Customer Reviews for Varathane 1 qt. Interior Aged Wood Accelerator (2-Pack)

It weathered my white oak gates exactly as I had hoped. Cabot used to make a similar oil based product but did continued it several years ago. This is an excellent replacement.

I used this on Hampton Bay end caps for kitcgen cabinets to reface them. It is easy to apply and clean up, though it is really thin so splashing will happen. As for the final results, I used it on 3 endcap pieces and put on 3 coats each. The two that i used on what I assume to be the out side turned out browish with hints of purple and not too even (I used a 2" nylon brush for water based stain), while the side that i think is the side that goes in turned out a perfect dark gray. Go figure...I'll definitely turn the orher two around and use the "wrong" side. If you get the right wood and put on even coats, it will look great. Otherwise...temper your expectations.

I use this product to transform wood into something that looks like old, weathered barn wood. I find that it works really well on rough-sawn pine boards (1"-by X") that I purchase from another big box store. I first further rough up the boards with my angle grinder and a wire cup brush. I gouge the boards along their length and also rough up the 3/4" edges of the boards. After that I use black tea (6 packets per quart) to add tannins to the wood. I make a quart of the tea, let it steep and rest overnight and then 'paint' it onto the rough wood. I apply at least three coats, letting it dry in between coats. The tannins help bring out some brown in the wood. Lastly, I apply one coat of the Varathane and let that set for a few hours. The results pretty much match barnboard that I acquired from a friend.

Works like advertised

I had to match some old barnwood, and chose the brown version of this. I was using 2x4 pine, and anybody that has tried to stain pine knows that it normally comes out blotchy with inconsistent results. This product makes a consistent color in the 2x4 and works GREAT. I did not use any pre-stain conditioner, only did a light sanding to smooth it out, and you can see the fantastic results from my pics. I chose to roll it on rather than brush it on, as I had a lot of surface to cover. I did not have any issues where it was too thick or where the coats were uneven (like stain sometimes does). It is much more watery than stain, but applies evenly. Highly recommend. it recommends that you use a lacquer (spray or roll on) to cover it before applying polyeurathane. I purchased a spray lacquer from Home Depot, and then covered that with a water-based poly, no issues at all.

So easy to use! Turned my oak table into what looked like literal Aged Wood! I lightly whitewashed base using high quality chalk paint and chose natural wood unfinished chairs with matte poly. Highly recommend

First time ever using this on a bunk bed my dad built for our boys. You never know what color your project will turn out like cause the grain and different wood absorbs it differently. Was pleasantly surprised how pretty this turned out to be. Used 3 coats on the bed along with a satin water based brushed on lacquer. Will definitely use on future projects!

Consider the original color of your wood before you use this. Mine was cedar and it looks hideous.

We've used this in the last year, and have absolutely loved the results (hence the 2 stars, which would have otherwise been 1 based on this latest purchase). For my current project, I had to use an old can and a new can. I know it's best to mix cans when using different lots, but I thought I would have enough of the old can to finish. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get such different results. No hit of purple at all where I used the older can, but a very strong purplish tint in the newer batch. Wood is all the same, so no significant differences there. Very disappointing!

This product works great. I used this one and the charcoal together to make my own aged barn boards.

My wife wanted the wine racks for our wine room to have a weathered look instead of looking like raw wood. I tried the "steel wool disolved in cider vinegar" technique but found the effect to be to mild, so I bought a can of this and tried it on the pine board I was using. It worked so much better. The product is not a stain, but contains a chemical that reacts with the tannins in the wood to create the effect. I know that a strong solution of black tea can add tannins to the wood if a stronger effect is desired, but that wasn't needed for my project. I also was glueing my racks so I had to make sure the wood treatment wouldn't detract from the strength of my glue joint. I glued two pieces of cut off of the treated and dried wood and found no problem with the glue joint. I would recommend this product for anyone wanting a greying-out look on you wood project but be sure to do a test board first.

I purchased this a few days ago after ignoring the negative reviews. I am not disappointed! I believe people who said it didn't work didn't follow the instructions. I purchased some unfinished tile to laminate transition strips. I hand sanded with 120 grit sandpaper. This stain made them absolutely beautiful! Just what I was looking for! This matches perfectly with my floor! If you purchase be sure to use UNFINISHED WOOD!

Easy to apply, dries quick and leaves the wood with a great weathered look.

Applied two coats to a red oak plywood table top and followed up with 4 coats of Deft Satin Clear Wood Finish. I am very happy with the results and the product couldn't be easier to use. A little goes a long way!

Gives a nice rustic/aged look. It dries relatively fast. My wife uses it on everything she can possibly stain

Easy for me to use, first time for staining, was not scary for me , all my wood came out looking like I imagined it should look like,...

Thought I'd give this a try rather than mixing grey paint and thinner as I did years ago. I made the right choice! Very easy to apply and control the degree of "weathering" you are seeking. The more coats you apply, the more weathered the wood becomes. Two or three coats will probably work for most applications, plus it's pretty much odor free. I used in on pine and oak with similar great results.

Put this on pine. Pretreated wood with conditioner, didn’t matter. Turned neon purple. In my head I’m thinking it’s ruined. Googled “remove purple from wood”. Thinking i have nothing to lose I rub hydrogen peroxide all over it with a dampened washcloth. 10 minutes later it turns into beautiful gray/brown weathered wood. Took all the purple out! Super happy with results now.

The stuff is great. It made a new 2 by 6 looks like an old piece of wood with just one application. I use the 2 x 6 to top off a weathered wood headboard.

This product worked really well. You can get the effect you want by the number of coats you put pn it. It dries fast and is really easy to use.

I watched a couple of videos on YouTube to get an idea of the best way to apply this product. I went with using a nylon bristle brush and it worked out very well for my project. I used the weather wood accelerator on an unfinished solid pine dresser and I applied 2 coats to achieve the level of color I wanted. You need to be careful to maintain an even amount of darkening. I suggest doing a test on a spare piece of similar wood if you have it.

Love this stuff! Perfect for my wood burning projects as it doesn't cover the design at all like a stain would. Love the variation that happens with different pieces and parts of wood since it works with the natural tannins in the wood. Perfect for those farmhouse and shabby chic looks.

This works great on bare wood! If you follow the instructions, you should get a weathered look typical for the color and type of wood used. I lightly sanded bare wood panels and stirred up the accelerator before applying it, per the instructions. (Even the wooden stirring stick ended up with a beautiful weathered look.) When I applied it, the wood looked a little darker due to being wet. Then as it begun to dry, I could see the wood start to transform to a weathered look. After half an hour, I applied a second coat. If you apply it and it is only looking a bit different from what you started with, try another coat. It made a big difference for me. I tried it on 3 types of wood as shown in the photos. One picture is the front of the wood and the other side is the one with the weathered wood accelerator applied. I believe many people who are saying it made their wood have a blue or purple tone are applying to wood that has a stain or sealer on it. The wood has to be bare and untreated to absorb it, just as advertised. I did test it on some wood that had some white stain on it and it did look purple-blue because it could not absorb into the wood. I am happy with this product and glad I used it to give my wood wall panels a more aged look.

This product exceeded my expectations. I applied it to new white pine tongue and groove wall boards to achieve an almost instant weathered grey look. I used a paint brush to apply and a cloth to catch the drips. I looked at several techniques to achieve a weathered board and this was by far the easiest and least expensive.

I must say I had my doubts, especially when I started applying the product. It is thin and watery product. It goes on mostly clear. After an hour the wood started to change. I was nervous that it would not be enough of a change so I put a second coat of accelerator on the door. I started with a new unfinished door. After two coats it was kind of dull. BUT after a coat of spray lacquer and two coats of satin polyurethane the color really popped. At this point the door was darker than I hoped for, so I wish I would have only put one coat of accelerator. But I didn’t know it would be that dark until the polyurethane went on. Overall, the door looks great. See the pics. I did have some places on the door that did not change by the accelerator. I had to try to touch them up with a gray paint, but it never really matched. I also had a few spaces that turned purple like. I am not sure what caused this. I tried to bleach it out, but it never fully came out. Overall, I am pleased with the final result.

This product was very easy to use and clean up. Color turned out great. Work fast because it will leave spots if you don't apply it evenly. You can fix any issues pretty easily if that happens (trust me :-)) If you are looking for a rustic look (mimicking reclaimed wood) this may not work like you thought. I thought this would be a good alternative to make my own reclaimed wood look. I followed the instructions but the results were not what I expected. That being said I am very satisfied with the way it turned out. The table top was new red oak. I would definitely try out the product on a scrap piece of wood, sanded or distressed or whatever you intend to do to see how it will work. See pictures : Tabletop: Red Oak finished with Satin poly Coasters: Purple Heart and Hard Maple

This worked great on pine tongue and groove siding that we put on the bathroom walls

I used this to stain barn doors I built to close off a room. I wanted an aged look. This "wood accelerator" did the trick. Applied out of the can, it appears watery -- do not be deceived! It results in a gray color. The more coats you apply,the darker it gets. One door had more knotholes than the other and came out with a lot more character than the one with plainer wood.

I used this on my red oak hardwood floor and it came out perfect.. I had to apply two coats to get the right color for my taste. I used a lambskin applicator on both coats and I had about one hour between coats.

Once i put the topcoat that they recommend it turned to a more brown color