Antiquing Furniture That Is Lacquered

Beat the furniture with the chain to rough up the wood. Do this especially on areas that would naturally be worn and distressed more over time, such as the top of a desk, the sides (to a lesser extent) and the front.

Tap high-stress areas of the wood with the ball peen hammer that you can't accurately strike with the chain, such as the handles of drawers. Strike with a series of closely spaced, gentle taps to cover each area with a shape imitating the effects of long-term pressure and handling.

Sand the high-stress areas of the furniture that you've just distressed using medium-grain sand paper; this will even out the more dramatic shape of the chain and hammer strikes and blend the edges of the distressed areas with the rest of the furniture.

Gently rub down the entire piece of furniture with fine-grain sand paper. Aim to wear down the thickness of the lacquer rather than remove it; in a few places, the sanding will wear through or wear partially through, but this uneveness is what you want in preparation for the black stain. Sand more vigorously in areas where you think you'll want the black stain spots to show up more; fold the paper to work it into cracks and crevices, as these will naturally darken with age and should have more stain.

Apply the ebony stain to the desk using the clean rags. Let the stain sit for five minutes and soak into the areas where the lacquer is thin.

Wipe away the ebony stain; it will come away cleanly from the areas with thick lacquer, but stay soaked in the other places.

Spray the furniture with another coat of spray lacquer or apply standard varnish with a paintbrush (this will create a more authentically antique look). Follow the manufacturer's instructions.