what is the difference between 'limed' and 'pickled'?

13 years ago

I want to update my golden oak armoire in the living room. It is still a lovely piece of furniture and very useful. However, it is time for a change. I thought of painting it and then thought it would be easier to lime it. There's a lot of that look these days, think Restoration Hardware. However, when I was searching for how to's , I realized that the detested "pickled" oak of the 80's is essentially the same technique. So how I get the " limed" look and not the "pickled" look? Do I have to darken the oak first before liming it so that it has more of a grey base?

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Comments (4)

paintergirl94
13 years ago
To create a true lime wash, you would need to use lime, a caustic substance applied to wood which creates a matte, chalky appearance. Also called bleached or white wash, it was used a couple hundred years ago to lighten dark wood. Today, you can get the same look by using paint or a liming wax.

By staining the wood white and allowing the grain to show, you get the pickled effect. I guess a modern day version of liming, which I agree that when I hear pickling, I think 80s.

I think to get more of a lime effect, you need a more opaque white. To get more grey in the finish, maybe you can apply a grey glaze and then the lime (or vice versa). You can always do a test on the inside of a door.
sombreuil_mongrel
13 years ago
If you really treated oak with lime, you'd end up with brown wood and white pores. Lime turns oak dark brown, because it's caustic.
If, instead, you used plaster of paris (gypsum) it would not darken the oak, and you'd have natural oak with white pores.
Casey
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paintergirl94
13 years ago
Interesting. But I was recently in Colonial Williamsburg and the furniture maker described the liming process to me. What he said: it was used to lighten the appearance of dark furniture and paneling. The wood would be roughed up and the lime would sit in the pores. And, if they applied a thicker lime, the finish would be more opaque. Maybe he was bs-ing me, don't know.
I have never and will never actually use lime on oak. But, the question was what is the difference between pickling and liming. I guess it's a little semantics and a little of how you picture your final piece, i.e. not looking 80's.
I have also never done it with plaster of paris, but thanks for sharing that tidbit.
I do know that with a series of waxes and glazes, the effect can be beautiful.
scrappy25
Original Author
13 years ago
thank you for the help, I found some Briwax "liming wax" at my local WOodcraft store, just need to find the bronze bristle brush to rough up the wood. I'm going to practice on an old porch bench first but that is already quite nicely grey and weathered so it won't be the same result. Still not sure about the golden oak. I don't want it looking pink!

what is the difference between 'limed' and 'pickled'?

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paintergirl94

sombreuil_mongrel

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what is the difference between 'limed' and 'pickled'?

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paintergirl94

sombreuil_mongrel

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scrappy25Original Author

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