Good job, I build rustic furniture for another hobby, so I can appreciate the work involved...You mentioned vinegar and iron,,,I mix vinegar with steel-wool let it soak a couple of days, and it will give a new piece of wood a "weathered" look!!! That can also be used when repairing an old barn or other weathered building,,,paint on the mixture to the new boards and it will "match" up a lot better and/or quicker...