how to make driftwood

the_pen_turner

I was asked to price a job yesterday . they want a wall covered in timber . a bit like a pallet wood wall but with drift wood.
they still want it square and straight so I'm thinking about making it from rough boards and making it look like driftwood.

I'm thinking about using some kind wire brush or power washer to remove the softer parts of the growth rings


has anyone tried making something like this

paddylonglegs

the_pen_turner wrote: »

I was asked to price a job yesterday . they want a wall covered in timber . a bit like a pallet wood wall but with drift wood.
they still want it square and straight so I'm thinking about making it from rough boards and making it look like driftwood.

I'm thinking about using some kind wire brush or power washer to remove the softer parts of the growth rings


has anyone tried making something like this

YouTube seems to be your man for a lot of this stuff

Could you water down and apply some white paint to give it a bit of a weathered look?

the_pen_turner

paddylonglegs wrote: »

YouTube seems to be your man for a lot of this stuff

Could you water down and apply some white paint to give it a bit of a weathered look?

I'm thinking about using stains and paint to enhance the look and to make the colour more weathered.

its more the texture I'm trying to create

recipio

the_pen_turner wrote: »

I'm thinking about using stains and paint to enhance the look and to make the colour more weathered.

its more the texture I'm trying to create

Sandblasting tends to scour out the softer parts of the wood leaving the harder grain sitting proud. It can produce a very interesting weather beaten look. You will have to get a quote from a machine operator of course.

tabby aspreme

Southern yellow pine was the timber used for sandblasting, to give the look Recipio describes , I remember it being the height of fashion for pubs and restaurants in the nineties.

Zebbedee

the_pen_turner wrote: »

its more the texture I'm trying to create

Beating the timber with a light chain will produce that texture you require.

my3cents

Pressure washing will give a similar result to sand basting but takes longer and obviously you need to let the boards dry after use.

Who2

Power wash, then dry then hit it with a blow torch. The chain works well too. Don't try taking random scalps out with a chisel. I've tried it a fair few times and no matter what it always ends up looking fake and too regular.

my3cents

I walk on the beach everyday and collect drift wood. tbh its mostly quite smooth and its the edges of the timber that get rounded over. I've some nice pieces that have been eaten through and through by marine borers (like giant woodworm) that you'd think had been sanded with OOO steel wool.

Its probably the surface colour which is more of a give away that the wood has been in the sea.