Wood brushing is not quite a common technological process, the result of which is a change in the appearance of a joinery. Wood that has undergone such processing acquires the appearance of an old product. In other words, this is the process of artificial aging of the mentioned material.
Antique
A quite reasonable question may arise: "Why is all this necessary? After all, a new product is always better than an old one." But only those who have never seen brushed wood products can ask it. The texture of the old wood is very expressive, and furniture products from it look extremely impressive. They help to create a special style and are an integral part of the interiors, stylized as a feudal era. Wood brushing allows at the beginning of the third millennium to produce furniture that could decorate the knight's castles of the Early Middle Ages. Therefore, this technology is very promising and in demand in the carpentry market. Often, artificial aging undergoes entirewooden buildings based on log cabins.
Technological features
The desired effect is achieved by processing the material with special metal brushes. The very name of this technological process comes from the English word "brush", which means "brush". Brushing of wood is achieved due to the fact that a rotating metal tool selects softer fibers located on the entire surface of the tree between the annual rings. After processing, a textured natural surface remains. The special expressive possibilities of wood open up during its subsequent processing with abrasive materials and tinted coatings. The technology of brushing is rather complicated and time-consuming. But the result is well worth the effort.
Wood brushing: tools and equipment
It is very difficult to age a wooden surface by hand. Ideally, brushing of wood is carried out by a machine specially designed for this purpose with a set of replaceable cylindrical brushes of different hardness. But such equipment is not cheap, the retail price of such a machine is about a thousand dollars. If for some reason professional equipment is not available, then you can use a grinder or a drill with a set of disc wire brushes. Of course, to ensure the technological process, a special room with a workbench and clamps is needed. With massin the production of joinery with a brushed surface, exhaust ventilation is required.
Brushing wood at home
Many craftsmen who are not indifferent to carpentry have tried to age wood at home. Despite the complexity of the process, it is quite affordable. A master working for himself even has some advantages over professionals - no one rushes him. But brushing wood with your own hands requires, in addition to patience and skill, also the possession of at least a minimal tool base. You need a set of metal brushes and devices that give them rotation. The drive can be both stationary and manual. It should be understood that it makes sense to brush only wood with pronounced growth rings. There are varieties of wood that do not make sense to process in this way. This is primarily beech, maple, alder and teak. Annual rings are most pronounced in varieties such as ash, larch, oak and walnut. Or in such exotic precious wood as merbau and wenge. It should be understood that it is impossible to achieve the desired result with brushing brushes alone. Expressive texture is achieved by alternating brush and abrasive tools. The grinder passes over the surface and after applying the tinting, from this it becomes the most contrasting. At the end of the process, the product is varnished. The coating can be either glossy or matte.
Safety
Wood brushing involves the use of various kinds of electromechanical equipment. Its moving parts rotate at high speed and can pose a serious danger. To avoid injury, the workplace must be designed accordingly. The workpiece to be processed must be securely fixed with clamps or a stationary vice. In the process of brushing, a lot of dust rises into the air, and sharp elements fly off the wire brushes at high speed. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the respiratory organs with a respirator, and the eyes with special impact-resistant goggles. And, of course, this type of carpentry work should be performed outside the living quarters. As already mentioned, exhaust ventilation is highly desirable.
