May 4th, 2018 by Chris Chapman

Easy Ways to Make Reclaimed Wood Furniture, Art, Picture Frames, and More

A bit of reclaimed wood can look great as a contrast in a clean, modern house Reclaimed wood is an increasingly popular and fashionable style to include in modern households. It has a natural, rustic look that provides a great contrast within a modern home. As it’s so fashionable, most reclaimed wood items sell for ridiculously expensive prices online and in designer shops – which kind of defeats the point when you think about it! If you think some reclaimed wood would really tie your room together, and you’re a bit of a woodworking whiz, it’s much cheaper to have a go at making your own! Working on reclaimed wood is a really satisfying project for any budding carpenter, and it’ll give you a unique piece of art or furniture at the end of it! However, before you start with reclaimed wood, there are a few things you should know. Even if you’re experienced at working with timber, the process for working with reclaimed wood is a little different. Whether you’re a wood wizard or a timber trainee, read on for some useful tips and tricks for getting started with reclaimed wood.

1. Getting the Wood

Bits of driftwood can be turned into statement furniture! First things first, you need to get your hands on some wood! You can order some reclaimed or recycled wood online fairly cheaply (although that depends on the wood!), and websites like Green State Recycling are a great resource for getting locally sourced, eco-friendly reclaimed wood. However, there’s something to be said for getting out there and finding wood for yourself! Not only is it usually free, it gives you an extra bit of satisfaction to see the wood you picked with your own hands transformed into a work of art. A good approach to getting free wood is to check out any nearby building or demolition work and ask if you can take any unwanted wood off the building owner’s hands. Most of the time people will be happy just to get rid of the wood and they’ll let you have it for free. Thanks to the wonders of the online world, you could also look for local community groups on Facebook and post that you’re happy to pick up unwanted lumber. You might be surprised how many responses you get! You can also explore local woodland or secluded beaches, where you’ll often find wood or logs that have been left. Be careful not to take any wood that belongs to anyone though, and don’t put yourself at risk by exploring abandoned buildings!

2. Clean It

Watch out for metal in your reclaimed wood, they can hurt you and damage your tools! We can’t emphasise how important this step is enough! Reclaimed wood, especially if you’ve sourced it yourself, could have been exposed to the elements, or in a dilapidated building, for decades. You’ll need to give it a thorough cleaning before you do anything else. Give your wood a stiff brush to agitate any surface dirt and use some Simply Spray and Walk Away to get rid of any green mould that’s likely growing on it (and on any other hard surface in your garden, for that matter!). Use a low-pressure stream of water to rinse it all down so that you don’t damage the wood. Be extra careful if your wood’s covered in lead paint, and make sure you wear a mask at all times when working with it. Be on the lookout for nails, screws and other bits of metal while you’re cleaning your reclaimed wood. Stray screws and other metal on or inside the wood should always be removed as they can cut you if you’re not careful. If you catch a piece of metal with your saw, it’ll likely damage or at the very least blunt it, so make sure you get rid of any metal early on!

3. Debug It

Pyrethrum will get rid of any pests lurking in your wood Depending on where you got the wood from, you might have to check it for bugs, too! If you found the wood in a dilapidated building or a woodland, it’s very likely your future woodworking project is currently a home for all kinds of critters! Even if you’re buying wood from somewhere, always ask if it’s been treated before you hand any money over. If you need to turf some bugs out of your wood, an insecticide is your best bet. Use an organic insecticide like Pyrethrum, which should work on most types of pests. If you’re an experienced woodworker who’s lucky enough to own a kiln, you can stick your wood in there to remove any bugs without the need for insecticide. It’s always best to wear a mask to protect yourself from sawdust that’s been treated with insecticide, just to be on the safe side.

4. Be Careful When Sanding

Reclaimed wood is full of character. Try not to sand all this away if you can help it! Once all the cleaning is out of the way, you’re ready to start turning your junk wood into an amazing piece of furniture or a work of art! What you make is entirely up to you, and it depends on the size of your wood and your confidence in your woodworking skills. Think about what you’re making before you decide to start sanding it down. The whole appeal of reclaimed wood is that it does look rough and rustic, with every imperfection in the wood making it unique. We’d recommend being careful with your sanding, as you don’t want to wear away all that character that’s in your wood! If it’s a table, you’ll want it to be a little flatter on top so that it’s practical to use, but you can leave the sides and edges looking rough. For more ornate art pieces, you may not want to do much sanding at all and leave all your edges looking roughly sawn. Warping, holes, knots and marks are all part of the beauty of reclaimed wood, so make sure you don’t sand them all away and you’ll end up with a stunningly unique final product!

5. Staining Reclaimed Wood

A rag is best for reclaimed wood, but a soft-bristled brush will work too A common dilemma every woodworker will face is how to approach staining the wood. How much is too much? What colour should you go for? Should you even stain at all? It’s all largely a question of personal taste. Often, reclaimed wood will look great without staining. Too much staining can result in the natural character of the wood being lost, especially after you varnish it (more on that next!). If you have a specific colour in mind for your reclaimed wood project, you can still stain the wood in much the same way as you would regular timber. Make sure you test the stain blend before you apply it, ideally on an offcut from the same piece of wood if possible. Once you know how many coats you need to apply to get your desired colour, use a rag to lightly apply your stain blend to your reclaimed wood. Rags are much better than brushes when working with reclaimed wood, as they make it easier to get into all the nooks and crannies while still giving you an even coat.

6. Sealing and Finishing with Varnish

Polyurethane varnish gives wood a deep yellow or orange tint Staining doesn’t seal your wood, so whether you opt for staining or not you’ll still need to varnish it once you’re done. If you’re going to assemble several pieces of wood into a table, a planter, or something else, do your varnishing before this to make sure you seal every part of the wood. However, if you fancy going all out and adding some whittled or carved designs onto your wood, you should do this before varnishing. What type of varnish you should use depends on what you’re going to use your wood for. If you’re making an ornamental shelf, a picture frame, or a sculpture, simple polycrylic varnish should be fine. Polycrylic is cheap to buy and dries quickly and clearly, meaning your wood will look more natural. It isn’t the most durable varnish but if you’re making something that won’t see a lot of wear and tear, like a mantlepiece that won’t have things constantly picked up and put down on it, that won’t matter. If you’re making something that needs to be more durable, like a coffee table or a bookshelf, polyurethane varnish is your best bet. It’s extremely hard-wearing and gives your wood a shiny and scratch-proof finish. However, it is a little more expensive than polycrylic and takes much longer to dry, so you’ll need to make sure you have a well-ventilated area to let the varnish dry once it’s applied. Unlike polycrylic varnish, polyurethane isn’t clear, so it will give your wood a yellowish or orange tint. Some people dislike using polyurethane varnish on reclaimed wood for this reason, as it alters the natural colour of the wood that people love. However, depending on what you’re using it for, it can make your finished product look extra classy – something to consider if you’re making reclaimed wood items to sell!