It is so satisfying to take an idea, a pile of lumber and turn it into a one-of-a-kind creation like a dining table, entertainment console or workbench. But most of the time, you’ll want to add some character to your project – perhaps make it look like it has more miles on it than it really does – and one easy way to do that is to stain it with a homemade oxidation solution made of steel wool and vinegar.
This is a really popular method of aging wood in a matter of minutes, and I made a video about it back in 2016. Since then, I received hundreds of questions about the recipe, spanning from queries about results using different wood species to troubleshooting shades that turned out different than what I showed in my video. Rather than continuing to reply to many questions with an “I don’t know”, I decided to give this video another attempt. Sit back as we dive headlong into “The Great Wood Oxidation Experiment”.
Keep scrolling to see the recipe for this oxidation solution, but if you want to get a bit of background, let’s start with asking the question…
Gadgets and Grain 