How to Give Oak Veneer & an Engineered Wood Table a Distressed Look
- 1). Apply a coat of chemical sander to surfaces that have gloss or semigloss finish to break down the gloss. Scrape the surface gently with a nylon scraper to remove the liquid sander and gloss.
- 2). Sand the surface of the table with 120 grit paper. Sand off the corners and round the edges in a few, spaced out, places to give the table a wear pattern. Don't worry about rubbing through the veneer a little, you will cover it up. Sand high points and edges on any details and don't forget the edge and legs as well.
- 3). Attach a padlock to a length of chain and drag it roughly across the surface to dent the veneer. Do not beat the table. Although beating works well for solid wood, too much aggressive impact will split the veneer, leaving obvious damage that will require repairs. Rub the chain around the legs of the table to dent the veneer slightly as well.
- 4). Drive a finish nail into the surface approximately ½ inch at an angle. Pull the nail out with pliers and repeat two or three more times in a small area. Do this in well spaced patches across the table. Use a toothpick to apply dark stain to the inside of the nail holes to make them stand out.
- 5). Rub a dark colored dye stain into all edge-sanded and dented areas. This will leave a shadow to heighten the weathering. Use a clean rag and rub off any excess stain surrounding the dinged and dented areas. Rub on a medium colored stain, a little darker than the base color you want for the whole piece. Apply the medium color in random patches. Rub the stain in line with the grain and avoid square corners on your darker patches.
- 6). Apply a coat of stain with a paint brush in your choice of colors. Overlap the strokes slightly to get complete coverage. Wipe away any excess stain with a soft clean rag. Coat the entire table with a layer of spar varnish in a satin or matte finish. Apply the varnish with a soft bristle brush. For deeper patina, add brewed tea to the varnish to darken the amber color.
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