custom staining (achieving that used/antique look?)

[6Speed]

I've been seeing it more and more recently - a piece of furniture that is stained dark, but the edges and corners have been roughed up afterwards, to reveal a lighter color stain. Is this done simply by applying 2 different color stains on top of one another, then sanding down the corners?

I want the stand I build to look like a nice piece of furniture, but at the same time, I don't want it to look so perfect and uniform that it appears to come off an assembly line.

 

[bassnman11]

You can do the 2 coats of stain. After you put on the top color, use a cloth dampned with the correct solvent and wipe some of the color off of the desired areas. Let it dry, then top coat. I like polyurethane

 

[6Speed]

So I put on 1 coat, let soak in/dry, then add 2nd coat of diff color, let soak for a min or 2 and then wipe of some of it to reveal under color?

 

[agfahy]

Staining is an art. Something that can be easily explained but hard to accomplish.
I've been building custom cabinets for the better part of a decade and staining just as long. I still stink at staining.!!!
One trick that was passed onto me, for an aged look, was to take a .25 chisel and make various gouge marks into the wood removing small pieces as necessary. This sets the stage for an older look. Also you can take Dremel w/1/8 carbide cutting bit and cut out small hole like shapes to simiulate "worm hole" which, again, gives the appeance of old age.
I can also tell you that your finish be of a higher quality and smoother process is you take the time to sand properly. 100 (as required), 150, 220, 320. Most people stop at 150.
Pass on any tips you might stumble apone.
Good luck.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Sand paper? Man the old wood shop teacher never even let you touch the #100 until you worked your way through 4 classes of wood files.

Don't forget to clean the work fully between grits 6Speed, any leftover grit from the previous paper will get stick in the finer grit and create gouges. Remember your not done with a grit until it has removed all of the marks left be the previous larger grit. A random orbit sander is nice, but can get you in trouble if you don't know how to use it. Most people PRESS TO HARD and gouge the work deeper than the next grit can polish.

Bean

 

[agfahy]

Wood shop? Never been there!
Most kids back in my day wanted Transformers and GI Joe, I got a Porter Cable router and chisel set!
My step dad hated finish work, i.e. sanding, staining, so he taught me at a very young age so he wouldn't have to do it!

Man, I can't wait to be a dad!

 

[Safir]

minwax has a tutorial on their site about creating antique finishes, might be worth a look.

 

[horkn]

simple, just take a little thinner to the edges.

my buddy ( who i used to help out atwoork) owns a furniture restoration shop. he routinely makes new parts of wood to fit old furniture (dog chewings, and jsut plain old broken and lost parts) and he uses this technique a lot. i am positive he has more ways of doing this, but this is one way that i know he uses, as he had me do this toa newly finished bed of a customers to make it antiqued. he also has a special stick with old bolts, chains, and other assorted metal bits to make random yet effective antiquing marks in wood.