This is one of the better videos I’ve seen on how to ebonize. If you do an in-depth video on each of the 3 processes you showed in this video, they would do well also!
I've used these methods a few times over the years. The Bark tea doesn't make a massive difference on red oak which already has high levels of tannins in it, but for woods which are lower in tannins it makes a huge difference - an example would be the maple from the chopping board. Another trick is to grab some plane shavings after your piece has dried and burnish the finish thoroughly, you will get a beautiful muted shine which you can highlight further with a wax finish.
I also burnish the finish. I use a piece of steel plate, about 3" square with polised edges and rounded corners. This lays the wood fiber into the wood and leaves a nice polised surface and needs virtually no finish other than, say, a light wax.
My wife came up with a technique using the distilled vinegar, the 0000 steel wool, and coffee. She brews the coffee just like you would make a pot of coffee, and mixes the coffee with the vinegar and soaks the steel wool in it. It seems to enhance the pigments in the wood and gives an almost graying effect with a tinge of brown. We had no idea that anybody was doing this, great video, we will try your technique.
@@woodworkingwithSkyler Great video. I wonder, does iron acetate have good impregnating properties as in against wood rot, if the thing, let's say a bench outside needs treatment. Of course there would be some finish with oil or something but does iron acetate have such chemical properties on its own?
Actually you are muting the effect. Coffee is also high in tannin so by mixing it all together you are diluting the iron acetate. If you like the color you got then I would call that a success. Try it putting the coffee on the wood first. You will get something much different.
Skyler, your projects on your website are amazing. I especially like the hybrid wood-epoxy crosses and the cutting boards. I found your channel by searching for a way to finish poplar. Excellent! Thank you.
Enjoyed your true self when demonstrating....good job! I watched this because I am thinking of ebonizing full sheets of 4 x 8 oak and using it behind my bed like a headboard.
Great video, thanks! Of these three, I definitely also do prefer the look of the iron acetate finish. The grain and texture still show through very nicely. Cheers!
You can use ordinary black tea as an activator on woods with no tannins in it. I used it on a walking stick, applying different coatings and finished it off with a few layers of a mat clear varnish and it looks stunning. Like some kind of Japanese lacker. A deep dark black-brownish colour. Very satisfying to work with these simple products and create such a nice effect.
was just coming to the comments wondering if the tea was adding tannins to the wood. wondering if multiple treatments of tea would would enable soft woods to be ebonized in the same way ?
@@dismafuggerhere2753 she said she added extra tannins with the wood. But yes, different teas can give different colors. Instant coffee has a greenish hue to it. You can use anything with tannins in it, even red wine I believe
Very interesting to see an alternative to paint or stain with simple easy to come by materials. I think this is more of a chemical reaction or oxidation. Thanks for the video!
Yes it’s a good tip , yes I said tip , but as an ex professional experienced and qualified restorer& conservator of antique furniture I found that Indian Ink which is absolutely black with no blue tints worked very well . Ditto artists quality acrylic paint is marvellous stuff as it dries quickly and a decent finish can be achieved swiftly.
I have used this method to stain red oak to make jewelry boxes and it works great. After the iron acetate dries (I use a heat gun) it is going to slightly raise the grain of the oak. Just lightly sand the wood with 220 or 320 grit sand paper before finishing. The stain won't sand off because it reacts with the tannins in the cell walls. Remember, lightly sand. I use spray lacquer for the finish and it leaves a beautiful sheen. Thanks again for your demo.
I had wondered if the solution would lift the grain. I guessed right. I became a big fanboy of 3M's finish scuffing pads some time back. The one I'd likely use here is #7447. In my area the easiest place to find them is at an auto body shop, which is also a wonderful place to wander looking for other finish related speciality products...go figure.
Never knew of this process before now and took 6 years of woodowking and shop in school! Wow I can see some nice speaker cabinets, or new entertainment center project. Love the simplicity/cost and ease of use with great looks. Just may try this ebonized finish on a Tele or Strat guitar blank over the winter! Thanks for sharing this S&S please keep the lessons coming,
Some of the earliest Rosewood slabs they put on Strat necks were really dark in colour compared to the anaemic stuff of today. Will this method darken up my Gibson 339 neck ?
Actually there is... the reaction releases hydrogen gas, so do this outdoors. Also, I wouldn't simply pour in the vinegar and put a lid on it. At least not until the off gassing has finished (fizzing stops). Then it would be safe to set aside. (nuclear chemistry for almost 20 years). I realize (near the end of the video) you stated to put some holes in the lid. The solution will continue to concentrate due to evaporation as time goes by. Came to the comments to look for information regarding sealing off the solution too quickly.
vinegar and steel wool has been used for centuries to dye wood its called vinegaroon, and it workes superbly well on veggie tanned leather, its a whole lot cleaner than leather dye and will not come off and stain your white clothes like some dye can. if it doesnt seem to get dark enough try soaking wood/leather in very strong cold tea to add more tannin.
The vinegar smell lingers, and the leather, if not treated afterwards in an alkaline bath, becomes MORE acidic and disintegrates faster.. One needs to find the pH of the leathe to start, and bring it back to that point in order to stabilize it after treatment.
Absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much! Also, I love the casual way you drop the "How to avoid explosions" tip at the end; hilarious (and very important!). I wish you every success with your channel xx
Excellent tutorial! This is not the first I have seen on this technique, and this was the. First of your videos I have seen, but it is the best demonstration and presentation I have seen on this topic. Good pacing, good narration (clear language, easy to understand and follow). You answered all my questions and the comparison with the ink was interesting and your observations (and showing to the camera) was convincing and helpful. Subscribed to learn more. Keep up the good work.
I have used ebonizing for years back when I made Native American “style “ flutes to great effect coloring wood. You can even do it decoratively by brushing small amounts on with a watercolor paintbrush. I’d do diamond shapes for example, wood burn the edges as a border to contain the solution, then you end up with a nice black diamond. 👍
Rite Sawdust Girl, Great vid, I have been doing this for years, mostly for my bird houses but have never heard of the tea tip or as someone mentioned in the comments coffee will be trying these for sure! Little tip if I may! When you paint, stain or use the solution brush towards the edge and not from the edge in, hope that makes sense! Stay safe n well. TFS, GB :)
Very interesting, I had never see this way to stain wood before. I would like to have see a depth test to see which penetrated the best. Maybe a sandpaper test or something.
I happened upon this due to some curiosity about how ebonizing works. In the old days, maybe up to the 1960s, the term would show up in Sears (etc.) catalog ads for cheap guitars with fingerboards made of ebonized hardwood instead of ebony or rosewood. I wouldn’t have guessed the process would be so simple. I don’t know whether it’s something I want to try, but it’s good to know how. Thanks! - Paul
Thank you for the demonstration. I mainly use shellac with various stains to colour wood as I prefer a more natural looking sheen.. easy to control sheen - semi gloss, gloss, etc with shellac layering. Perhaps I can offer you some advice for your hair? It is commonly called Rice Water hair treatment and has been used for centuries. Simply put one cup of plain rice into a bowl containing 5 cups of water. Leave bowl covered with a cloth for roughly 12 hrs. Strain the rice from the water and put the 'rice water' in any kind of spray bottle. Spray this water onto your hair and leave for 10 mins or so. Then simply rinse your hair under the shower. Do this every day for 7 days and you will see a very noticeable improvement in the health and shine of your hair. My wife has been using this method many years for dry and frizzy hair problems. She doesn't really have the problem now but continues to employ this method to maintain healthy shiny hair every month or so. You will find many videos on TH-cam about this rice water and it is very much famous because certain ladies in Nepal use it and they hold the records for longest hair in the world - YT videos about this as well. Anyway it is completely natural and once made can be stored in the refrigerator for 7 days or more. I hope you dont mind my suggestion its just i think you will love the results. Kind regards Rob
If you want it to actually be black with the wood texture the ink looks way better than the other two. If you’re actually going for black wood the other two look like your paint was too thin or you ran out of stain.
@@rkgaustin color doesn’t come off even when not sealed. But you should seal it. If no top coat is applied in time color changes to brown. Experiment first with scrap wood
@@rkgaustin Apparently the vinegar/steel wool is a tried an true ancient way of staining wood. And no leaching of tannins. One thing I'd like to try for myself.
Thank you for showing the woods clearly & also the homemade solution. Would you recommend pre-conditioning when using the iron wool mixture, or skipping it? Thank you
I work on acoustic fretted instruments. I use india ink to "ebonize" lighter wood fretboards or to cover light streaks and spots in real ebony. Works like a charm and won't come off on your fingers when completely dry. There is shellac in real india ink as a drying agent. Enjoyed your video. Thanks.
I’ve used xylene based furniture dyes to darken fretboards, but I have found they do bleed, especially when the fretboard is later conditioned (I use Feed N Wax). Given the “oily” nature of rosewood I was curious as to how well the iron acetate would penetrate it. Looking at the cutting board cherry really looks like ebony when ebonized.
Surprising result, thank you! What I would like to learn is how to make translucent white for wood. Can I just mix white pigment and linseed varnish? What would you do?
By far my favorite of your videos so far. I learned a lot about ebonizing wood. I’d never thought of doing that before. I’m curious what the bark tea alone would have done. I may have to whip some up to find out. Thank you for this video!!
This video was so helpful, I used to thin black oil paint and apply it like a stain. But the results are no where near as nice as results with your methods. I know what colour my next project is going to be :)
Thank you for not playing music during your videos! Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub!
Love your work. I subscribed.From sunny South Africa
clicked on video and not disappointed, might as well start being fond of wood working
Thank you for watching
This is one of the better videos I’ve seen on how to ebonize. If you do an in-depth video on each of the 3 processes you showed in this video, they would do well also!
Woodworking just got more enjoyable to watch.
:)
This is a great video for wood ebonizing and for wood hardening.
Hardening, not the facts.
😂😂
This is fantastic and exactly what I was looking for for an upcoming project with red oak. Thanks!
Be strong gentlemen, stay focused.
It's really not that easy when you're not made of wood...
Yes
Amen
I'm trying but....I'm only human, I've watched it 4 times and I zone out the first time she said wood.....I'll give it one last play...😅
🤭🤣😂..... EXACTLY!
Wonderful Tips.
Thanks for showing us
My pleasure 😊
😂
Thank you for keeping us abreast of the teckniques
Well they both looked fine from here. . .
I've used these methods a few times over the years. The Bark tea doesn't make a massive difference on red oak which already has high levels of tannins in it, but for woods which are lower in tannins it makes a huge difference - an example would be the maple from the chopping board. Another trick is to grab some plane shavings after your piece has dried and burnish the finish thoroughly, you will get a beautiful muted shine which you can highlight further with a wax finish.
I will have to try that
I was actually wondering if the tea would make a more noticeable difference on something like maple or poplar.
I also burnish the finish. I use a piece of steel plate, about 3" square with polised edges and rounded corners. This lays the wood fiber into the wood and leaves a nice polised surface and needs virtually no finish other than, say, a light wax.
Awesome video! 👍
@@lazio7495 thanks
Fantastic points you have, thank you for showing me.
I never knew wood could change so quickly with your help.
😂😂
My wife came up with a technique using the distilled vinegar, the 0000 steel wool, and coffee. She brews the coffee just like you would make a pot of coffee, and mixes the coffee with the vinegar and soaks the steel wool in it. It seems to enhance the pigments in the wood and gives an almost graying effect with a tinge of brown. We had no idea that anybody was doing this, great video, we will try your technique.
Great tip!
@@woodworkingwithSkyler Great video. I wonder, does iron acetate have good impregnating properties as in against wood rot, if the thing, let's say a bench outside needs treatment. Of course there would be some finish with oil or something but does iron acetate have such chemical properties on its own?
@@haliaeetus8221 If I understand your question correctly I believe she covered that @ 14:33 in the video.
@@Bigtwinman No, because you do not understand what impregnated wood means then, but thanks for the well meaning attempt.
Actually you are muting the effect. Coffee is also high in tannin so by mixing it all together you are diluting the iron acetate. If you like the color you got then I would call that a success. Try it putting the coffee on the wood first. You will get something much different.
Nice tips!
Glad you like them!
@@woodworkingwithSkyler - I like them too. They're great.
Skyler, your projects on your website are amazing. I especially like the hybrid wood-epoxy crosses and the cutting boards. I found your channel by searching for a way to finish poplar. Excellent! Thank you.
Very nice lady. Thank you for sharing this technique.
Your bosom knowledge is beyond this world :) thanks.
Really cool effect. I was surprised at just how fast the reaction happens.
Enjoyed your true self when demonstrating....good job! I watched this because I am thinking of ebonizing full sheets of 4 x 8 oak and using it behind my bed like a headboard.
Hi just like to say keep up the good work love watching you x
Thank you! Will do!
Dr did a great job on the cans.
That,s beautiful!!! I’m going to start playing with that this weekend. Thanks so much for sharing! Great video.
Mesmerizing.
Thanks for watching
Great video, thanks! Of these three, I definitely also do prefer the look of the iron acetate finish. The grain and texture still show through very nicely. Cheers!
Totally agree!
i can admit, it was very enjoyable ebonizing :)
You can use ordinary black tea as an activator on woods with no tannins in it. I used it on a walking stick, applying different coatings and finished it off with a few layers of a mat clear varnish and it looks stunning. Like some kind of Japanese lacker. A deep dark black-brownish colour. Very satisfying to work with these simple products and create such a nice effect.
was just coming to the comments wondering if the tea was adding tannins to the wood.
wondering if multiple treatments of tea would would enable soft woods to be ebonized in the same way ?
@@dismafuggerhere2753 she said she added extra tannins with the wood. But yes, different teas can give different colors. Instant coffee has a greenish hue to it. You can use anything with tannins in it, even red wine I believe
What is the sequence for this "activator"? Do you just steep black tea, put it on, wait for it to dry, then apply your stain as normal?
Beautiful
Very interesting to see an alternative to paint or stain with simple easy to come by materials. I think this is more of a chemical reaction or oxidation. Thanks for the video!
Yes it’s a good tip , yes I said tip , but as an ex professional experienced and qualified restorer& conservator of antique furniture I found that Indian Ink which is absolutely black with no blue tints worked very well . Ditto artists quality acrylic paint is marvellous stuff as it dries quickly and a decent finish can be achieved swiftly.
Thank you. This is exactly what I was looking for. I just bought all of the materials from Lowes and started my first batch.
You're going to need some pH testing paper. Doubt yiou can get that a the lowes
I have used this method to stain red oak to make jewelry boxes and it works great. After the iron acetate dries (I use a heat gun) it is going to slightly raise the grain of the oak. Just lightly sand the wood with 220 or 320 grit sand paper before finishing. The stain won't sand off because it reacts with the tannins in the cell walls. Remember, lightly sand. I use spray lacquer for the finish and it leaves a beautiful sheen. Thanks again for your demo.
Thank you for watching. I never used spray lacquer. Can you recomand a good brand? I might try it
I had wondered if the solution would lift the grain. I guessed right. I became a big fanboy of 3M's finish scuffing pads some time back. The one I'd likely use here is #7447. In my area the easiest place to find them is at an auto body shop, which is also a wonderful place to wander looking for other finish related speciality products...go figure.
A couple of really great tips. Thank you x
You are so welcome!
Great tips thanks. I was happily distracted as well 😛
Black wood is my favorite!
Never knew of this process before now and took 6 years of woodowking and shop in school! Wow I can see some nice speaker cabinets, or new entertainment center project. Love the simplicity/cost and ease of use with great looks. Just may try this ebonized finish on a Tele or Strat guitar blank over the winter! Thanks for sharing this S&S please keep the lessons coming,
Thank you so much. So glad you liked it
I'm going to use the Iron Acetate on my next Cigar Box Guitar Build. I'll then distress it with an actual piece of Charcoal, then seal it
Some of the earliest Rosewood slabs they put on Strat necks were really dark in colour compared to the anaemic stuff of today. Will this method darken up my Gibson 339 neck ?
Great technique, I really like the simple homemade aspect of this solution and especially that there are no volatile chemicals involved.
Glad you like it!
Actually there is... the reaction releases hydrogen gas, so do this outdoors.
Also, I wouldn't simply pour in the vinegar and put a lid on it. At least not until the off gassing has finished (fizzing stops). Then it would be safe to set aside. (nuclear chemistry for almost 20 years).
I realize (near the end of the video) you stated to put some holes in the lid. The solution will continue to concentrate due to evaporation as time goes by.
Came to the comments to look for information regarding sealing off the solution too quickly.
vinegar and steel wool has been used for centuries to dye wood its called vinegaroon, and it workes superbly well on veggie tanned leather, its a whole lot cleaner than leather dye and will not come off and stain your white clothes like some dye can. if it doesnt seem to get dark enough try soaking wood/leather in very strong cold tea to add more tannin.
The vinegar smell lingers, and the leather, if not treated afterwards in an alkaline bath, becomes MORE acidic and disintegrates faster.. One needs to find the pH of the leathe to start, and bring it back to that point in order to stabilize it after treatment.
@@mantaszmenskis5619 made gun belts and vinegarooned leather over 40 years ago still looks as good as new and does not smell at all.
I have used this method to make black leather, however never thought of using it for wood.. Making some today.
Cool. Let me know how it went
Like your technique and your info tks for sharing
Very informative video!! Thank you so much! Well done!
Glad it was helpful!
perfect for that wood Tesla dash! I thought about trying to stain it but then I found alcontara covered caps that look even better
Strong and beautiful lady, first video I see of her and loved it straight away
Awww, thank you
i like the iron acetate the most.. looks very natural
Me too
nice tips!
Absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much! Also, I love the casual way you drop the "How to avoid explosions" tip at the end; hilarious (and very important!). I wish you every success with your channel xx
:) Thank you. I figure nobody would be watching by that point of the video. But yes, very important
Just WOW!
Excellent tutorial! This is not the first I have seen on this technique, and this was the. First of your videos I have seen, but it is the best demonstration and presentation I have seen on this topic. Good pacing, good narration (clear language, easy to understand and follow). You answered all my questions and the comparison with the ink was interesting and your observations (and showing to the camera) was convincing and helpful. Subscribed to learn more. Keep up the good work.
Glad it was helpful!
I have used ebonizing for years back when I made Native American “style “ flutes to great effect coloring wood. You can even do it decoratively by brushing small amounts on with a watercolor paintbrush. I’d do diamond shapes for example, wood burn the edges as a border to contain the solution, then you end up with a nice black diamond. 👍
That sounds really cool. I used watercolor on wood before for coloring some burned designs
Your videography is fantastic!
WOW, just WOW!
Great video, thanks.
Absolutely gorgeous. The wood final product is good-lookin as well!
I learned a little about ebonizing woods but it was a little difficult concentrating on the table area. Good information, thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Rite Sawdust Girl, Great vid, I have been doing this for years, mostly for my bird houses but have never heard of the tea tip or as someone mentioned in the comments coffee will be trying these for sure! Little tip if I may! When you paint, stain or use the solution brush towards the edge and not from the edge in, hope that makes sense! Stay safe n well. TFS, GB :)
Great tip! Will do and that makes total sense. Thank you
Tank you and tice nits 😊
That is one happy Microphone!!
Definitely going to try the wire wool and vinegar 👍
You make wood strong
Very interesting, I had never see this way to stain wood before.
I would like to have see a depth test to see which penetrated the best. Maybe a sandpaper test or something.
Great suggestion!
I happened upon this due to some curiosity about how ebonizing works. In the old days, maybe up to the 1960s, the term would show up in Sears (etc.) catalog ads for cheap guitars with fingerboards made of ebonized hardwood instead of ebony or rosewood. I wouldn’t have guessed the process would be so simple. I don’t know whether it’s something I want to try, but it’s good to know how. Thanks!
- Paul
Thank you for the demonstration. I mainly use shellac with various stains to colour wood as I prefer a more natural looking sheen.. easy to control sheen - semi gloss, gloss, etc with shellac layering.
Perhaps I can offer you some advice for your hair? It is commonly called Rice Water hair treatment and has been used for centuries. Simply put one cup of plain rice into a bowl containing 5 cups of water. Leave bowl covered with a cloth for roughly 12 hrs. Strain the rice from the water and put the 'rice water' in any kind of spray bottle. Spray this water onto your hair and leave for 10 mins or so. Then simply rinse your hair under the shower. Do this every day for 7 days and you will see a very noticeable improvement in the health and shine of your hair. My wife has been using this method many years for dry and frizzy hair problems. She doesn't really have the problem now but continues to employ this method to maintain healthy shiny hair every month or so.
You will find many videos on TH-cam about this rice water and it is very much famous because certain ladies in Nepal use it and they hold the records for longest hair in the world - YT videos about this as well. Anyway it is completely natural and once made can be stored in the refrigerator for 7 days or more. I hope you dont mind my suggestion its just i think you will love the results. Kind regards Rob
Worth knowing the experiment of ebonizing...thankyou so much
Thank for the information, nice to know the process ! 👍
Any time!
@@woodworkingwithSkyler 🙂🖐️
I love this information and the supplier does not hurt my eyes either.
If you want it to actually be black with the wood texture the ink looks way better than the other two. If you’re actually going for black wood the other two look like your paint was too thin or you ran out of stain.
Cool, might be good for staining guitar fretboards!
Yes, that’s a great idea
Exactly why I'm here! I'm wondering if the color will come off on sweaty hands? Will it affect inlays?
@@rkgaustin color doesn’t come off even when not sealed. But you should seal it. If no top coat is applied in time color changes to brown. Experiment first with scrap wood
@@rkgaustin Apparently the vinegar/steel wool is a tried an true ancient way of staining wood. And no leaching of tannins. One thing I'd like to try for myself.
@@peterschmidt9942 I'd love to see your test results
Cool technique. Thanks
Glad you liked it!
Very interesting method, I'll try it. Thanks.
you are welcome
Thank you for showing the woods clearly & also the homemade solution.
Would you recommend pre-conditioning when using the iron wool mixture, or skipping it? Thank you
Nice! I will try that for sure! Nice camera angles btw 😁
Thanks! 😁
Got them heavies
I work on acoustic fretted instruments. I use india ink to "ebonize" lighter wood fretboards or to cover light streaks and spots in real ebony. Works like a charm and won't come off on your fingers when completely dry. There is shellac in real india ink as a drying agent. Enjoyed your video. Thanks.
Awesome. Thanks for the tip
I’ve used xylene based furniture dyes to darken fretboards, but I have found they do bleed, especially when the fretboard is later conditioned (I use Feed N Wax).
Given the “oily” nature of rosewood I was curious as to how well the iron acetate would penetrate it.
Looking at the cutting board cherry really looks like ebony when ebonized.
Very useful home technology and absolutely nicely presented. Thank you så much for sharing your skills.
My pleasure!
Great explanations
Glad it was helpful!
Surprising result, thank you! What I would like to learn is how to make translucent white for wood. Can I just mix white pigment and linseed varnish? What would you do?
Great video, thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for watching!
Rit dye in the bottle full strength or leather dye both work well too
Nice info, thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Nice bunch of wood👌
I don't know what you said but I loved watching you talk and move about 💖💖
This is great, thanks for sharing
The India ink method works perfectly,and super simple. The other way is nice if you wanna take much longer to achieve the same results... eventually.
Neat! I watch a ton of woodworking videos, and this is the first I've heard of this!
Great to hear!
you are fantastic thanks for the tips.
Thanks for watching!
Beautiful microphone you have! I've watched it several times.
Thanks for the tips! Excellent quality.
Glad it was helpful!
Very nice.
I am a cabinet maker, this may be useful sometime.
Awesome. Give it a try
I like it.
Thanks
Great video, as a beginner woodworker, I find these types of videos fascinating and really helpful.👍👍👍
Glad it was helpful!
Very helpful thanks
nice result, I can see me using that.
Go for it!
Really enjoy your videos! Keep up the good work.
Glad you like them!
By far my favorite of your videos so far. I learned a lot about ebonizing wood. I’d never thought of doing that before.
I’m curious what the bark tea alone would have done. I may have to whip some up to find out.
Thank you for this video!!
Awesome, thank you!
Bark tea alone will be a brownish color of the tannins
You need the iron acetate to get black.
very nice, specially if you'd like to keep the wood grain. Can you put a sort of wax on it to make it more resistant?
Great idea! A cool application of this technique would be coloring guitar fretboards/creating guitar necks.
That would be cool!
This video was so helpful, I used to thin black oil paint and apply it like a stain. But the results are no where near as nice as results with your methods. I know what colour my next project is going to be :)
Thank You! I will be using the Iron Acetate on some Picture Ledges today. Will seal with Tung Oil
Sounds great!
Great show .. love it.. thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks, that was interesting to see
You are very welcome
Well done!
Thank you