Ways of Distressing Wood Cabinet Doors

This is a unique video where a cupboard door manufacture and finishing company shows the different ways of distressing real wood cabinet doors. Some of the techniques seem easy enough to do. Yet, after watching a few other videos on Youtube, I realized that making a newer piece of wood look older is a form of artwork that is executed by applying intelligent design ideas.

Here’s a list of the various terms used in the video to describe many distressing techniques.

1. Rasping-Roughing things with a coarse file to make them look like horses hoofs.
2. Chain Marks-Distressing wood by pounding it with a small chain.
3. Worm Marks-Using a small drill bit drill to poke a bunch of holes in the wood.
4. Fly Specs-Accomplished by splattering black paint in small portions.
5. Hand Painter Marks-This tends to give the wood cabinet doors a real rustic look.
6. Rough Joint-Gives the cupboard door that aged look like it is coming apart at the frame joints.
7. Worm Edge-Accomplished by using an electric drill with a small drill bit.
8. Nail Impression-By using a bent nail you can get the appearance that it has been run over.
9. Chicken Scratches-This is just as series of very fine scratches made in varying directions.
10. Wood Cracks-Interestingly enough these are made with a pizza cutter.
11. Rubbed Through Worn Out-By using a belt sander for the initial detail a deep rub can be created and then sanded with fine paper to smooth things out.
12. Dry Brushing-Apply a very mild amount of paint on a dry paint brush.
13. Hand Painter Marks
14. Cow Tailing-This gives the distressed kitchen cabinet door the look that a cow has been swashing his tail on the door.
15. Screw Impressions
16. Rough Joints
17. Gouges
18. knots
19. Stain With Glaze
20. Brush Marks
21. Crackling- Refer to the video below. This is done by applying a mixture of Elmer’s Glue and water on a dry painted surface.  While the crackling-medium mixture of glue is still wet a top coat of paint is then applied. This is final coat of paint is generally sprayed onto the kitchen cabinet door.
22. Scraping- Gives the door that chipped off look.
23. Old Barn Siding- This is becoming a popular way of distressing the look of cabinet doors.

How to Give a Kitchen Door the Crackled Distressed Look

These are really great ideas for distressing furniture or your kitchen cupboard doors. I am actually so inspired by the crackling video that I think I may distress something today just for fun. By all appearances all you need is a hammer, drill, a few hand tools, paint brush and some paint and you can make your kitchen cabinet doors have that old rustic look.