any help, just need help on how I can go about weathering wood, you know, to make it look 15 -20 years old?
It would be of great help
Cheers Stan

Stan;

Maybe it would help if you tell a bit more on the circumstances of this "old" wood!

In general, un-treated wood seems to get gray and often do a lot of splitting and the surface seems to get rougher and rattier-looking over time. I'm thinking here of your typical old boards, wood window-frames and house trim, and the like.

Much the same graying-out happens to peeled logs, as in log-houses which are not stained, sealed, or re-painted.

So, in general, old wood is gray wood - sometimes with stains and the like.

IMHO, the BEST way to create the old wood effect is to use some real wood and roughen it up some, work in some splits and maybe some peeling-off bits, and paint it up with gray washes. Again, this would work best on boards and logs and such that can be easily made from real wood. Old shovel handles are not much different, save that they may have started out sealed or varnished, and so maybe having some darker "sealed wood" patches painted in wood browns and tans (take you pick!) interspersed with grayer rougher areas could work.

Hope this helps!

Bob

I just scratchbult a fence using balsa and pine; to weather it I give the wood washes of burnt umber and a brownish color (in this case GW flesh wash), both acrylics. I plan to hit it with a green wash for a slightly mossy look, as the dio I am working on is set in the American south. HTH

thanks for the advice
stan

Stan:

So what is your desired "old wood" scenario?

Matt and I have offered two rather different perspectives (and, consequently, different approaches): he is specifying what could happen (mossy on maybe rotting and darkened old wood) in the moister, warmer southern/southeastern USA (also could apply in some cases in Europe), whereas I am working from my perception of "graying and fading old wood" as seen in the sunnier-baked parts of the south USA, and also what would often occur up in our western and northern mountain regions (where you can get some bitter dry cold that can limit stuff like moss while promoting other things like lichens... and definitely washes out colors to lighter gray) (which of course could happen in various parts of Europe, etc.).

Of course you may well be looking at some old fences right down your road... so the question is really what sort of colors and appearance are you seeking. These will much determine what might be your better approaches?

Just curious as to what you are trying to go for, here!

Bob