this is a plea.... a plea to put DOWN the orbital sander, the palm sander, and GASP, the belt sander! I'm guilty of it...we all are even if you haven't done it, you've seen it: swirl marks, "bite marks", areas where the sander has burned right through the paint and the original surface, revealing the raw wood The more I learn about authentic painted finishes... the more I studied actual wear on antique pieces... the less I reach for a mechanical sander Distressed finishes are GORGEOUS! even after 100+ years, you still don't see much wear down to the wood... More wood showing, but it is a soft, natural effect... thousands of fingertips brushing the edges, gently polishing the surface below the paint... it's not rough Water-marks, a little dirty around the edges...gently worn paint Notice these authentic finishes have an antique tint, but the color isn't covered in a layer of dark wax... save the dark wax for the areas that would naturally get a bit dirtier... the edges, the feet, etc Stunning finish...layers of paint, no discernible pattern to the wear this could have been created yesterday or 150 years ago... worn, layered...subtle wear to the wood below I'm personally drawn to these chippy, layered, textural finishes These finishes are not your standard "chalk paint, distress, clear wax, dark wax" that we're all accustomed to There is a whole world of options for aging your pieces... and none of them involve a belt sander :0) Tutorials coming later this week... M~