Getting the Weathered/Aged Look?

[Tom Veatch]

I have some reclaimed pieces from an old barn that I want to use to frame a painting of the barn and want to keep the weathered/aged look of the wood. Of course, machining will expose "new" wood with a very different color and texture.

Searches for a method to artificially age the exposed surfaces hasn't caused anything to jump out as an obvious solution. Can anyone point to some references to techniques/materials that can be used to "renew" the exposed surfaces and regain the old aged and weathered look?

Of course, the frame could be set it out in the elements for a few years, but since this is part of a gift for a friend's birthday, I'd rather find a little more expeditious technique.

[Larry Fox]

You don't say what kind of wood but I have seen rottenstone and BLO slurry used to simulate the look of an old wooden oak floor. It was actually quite convincing. Without seeing what you are trying to simulate it is really tough to give any good advise other that cooking up some type of BLO-based slurry with some color / particles in it.