Aging Wood with Baking Soda

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Baking soda, among other chemicals, can be used to stain wood with dramatic effect.
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[@HanstheTraffer]

When I was a painter and decorator, we would use oxalic acid to "pickle" wood. It would make some woods look like barnwood. Then we would use a two tone greyish stain to highlight the tips of the grain. Darker in the grooves and lighter on the tips. It worked pretty well for simulating barnwood.

[@MrKillavolt]

Mark you should have your own TV show. You enunciate so well and there are no uhms and ers in your presentation. You are a true professional.

[@adayatatyme]

The only exception, I found, was at 3:43 saying "buh in" for button. But that's pretty common talk by the youth these days. Still drives me nuts.

[@TheGugaan]

Totally agree..the first thing came to mind was the same...

[@paulrossi9643]

Agreed.

[@-ZIO]

Add more tannons! I have an old world stain for you. My grandfather was a furniture maker in Italy. Sometimes I would stop by his shop on my way home from school. One afternoon he was making black tea. We dont drink much tea in Italy and in my family no one did. So I ask my nono who was the tea for? He said it was for the wood. I live in the US now and I still use tea for most of my projects. Just to test on any scrap you have, boil 2 cups of water with 6 or 8 black tea bags for 30 minutes to brew a very strong tea. Let cool. Apply to any species of wood you have. You can vary the strength of the brew or apply several times to increase the effect. Try it and you will fall in love with the warm chestnut color you get from many of the white woods. Some danish oil or boil linseed oil over the tea stain really finishes it off. Best part is how safe it is. Its just tea! (but dont drink it, taste horrible. Drink espresso instead :)

[@Mercenary_32]

Great tip, thanks! 👍

[@marin4311]

I use coffee more often than tea for this purpose. It has a quicker and stronger effect, and smells very good. The colour is slightly different btw. You can mix it with white vinegar and iron wool to create iron acetate, which gives a chemical to the wood. With many passes, you can even go to a very dark stained finish. It is quite harmless too. (edited) many give the same recipe obviously in the comments.

[@BroccoliBrigardist]

Thanks much for that (:

[@adambier2415]

My first thought when he mentioned the tannins was “what if you added tea?” and your comment came up first. Wow Thanks for sharing!

[@-ZIO]

@@adambier2415 :) I experiment with tea and coffee as wood stain and I discover that tea will enhance the effect of coffee. Apply tea first and let dry 24 hrs, then apply coffee if you like the colour of coffee. Experiment with scrap to test result but know that from one project to another it is hard to repeat results exactly. But if you love chestnut colour then you will love this effect. It is instant aging and looks wonderful :) Best, geo

[@CGOlde]

Try chaga mushroom tea for a super dark coloration. It contains melanin and brews up black as midnight. A single coat will make pine look like walnut and several coats can make it like ebony.

[@CGOlde]

My pleasure. Just be sure to make a very strong chaga brew. I will let it brew for several days on low heat, adding water now and again. You can use the same chaga bits for several brews too.

[@Flat_E-ric]

I'm looking for a method to blacken walnut....should this do the trick? Or do you have any idea how to get rid of that brown?

[@CGOlde]

I recon it would, though maybe it would take a few coats to get it really black. You might also consider that Japanese burning technique, San shugi ban?

[@Flat_E-ric]

I have seen it...very nice tho...but the wood is not even a half inch in thickness. Its a piece of walnut on a guitar headstock. At first i was thinking of bleeching it and stain after, clear laquer over it and done. Thanks for the reply

[@AndrewArndts]

If your able to obtain the baking soda again... FIRST brew up some black tea triple strength. apply it to the Maple which has almost no tannin let it sit til dry then use the baking soda solution on top. It will be gray vs the darkening hue of the cherry.

[@meanders9221]

That's a great old-time mordant. Adds tannin, just like pre-treating with quebracho or tannic acid solution.

[@logostranslationsinterpret7459]

Hi, How would you REMOVE MOLD (for ever) from a WOODEN FLOOR , but WITHOUT DAMAGING / spoiling the wood sheets please? Thanks a lot! We don't mean ONLY stains, but above all KILLING it for ever, but without damaging the wood floor... Thanks.

[@bradenbeckstrom7202]

A similar process that might fit in this category is ebonizing wood with iron acetate ( steel wool and vinegar) and the tannins in the wood. Have you ever used this option Marc? Also, if you want to increase the tannins in the piece you are using then you can apply tea water or a solution of dissolved tannic powder to the wood before either the baking soda or iron acetate process. I did that on a nightstand project and it turned out great.

[@strictlyyoutube6881]

Thank you

[@vociferonheraldofthewinter2284]

Very cool idea to use the tannins in tea to increase the tannins in wood. I'd have never thought of that if I lived to be a thousand years.

[@ericchristen1706]

"No relation to Biff"... Nice! Any reference to "Back to the Future" wins my respect. That alone makes you awesome. Thank you!

[@Schmuni]

Dude sure knows his demographics age^^

[@scpatl4now]

Have you ever tried ebonizing oak? Thats the one where you take any rusted nails or similar and submerge with vinegar in a glass jar (uncovered) overnight then strain and use the liquid before it starts oxidizing (unless you want a red hue). If you have a high tannin wood (I've only done red oak)...it will turn black and look rather similar to ebony when finished (not to mention its a WHOLE lot cheaper than buying ebony...and sustainable!) Added benefit is rust removal on what you put in the vinegar.

[@MacheteBushcraftAustralia]

You nailed it with the 'natural look' statement. This looks much better than a stain!

[@sidraket]

Mixed with water in varying quantities you can also use it as toothpaste, to neutralize and clean off battery acid, to use as an antacid if your stomach is upset, as a gentle exfoliant scrub for your skin, or as a very effective cleaning solution for many household surfaces. It soothes insect bites and mild burns applied as a paste. As a powder ive used it to help soak up spilled oil. When heated it produces some CO2, making it a good thing to use to smother grease or electrical fires. Some people think it can cure cancer. You can also cook with it.

[@e.conboy4286]

Baking soda also relieves the intense itching of sun burn, poison ivy /oak, insect stings until you can get medical care.

[@Brandywine6969]

I love that deep mahogany reddish purple color. I have a table that is over 100 years old and I wish I could match that color. It has that purple tint to it.

[@MrErViLi]

I just discovered this by accident a few days ago. I was wood turning some Chinese Fringe Flower and noted that the wood was rather unremarkable, kind of like holly. So I decided to fractal burn it. when I applied the baking soda and water solution, the wood turned the deepest red. It was an amazing transformation. It was deep and variegated. It didn't look like a stain or dye, it looked like wood. With a finish on it, it looks amazing. The examples here just changed tint a little but are still relatively the same color. Has anyone else discovered wood that actually completely changes color with baking soda?

[@RyanBellRyanofWeird]

Nice! I'll have to try this out on my next project. Currently, I use baking soda for various cleansing and 1/2 Tsp a day to a water bottle for drinking.

[@delkelso]

finishing is a topic that seems to be "avoided" in the workworking v-logs. really thougtht this was very useful. would like to see more on finishing and maybe even how to set up different finishes for spraying via hvlp spray guns...a constant source of frustration...at least for me. THANKS FOR GREAT V-LOGS!!!

[@woodwhisperer]

Apologies for the re-post. Had to fix an editing error that was going to drive me nuts.

[@AndrewArndts]

I salute your perfectionist Attitude. Thank you.

[@MrJKCampione]

Couldn't stand that text box with the default text huh? I thought you might be re-upping this when I saw that.

[@woodwhisperer]

Medicman yeah it drives me nuts. I wish KZbin would implement a replacement feature for videos.

[@MrJKCampione]

The Wood Whisperer I'm sure for creators it would be nice. Then you won't lose all the metrics and stats from the original video when you replace it.

[@OneOwnedProduction]

Good content is never a sore for good eyes ;P Up in Canada I was though to use pure alcohol as to help age the wood. Simply make a plastic cube with a wooden frame, put a cup of chemical alcohol and each day you let the vapors infuse is equal to 100 years of natural wood aging. After a while the color stops changing, but the effects goes deeper in the wood, making it harder to notice that it's a fake effect, thus adding value to a fake old fashion furniture ;P

[@empebee]

Nice! I'm making a desk with a cherry top. Might use this to fast forward the aging so I don't need to be as careful to keep the desk clear of stuff for the next couple of years.

[@thomasarussellsr]

Interesting reaction on the mahogany, I can think of a few friends and family members who would love the purple hues.

[@thiswoodwork]

Thanks for the video Marc, useful little tip I'll have to try.

[@bankotsu2a]

McFly!

[@JohnSmith-jf8we]

Marc, I'm so glad you re-posted! I learn something new every time I watch your show. Thanks for all of the great tips and advice. Novices like myself need all of the help we can get!

[@mikenone5902]

You are a great teacher. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@trut48]

Fantastic, i tried it on white oak and i got deep brown color, exactly what i wanted, It is much better than staining. Thanks for the tip!

[@michaelwho]

I do quite a bit of scenic work in the film industry and never knew about baking soda. I'll give it a try. Normally, for aged and weathered wood, I use FeSo4. Ferro Sulphate ( iron sulphate). And, it's good for the roses in the garden too, so it can be found at most garden supply stores. ( it also can flocculate dirty water but needs to then be Ph balanced with lime to discarded. This is the chemistry used in many municipal water treatment facilities.)

[@prakkari]

Iron sulphate (ferrous sulphate) reacts well with tannin and makes the wood grey to black depending of tannin content. Pine has little tannin and thus the reaction is limited. To help that I use some tannin rich tea and soak it in before I apply the sulphate. Works like magic and gives you naturally gray and weathered look that lasts. Oak and hardwoods tend to get very dark or even black so its a perfect way to ebonize wood.

[@jodidavis6595]

Boy this was very easy to understand. You'd make a GREAT "Shop Teacher"! Thank you.

[@illinimdg]

Thanks for the video! I was hoping for a bit more info comparing baking soda with vinegar + steel wool, along with using black tea to add tanins (and therefore hopefully give one a bit more control over the end result). I can't seem to find any good info on this, and don't yet have the time and money to do it myself! Thanks~

[@gojessego]

Potassium dichromate may be a known carcinogen but it is a powder you mix in water, and after pre raising the grain you apply it, let it dry then clear coat over it. If properly applied it would give you no more exposure than glycol ether in water base finishes does, acetone in lacquer thinner, methenol in denatured alcohol, silica in flattening compound, or methylene chloride in stripper, ect. Just take appropriate precautions. Plus when using potassium dichromate you can use low tannic acid woods and couple them with high ones and achieve amazing results.

[@TheShavingWoodWorkshop]

This is a great technique Mark, thanks for sharing.

[@ChelseaPensioner-DJW]

A black tea brew, painted onto low tannin wood before the baking soda mix helps the oxidisation also.

[@icespeckledhens]

Interesting idea and important warning on safety. Thanks James

[@vanillagorilla8236]

Great tip, I have flooring I need to age the replacement boards at work, gonna try this. Thanks

[@pencils1951]

As usual, excellent, sound, and insiteful advise. Thank you. Justin.

[@donaldshimkus539]

Very good info. I personally did not see much difference in coloration, but then again I usually like the change to be more dramatic. I'm super glad you added the part about the other chemical choices AND the warnings about them. I thank you for that. Happy woodworking.

[@adamcoe]

You can spray oven cleaner on cherry (and I assume other things, I've only tried cherry) to hyperaccelerate aging. Even if only left on for 10-15 seconds and then rinsed, gives a really great dark hue that would take many, many years to achieve naturally. I prefer the spray bottle style (as opposed to the can) as it's a little easier to control, not to mention much cheaper. In my experience, about 45 seconds is the most you should leave it on, because it does go a very dark brown if you leave it on a long time. Also, it's goddamn oven cleaner so make sure you do it somewhere incredibly well ventilated, ideally outside. I rinsed each piece with the hose and then quickly wiped it off with an old shirt (or whatever rags you have, throw them out afterwards obviously) and left them to dry. The reaction takes place over several minutes so don't overdo it. Definitely experiment on some scrap before you apply any oven cleaner to your work piece. But all in all it's quite simple. I finished mine with General Finishes High Performance (water based poly) and it looks great.

[@davidlarson573]

thought i would shair this..i help a friend repair a cedar and redwood wood deck..to save money..we fliped a number of the panels..that said...after cleaning with a vinegar lemon juice and water solution...we thought we were ready to stain? well it immediately became apparent that there was a big deference in color between the fliped panels and original ones...here's were the neighbor came to the rescue...that just so happens to be a chemical engineer!!! woo hooo..he suggested that on all the fliped boards that we put a steel wool vinegar solution on them...head scatch?? he proceeded to explain in detail...soak steel wool in a vinegar solution..in a clean bucket with lid..for about 48 hours...in short after applying to the fliped panels...presto...we had now made the panels look like the rest..instant ageing...

[@logostranslationsinterpret7459]

Hello, how would you REMOVE MOLD (for ever) from a WOODEN FLOOR , but WITHOUT DAMAGING / spoiling the wood sheets please? Thanks a lot!

[@logostranslationsinterpret7459]

Hi, How would you REMOVE MOLD (for ever) from a WOODEN FLOOR , but WITHOUT DAMAGING / spoiling the wood sheets please? Thanks a lot! We don't mean ONLY stains, but above all KILLING it for ever, but without damaging the wood floor... Thanks.

[@chapiit08]

Ammonia fuming used to be the preferred method of furniture makers when using tannin rich woods like oak.

[@rickschuman2926]

Educate yourself. Excellent and very necessary point to be taken.

[@rockdalejohn]

I do a lot of projects in cherry and have been using Gillett's lye as a chemical stain. The color comes out very close to a dark red mahogany finish.

[@ajhproductions2347]

This is a great and informative video for a guy who wants his knife handles to look nice!

[@Joebunkyss1]

tea leaves ,bark and some leaves all are full of tannin.....and will layer well.....check light sesetivity.....some flowers are great stainers ,my kid painted with flower petals.

[@poynt99]

Useful tip, thanks. Any tips on how to lighten wood? For example, make rosewood appear more like bubinga?

[@maderightamerica3216]

Thanks for the demonstration. I learned something new thanks to you. Have a great day.

[@Anon-xd3cf]

I did not know that I needed to know this... Now I am very glad that I do.

[@americansoldier2530]

Back to the Future reference= thumbs up. Well-done sir.. well done indeed.

[@heirofthedog1]

Very interesting indeed thank you. Must admit I collected up a lot of my scrap pieces and tried it. Got a few very nice and unexpected results. The beech I have almost went white as if I’d limed it but the weirdest one was purpleheart (don’t worry it honestly was just a useless scrap piece!). The purpleheart turned emerald green!

[@AffordBindEquipment]

at 2:34 it looks like the top one is solid material and the bottom is 1/4" plywood. solid and ply will just about always stain or color differently, especially if the plywood was rotary cut.

[@woodwhisperer]

Actually they are the same. I can't remember if that was plywood or solid wood, but I can tell you both the top and bottom are the same material. I wouldn't have used plywood for one and solid stock for the other for the reason you just described.

[@FlookNock]

Rust (oxidized iron) works too. I have my anvil standing on a peice of oak and the anvil had some rust on the bottom which stained the wood and now it is pretty much black on the top surface.

[@iluxman]

your work shop looks real nice

[@gotwood3436]

I don't know why I haven't thought of BS and water. I work almost exclusively with cedar and have been wasting a lot of time doing the vinegar and steel wool thing. I just tried the BS/water , BINGO. real close. Tanks dude.

[@MrFancyFingers]

One of the problems with water based stains or chemical stains over solvent or alcohol based stains is that it raises the grain on some wood, which could potentially make more steps for you before finishing.

[@imortaldeadead]

Great video 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Thank you for putting the safety warnings at the end too♥️

[@OneSon744]

maybe you should caution on water raising the grain on softer woods. just wiping down wood with water when dry add stain it will be darker than normal. i do this on wood that i want to be darker.

[@cl6322]

I came for the woodworking and finishing tips but you have earned a subscriber with that Back to the Future reference lol

[@Super1nobody]

Half a cup of vinegar, half a cup of water, and some steel wool. Let it sit overnight. This will turn blonde maple black. Cut it down with more water to get desired results. The more tannin in the wood, the more drastic the color change. I suggest not staining walnut at all, unless it's got sap wood ( white ); as it will darken rather quickly with age. Same goes for mahogany, rose wood, and south American cherry.

[@claytoncolgan2881]

Great info, thanks for this awesome! In my work with iron acetate mixtures, some tutorials recommend coating the wood with a strong pot of black tea prior to applying the mixture the strengthen the reaction with the tannins (since black tea has a high tannin content). This got me thinking with your point about the inconsistency of applying baking soda to different pieces of wood. Do you think applying black tea to the wood would give it more predictability since your giving the wood all the tannins it could hold? Maybe it's doesn't work like that but I'm curious to try it!

[@battlehrfred]

Sweeeet ! I know Tigerwood is not available anymore or very scarce to say the least,but it loook so beautiful. I was wondering if i could use baking soda and some other type of wood to "replicate the look of tigerwood" as it is so beautiful and of course rare to find in canada. ty 100 - 100 post more video please .interesting ty

[@roundwoodcoffeetabletips20]

that is amazing, definitely taking this into consideration on the next project

[@hapaboy0808]

great tip. wish you would've also tested it on oak as well.

[@zacwilkerson2424]

Yeah tried the vinegar method to re create some barnwood cedar and it didn't do anything like it would on other species must be the tannons

[@boblevey]

Did you know you can buy tannic acid in powder or liquid form, so for woods with less tannic you can add the tannic to the wood first, then your chemical, like in this case the baking soda. Always do your samples first to finalize the look you want.

[@jlgoins64]

White Vinegar works awesome on Pine, but not as well with other woods.

[@davidnelsen9971]

Great to know! This would be great on a small project like a table. Thanks!

[@RSXEsche]

Great video as always, Marc. I tip my hat to you for that subtle BTTF reference.

[@mrpoolplayer6379]

I'd like to see this used on some cedar, to see if it would cause the wood to turn gray, like weathered cedar does turn.

[@l.d.p.9365]

I tried coffee grounds to stain pieces of oak and it came out beautifully

[@silsanrubi]

Me encanta tu canal, excelentes trabajos, ¿seria mucho pedir que pongas subtitulos en español? gracias un gran abrazo y saludos dese México.

[@doctoroctos]

Great Scott, that was a good Tanin joke!

[@spreciousdefender4656]

Hi I've a new cupboard been made in white oak and also one in ash...I've been struggling with aging process...have you any advice for oak and ash...I've seen a cupboard made in oak and smeared with light coating of mud! before polishing..I want to achieve a look that says the cupboard is old and used. Your Video is really good, sharp and clear advice really easy to understand...thanks..

[@VictorVictor-hq7ui]

I use Caustic Soda crystals on wood before waxing. Have done for years.

[@bauermobiletoolsystmfabrct8686]

Great videos!! You are water-popping the wood. This raises the grain & makes it drink more. That will alter color even without baking soda. Try a waterbased finish which also raises the grain, this should show more what the baking soda is doing

[@TDKSuramar]

I'd be interested to see how baking soda works with white oak. Fuming white oak with ammonia is key to get the look of Craftsman or Stickley style furniture (at least historically).

[@timort2260]

Hey I have another way to age wood. I do fractal wood burning and well the sut burnt wood ash with a little bit of water and rub it into the wood. You can use a piece of burnt fire wood and use a wire brush to get some of the burnt stuff off of the fire wood.

[@THE1X21X]

Sir, you have an awesome work shop. I tell you what.

[@samesaw6340]

You have some beautiful skills !!

[@schpoingle]

hmmm....not sure i'm sold on that. I just left a wood carving outside for a summer and now it looks like a ship wrecked salvage piece...that's a good thing btw

[@MikeJones-vb1me]

I've heard this is a great way to age cedar when replacing a fence or deck board, to get it to match the older wood. First video of yours I've seen, good job though, definitely going to check more out. Thanks!

[@jeremyb2829]

What magic is this particle structure working it's magic

[@mundlkalli4396]

Nice video and demo. Given the fact that some chemicals are more dangerous to work with,is it correct to say that using the baking soda with water is safe . Also would it change the color again by lets say using 2 or 3 spoons of baking soda? Thank you again. Enjoyed your video !!!!!

[@TristanJCumpole]

Hi Marc - great video as usual! If I recall, wasn't Potassium Dichromate used to produce some of the lustrous Greene & Greene finishes on Mahogany? I'm really wondering what safe alternatives exist that produce a relatively similar oxidised look.

[@MrJonwestberg]

it would look better if you aged the nail with salt water or pool acid . done in 10 minutes.. keep up the good work Kay

[@Sleiper]

Ordinary Spirit vinegar rubbed onto oak with some old wire wool, preferably soak the wool in the vinegar for a day or so, will ebonise the wood, turn it anything from very dark brown to jet black.

[@leerobinson186]

That looks great. Do you need to wash it off or sand it before polishing?

[@roncalabrese305]

very nicely done.. thank-you.

[@GeorgeMichaelArt]

Great presentation, just wondering how the baking soda sitting on the would affect the finish down the road.

[@paulrossi9643]

Great video. Well done.

[@Gasparin-ix6uv]

Thank you

[@18twilliams]

This is old but thought id add if someone is looking into the subject! Try vinegar and steel wool! put a piece of steel wool in a jar with water overnight! paint it on and let dry, cover with epoxy and wow! see with epoxy you cant use any oil base stain!!

[@smashtoad]

Any suggestions for cleanly removing thin bark from American Hornbeam without damaging the "muscles"?

[@patrickcrouser]

LOL... "No relation to Biff." You crack me up, Mark. :)

[@blv0412]

Any other chemical stains rather than baking soda? Keep up the good work.

[@EdVanMeyer]

Fertiliser in water can make light woods grey and Oak go black, good if aging it up!

[@Gorlung]

which one? cow manure?

[@EdVanMeyer]

Gorlung Fertiliser will grey light woods with low tannic acid content, but it will turn oak black.

[@billrogers6256]

Great tip. Nice shirt.

[@doubledarefan]

2:00 Great Scott! You could just use a Flux Capacitor to age your wood. I just don't know how much wood you could put in that DeLorean, and still be able to get up to 88mph. The real challenge, is finding a place in the past, to stash your wood, so it will be where you left it, when you get to it now.

[@jungsomewhat]

Lol

[@PatC.]

After the baking soda solution dried, did you need to wash the wood and let it dry before putting the clear over it? Or did you apply clear directly over the dried baking soda surface?

[@jjosh97]

Does the chemical stain risk warping thinner boards? Also I know you said that the same woods won't always come out the same, but what if it was the same board that you had cut into pieces and then stained individually? They should have a consistencies of Tannins, yes?

[@Paulette-em3bb]

Great video and explanation.

[@ruthctaylor2406]

just learned another use for baking soda :) thanks. Very funny at the end of the video :)) at least you put it back

[@SpencleyDesignCo]

This video made me all fizzy inside

[@michaelcoursey2220]

I wonder what effect this would have on pine? Yes, I'll definitely experiment, just wondering if it would darken the wood or not

[@theophilussampson618]

Very useful information, just wondering whether the backing soda will cause the wood to decay or affect the quality of wood in terms of durability?

[@woodwhisperer]

I don't believe so. The treatment is only skin deep.

[@jeffreyc83]

Loved the Back to the future reference