distilled vinegar,and maybe it just may need to sit a little longer…
So I read this post months ago and have been dying for a project where I can try it. Now I am 28 weeks pregnant and designing my sons nursery. We’re going for industrial organic and my plan is to take new wood and use this technique to create a simple square molding for a chair rail around the room separating the 2 paint colors. My question is…is there a specific wood you would recommend or steer clear of? Thanks for the input and inspiration!!
Cori
honestly, i have no idea what wood is good or bad for this, i did it on redwood and it worked awesome!!
I have an old library table that needed to be sanded down to remove slivers. However, I have sanded off the patina of the wood. A friend of my suggested leaving the disassembled table parts in a plastic bag with wood alcohol to age the wood? Have you heard of this technique?
ive never heard of that before! I will have to do some research on that!
I just found your site and am loving everything I see. I can’t wait to try the weathered application.