Create An Antique Finish

Walk into a furniture or cabinet store and the trend toward using stains and finishes to create an antique look becomes abundantly clear. Corners and other recesses show the remains of an "old" finish while on the more exposed surfaces it seems to have been "worn away" by time and use. Of course, the aging doesn't come from time but from a simple finishing technique that, with a little practice, anyone can master. And practice will indeed produce a better finished project. Besides applying stains and topcoats, this process involves selective sanding of the "base stain" and wiping in of a "top stain," so it's best to use scrap wood get a hands-on feel for how the stains will look on the particular wood you're using. Here's how to do it all, step by step.

	1. Even though the finish is supposed to look old, the wood it's applied to must be prepped the same way as any other project. Sand it smooth and finish with 220-grit paper, and be sure to sand any sharpness out of edges and corners.
	2. Wipe and/or vacuum off any sanding dust and prepare the wood for staining by applying a coat of Minwax® Water-Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner, which will help to ensure even absorption of the stain color.
	3. After the Wood Conditioner dries, apply a base stain of Minwax® White Wash Pickling Stain. Use a brush or cloth for the application and then use a cloth to wipe off excess stain and allow this coat to dry before proceeding. You have the option of applying a second coat of Pickling Stain, but this depends on what look you prefer. A second coat will of course produce a whiter, less transparent look. This is where practice on scrap is especially important.
	4. After the Pickling Stain has dried, wrap some 220-grit sandpaper around a small block of wood and sand away the color in areas that would likely be subject to wear and abrasion over time. That can include edges and flat surfaces and wood around handle and pull locations. Again, practice makes perfect, but don't worry if you're not initially satisfied with the result. You can always reapply Minwax® White Wash Pickling Stain in areas where you want less wear.
	5. To seal the Pickling Stain, and preserve your selective sanding, spray on a coat of Minwax® Polycrylic® Protective Finish aerosol in a semi-gloss sheen. This will also prevent the top stain from being absorbed by and thus muddying the base stain, plus it will give you more control over the top stain to be applied in the next step. When the Polycrylic® has dried, sand the surface very lightly with 220-grit paper to remove minor roughness.
	6. Wipe on a coat of Minwax® Wood Finish™ or Minwax® Water-Based Wood Stain in the color you've chosen. In the project shown here, Minwax® Wood Finish™ Early American was used, but you can chose a color that coordinates with your décor. You can use this stain both to add a tint over the Pickling Stain and to create darker accents in recessed areas. With selective wiping, you can control the amount of color build-up over the entire piece and in the recesses. You can also extend the drying time of the stain so that more of it stays on when you do the wiping.
Finishing Tip: You can create a unique stain color by mixing two shades of Minwax stain. Mix only like products-Wood Finish™ with Wood Finish™ or Water-Based Wood Stain with Water-Based Wood Stain-and be sure to write down exactly how much of each color is in the mix.
	7. After the stain has dried, apply two successive coats of Minwax® Polycrylic® Protective Finish in a semi-gloss sheen. Between the first and second coats, be sure to lightly sand the piece with 220-grit paper.