Lately I have been looking at tutorials for weathering some Maple wood with vinegar but I couldn't find any mention if it may cause any long term issues with the wood such as splitting, warping, etc. etc. So I was curious to know if there is any effect on the wood after weathering? Is there any effect with applying an enamel polyurethane after wood has been weathered? Would it be better to apply a varnish instead of poly?
Wood – Is wood strength affected after weathering wood
polyurethanevarnishingwoodwood-finish
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Pine is a difficult wood to stain under the best of situations. Pine has areas of different density, color, and resin (pitch) content. Using a product like Minwax prestain helps a bit. Follow the timing instructions carefully when using a pre-treatment. Little tips: i like to apply a liberal coat of oil based stain with a sponge brush. Let it set a few minutes, then rub it in and evenly distribute with a lint free rag. As one rag becomes saturated with stain, I use a second drier rag to finish the rub in. The wetter rag is great for distributing the color. You don't want any really wet stain remaining on your wood after the rub in. Once you get to the urethane, sand lightly between each coat with 220 grit paper to remove any dust bumps. Remove all sanding dust with a slightly damp cloth, let it dry and apply next coat. Again, I prefer a good grade sponge brush, but a good grade regular brush for oil/urethane works good for appling the urethane. Remember, thin coats, and sand between each coat.
If you like the current look of the wood, then you should not stain it, as any stain will alter the color. 2 or 3 coats of clear polyurethane will highlight the look of the wood without altering the color.
I suggest a clear, satin finish, as glossy would make your table look shiny.
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Best Answer
I've used the steel wool + vinegar method before*. It's essentially a stain so really only affects the surface layer. It shouldn't have any meaningful affect on the strength of the piece of wood. Splitting and warping is related to moisture and drying so wouldn't really be affecting by weathering stain.
After you weather it, note that most any additional finishes will change the color. With pine (and actual drift wood) I've found both water and oil based polys will give it a slightly darker, slightly yellow tint (varnish will typically add color as well). So definitely use test pieces before committing.
Rule-of-thumb is that water-based finishes will add less color than oil-based finishes. That said, if the goal is to 'age' the wood, perhaps no finish at all is suitable. Let it age even more in use. :)
PS (*) one trick is to pre-'stain' the wood with black tea. This puts more organic material into the surface of the wood for the oil and vinegar mix to react to.