"distressing" furniture, opinion?

[drumpriest]

Last week I stupidly knocked over a glass and it put a bit of a gash into my desk top. When I built the desk I did an arm-r-seal finish 14 coats, let it cure for 2 months, and did a rub out on it, so you can imagine the words that came out when it happened.

I do accept that if you are going to use the furniture that you build, it's going to get nicked up and dinged, certainly you try not to destroy it, but everyday use has a price, and that's fine. This experience, however, made me wonder what people think of intentional distressing on the forum. My wife and I are more of a "build it perfect, let time do it's damage" sort of people, but I can certainly understand the mentality that if it's built somewhat rustic, you don't have as much stress when something happens.

I'm fortunate enough now to be spraying an acrylic laquer, and finishing no longer takes 2 months to get a fantastic finish, but we all toil gladly over our projects, and it's unfortunate when things happen.

I'll try and post a picture of the damage soon, asking advice. I'll probably start by steaming it to see if any fibers will decompress, but it's deep enough that it may need filled and then varnished again (sigh)...

So, do you distress to de-stress?

[Pappy]

Never tried to create a distressed look but I have done some projects from wood that had 'character flaws' that went untouched. I don't try to repair all the bad spots on a refinish job.

[cabinetman]

I've had a few projects that required distressing. Repairing or refinishing if done right can be a miracle. If the repair can become "invisible", or at least "less visible", instead of a standout, it may require some artistic magic. Sometimes,"better than it was" is enough.
.

[jhart]

I think most of my projects look like they were intentionally distressed even though I wasn't trying to!!!

[eccentrictinkerer]

In my house we call this kind of minor damage "patina".

And with 5 grandkids, we got's lots of "patina"!

[jking]

I guess if you're trying to create a new piece that looks like an old piece, distressing may be in order. Normally, though, I'm trying to make a new piece that looks new.

Sorry to hear about the desk top. That has to be...umm...distressing.

[shoottx]

One of the ways we have taken dings out of gunstocks is using a wet rag to cover the dinged area then apply heat with an iron, soldering iron or a screwdriver heated on the gas stove.

This will work if the wood fibers are compressed and not severed.

[drumpriest]

Yep Mike, that was my plan, has worked fairly well for me in the past, these are most certainly severed, but still I am sure that expanding some of the fibers will lessen the divot.

[cabinetman]

Yep Mike, that was my plan, has worked fairly well for me in the past, these are most certainly severed, but still I am sure that expanding some of the fibers will lessen the divot.

Hard to tell from your OP if you were asking for repair advise or opinions on distressing. It sounded like you had a plan.

I take a different approach, which works for me. If there is a finish, I scrape it off just about the size of the damage. I get down to raw wood. Then, with an eye dropper, drop water drops to the damage. if it soaks in, keep it wet. It may take several applications and some time, but the wood will expand, either compressed or severed.
.

[drumpriest]

Wow Cabi, really?!?

"
I'll try and post a picture of the damage soon, asking advice.
"
that would mean I will post another topic asking about the repair.

"
"distressing" furniture, opinion?
"

That's the topic subject.

Not trying to be a jerk, but you seem to always take issue with the intent of my posts, I don't know how I could make it any clearer.

As to your comment on the repair, sounds interesting. So you end up refinishing that entire area, I figured I'd have to do that, but I'm not looking forward to it.

[cabinetman]

Not trying to be a jerk, but you seem to always take issue with the intent of my posts, I don't know how I could make it any clearer.

If it seems like I take issues with your intent, I apologize for how I word my posts. Sometimes reading posts (not just yours), I just have difficulty isolating what is being asked or discussed so I can address the post specifically.
.

[Workman]

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't (distress furniture). I've even milk-painted over oak seeking that genuine "old-timers way". Or maybe it's just that I have lots of oak and my wife likes painted cabinets rather than the finest finish money can (or can't buy). Also they fit the "cottage style" - less so for "mission" or "Victorian". Perhaps the fact that these decorating styles and periods exist is evidence that tastes/preferences change - the only certainty being that change (in the "temporal" order of things). But you probably weren't looking for a philosophical answer to your practical question. I almost never finish or do anything else if I know that I'm going to "distress" about it. I hope that the repair goes well (satisfying). In a hundred years your piece will have value again, regardless of what you do.

[pelligrini]

Last week I stupidly knocked over a glass and it put a bit of a gash into my desk top. When I built the desk I did an arm-r-seal finish 14 coats, let it cure for 2 months, and did a rub out on it, so you can imagine the words that came out when it happened.

Might be an opportunity to work on some decorative inlay skills.

[LarryG]

This experience, however, made me wonder what people think of intentional distressing on the forum.

A story-analogy that illustrates my thoughts on this topic:

Our guitar-playing members will likely be familiar with Fender's "Relic" series of guitars, out of their Custom Shop, and now their newer, more affordable "Road Worn" line. Both lines have beat-to-he77 paint jobs, artificially-aged hardware, and simulated fretboard wear, all in an effort to simulate the retro-cool looks of a vintage guitar that's been earning a hard living for the last 20 or 30 or 50 years. IOW, these are "distressed" guitars ... brand-new instruments that are made to look old.

My question has always been this: since used guitars typically sell for 50-60% of what they cost new, why would anyone ever pay the higher price for a new Relic?

I have the same philosphy about furniture. If you want something that looks old, that looks like it has some character, get yourself to a flea market or salvage yard and buy something that actually IS old, that actually HAS some character.

[kirkroy]

Our guitar-playing members will likely be familiar with Fender's "Relic" series of guitars, out of their Custom Shop, and now their newer, more affordable "Road Worn" line. Both lines have beat-to-he77 paint jobs, artificially-aged hardware, and simulated fretboard wear, all in an effort to simulate the retro-cool looks of a vintage guitar that's been earning a hard living for the last 20 or 30 or 50 years. IOW, these are "distressed" guitars ... brand-new instruments that are made to look old.

Just buy your guitar from Guitar Center. Seems like most of them get pretty beat up there anyway (Relics or not).