How to Antique Cabinets or a Piece of Furniture Using Clear Glaze
Antiquing is the process of distressing furniture by applying damage, or simulating wear and tear with paints and glazes. If you use distressing tools such as chains, knives and scouring pads your furniture is permanently altered and cannot easily be refinished should your design change, which is why the second method is usually preferred. When using paints and glazes, layers of color and shine are built up to mimic the appearance of dirt, scratches, peeling and other weathering -- the paint adds necessary color, while the glaze manipulates the light and shadow on the surface of the piece. With clear glaze alone, you can still create an antique effect, but the resulting finish will appear cleaned, as if treated by a restorer. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Soap
- Water
- Bucket
- Sandpaper
- Tack cloth
- Gloves
- Breathing mask
- Rag
- High-quality brush
- Glaze
Instructions
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1
Wash the furniture with a mild detergent, such as that used for washing dishes. Rinse the piece thoroughly and wait until the piece is dry before proceeding.
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2
Put on gloves and a breathing mask.
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3
Lightly sand the surface of the wood. Remove more of the surface finish in areas that you want to appear damaged. Do not remove all of the finish from any area. Wipe away wood and paint debris with a tack cloth.
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4
Paint an even coat of crackling effect glaze on the surface of the furniture; this is an optional step that will cause the next layer of clear glaze to crack as it dries.
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5
Apply a thin layer of matte-finish clear glaze with a brush.
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Wipe off the glaze from random areas of the furniture's surface with a clean, dry rag; remove more glaze from well-sanded areas. Remove more glaze on areas of the piece that would naturally be more exposed such as edges, corners, handles and the high-spots of carvings.
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Use the handle of the brush to draw lines in the glaze and give the appearance of scratches.
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Cure for 72 hours or as directed by the manufacturer.
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9
Apply an uneven coat of high-gloss glaze over the piece to create highlights.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
