Tips For Building Barn Board Furniture

Building your own barn board furniture is a great way to be creative and add some new furniture to your home. In this blog I am not going to layout a specific project, but instead will give some tips and ideas that can be incorporated into your project. Of course, you need to start with some old weathered boards which might not be too hard once you start to look around. Perhaps you've got an old fence or wood laying around your home that you could use. How about a friend or neighbor that is discarding some wood? Your local transfer station may be a good source for free wood, sometimes there are great old boards tossed right on the burn pile. For a single project it can be best to have the wood match to some degree, so that the different parts blend well. Wear gloves when you are gathering the wood and be careful of nails and splinters.

You'll want to cut off any rotted, unstable ends so that the piece will end up structurally sound. Use a scrap to get the look that is desired. The amount of sanding can change the look quite a bit, from a gray weathered look to more of a reddish brown, with some deeper sanding. Start out with a grit of sandpaper that won't take too much off at once, maybe a 22o or so. I like to use an orbital sander for this. Cut all of your pieces for the design and start assembling. Larger pieces for legs (such as 4 by 4's) can give the piece a solid, anchored look.

A tricky thing with making barn wood furniture is how to make cuts and still have the overall item have an old look. The wood on the interior of the board has not been exposed to all of the elements so it will look light colored and newish. You can come pretty close with some stains, covering just the cut ends. If you go this route, you will want to practice on a scrap of the wood to get a good match. An even better method is to use a breadboard end on the table top (or other project) ends. This method uses a small strip of wood that is attached to the top, covering the cut end with an authentic weathered piece of wood. You don't want this piece to be too thick (about an inch or less) so that it can be attached well and have a solid result. You can glue and screw these pieces on, and even counter sink and plug your screw hole for a nice look.

Make sure you have solid supports or angle bracing so that your work will last for years to come. I like to use exposed, hand cut steel nails for some of these projects, which gives it an authentic, old look. You can find these nails, brand new, at your hardware, building supply store. If you are not hiding screws completely, or using the nails, then the black sheet rock screws can be used, which won't stand out as much as other fasteners.

For finishing, I like to use a clear natural poly whey. It goes on well and has no fumes or harsh chemicals. It also is very easy to clean up. Oils (such as a pure tung oil) give a very nice look as well, but the poly can help lock in some of the old wood fibers and can make it a bit easier to wipe down for cleaning.

Of course there are many barn board furniture projects that you can choose to build and there will be some mistakes along the way. Stick with it and have fun, and hopefully some of these rustic tips will help along the way.

Go Rustic!

Mark N.

Sources for wood finishes and complete barn board furniture:

www.EcoWoodFinish.com

www.RusticFurnitureGallery.com

Barn Board Furniture Sale!!!

One week only! All reclaimed barn board furniture is on sale, online or in store. Wilderness Creations is your number one source for genuine barn board furniture, Made in America! This is heirloom quality furniture that has been carefully crafted to look beautiful and last for generations. From December 4-11, 2011 take an extra 10% off our already great prices. Simply enter coupon code Barnboard11 at checkout. Check out all of the barn wood furniture options at http://rusticfurnituregallery.com/home.php?cat=206 If you have any additional product questions please call 603-563-7010. If you have been considering adding barn board furniture to your home or retreat then this is a great opportunity to save! Sale ends December 11th. Made in the USA.

Genuine Barnwood Furniture

Furniture made from reclaimed lumber is a great choice for rugged, beautiful and long lasting furniture. The materials come from old barns, sheds, and other buildings that are being taken down. Instead of just burning the wood it is used to make high quality furnishings that are made here in the USA. Barn wood furniture fits into many decor styles, such as log homes, cottage, farmhouse, lodge, cabin, and more. The old wood is dense and strong, from a time when trees were old growth and structures were made to last. Many companies make nice furnishings that are made to look like old barn board, but they are new lumber that is distressed and stained to look old. There isn't anything wrong with that, it still can be good quality. But if you want genuine barn board furniture then that is what you should look for. Typically you can tell the difference because the patina and look of the wood will tell you if the boards were old, reclaimed wood. The barn wood furniture that we sell does not have a stain finish, it simply has a clear coat to protect it and make it easier to clean. If you look on the underside, or inside of a piece of furniture you may be able to see that it is old wood. Sometimes it is stained a color from the side of a barn. There will be real nail holes and distress from the decades of use and exposure.

We just had many new pieces arrive at our Dublin, NH gallery. Some has already been delivered, but we have an amazing sideboard that is 6' in length with 2 drawers and two cabinets. Also just in is a 5' sofa table (both shown above) and a 3' bench. A bench with a back and under seat storage is also here in the gallery. Come see the beauty and quality of these furnishings. We can order in hundreds of other barnwood options as well as custom pieces. Stop by to view the full catalog of barn board furnishings.

Call for more information 603-563-7010, or visit our website at http://www.rusticfurnituregallery.com/

We are located at 1327 Main Street, Route 101, in Dublin, New Hampshire.

Barnwood Furniture

Making furniture out of old weathered wood or barn wood is a great way to bring in an old rustic look to your home. The old wood with all of it's distress markings and years of use is like bringing in an antique, but just the wood is old, in a new form and with a new purpose. You can think about how long ago it may have been cut and the way things were back then. So much took place in that time with different families growing up and moving on. If you tear down an old structure or find an old piece of wood with beauty and character, then consider using it in a "new" piece of furniture. Tackle the project yourself or have a local craftsman turn it into something lovely and functional.

You can test some sanding and finish options on a small piece of wood. Sometimes it is best to do very little sanding, other times you may like the look of the wood if you bring it down just a little farther. Sand enough to get the splintery wood out of the way. You can leave the wood as is or put a protective coat on top of the wood. I find that it can be a very nice look to do some finish coats. It protects the wood, creates a nice look and makes it easier to clean up and dust.

Some companies make furniture that is made to look like barn wood by distressing it themselves and putting on a finish that make it look old and weathered. This can still be a nice appearance and it allows the company to have lines of furniture that keep a consistent look. Other companies and individual crafts people will buy and collect truly old barn wood for their projects. Both can look very nice, but with the real barn wood you feel that their really is a story that comes with the materials.

Projects that may be quicker and easier with barn wood are side tables, coffee tables, shelves, and benches. If you have a good supply of wood then you can get into bigger projects like a dining table.

Barn wood and weathered wood have a great look and can fit into many styles of decor. It is recycling at it's best when you salvage some old wood from a burn pile and make it into a wonderful new piece of furniture. Next time you see this wood being tossed out or thrown into a pile, think about whether you could have it made into something, or maybe you have a wood worker friend that would love to have some old boards.

Good luck hunting for those old boards with tons of character and know that they can be transformed into something beautiful and functional for your home.

Mark

http://www.rusticfurnituregallery.com/

Call or email for more information on our line of barn wood furniture.

Bed and night stand pictured were made by Green Gables furniture. Wilderness Creations carries the full line of Green Gables barnwood furnishings. Located in Dublin, NH.

In The Workshop

I recently completed this entertainment center. It is made of authentic barn wood and has a compartment for the dvd, receiver, etc... components. The top and bottom boards are thick 2" and the sides are 1", with breadboard ends. I cut a 1" piece off of another piece of barn wood to cover the new cuts in the wood, so that it all appears old. The legs are 4 by 4 and raise it up 6" from the floor. It is a fairly simple appearance and design, but it looks nice and functions well. On top is a 32" flat screen TV. I lightly sanded the rustic barn wood with 220 grit and then finished it with a coat of Vermont Natural Coatings Satin Furniture Finish. This will make splinters less likely, make clean up easier and enhance the overall look.

Mark

Purchase Vermont Natural Coatings online at: http://www.rusticfurnituregallery.com/home.php?cat=200