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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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
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
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.
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?
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
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 :)
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 ?
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
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. 👍
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
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.
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 :)
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 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.
You have such great information in this wood-ebonizing video! I think the ink method looks a lot messier (and more expensive) than the iron acetate. The bark tree is pronounced "kay-bra-cho" (with a slight rolling of the "r" sound) as it is Spanish.
I did this on a solid alder guitar. I just used regular tea bags (UK, pennies... :)) to add the tannin and let it soak well in. It worked but not nearly as dark as you got it, more of a mid grey. I'll try again sometime following your method, thanks.
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.
I've been doing something similar for a number of years. The difference being I use the grindings from the machine at the brake shop down the road from my house. I spread them om the wood and spray it with water come back later brush it all off with a bench brush, it's reusable. all nice and dark, sometimes with a bluish tint, I love the process, if you want it darker do it again. I am going to try spraying vinegar to see what happens. Thanks for the great video, I will be watching more of them.
How do you prevent the iron acetate from turning red over time? I used this formula on som Alder, which initially turned a beautiful grey, but a couple days later turn very rust-colored.
I have used coffee to stain wood in the past. I wonder if the tannins from coffee can make a difference. I'll give that a try soon. I really appreciate this technique! I usually torch my wood to give it a nice dark colour. It has never been optimal for me. This may be better.
Excellent demonstration, thank you very much. My attemps at ebonizing came out much brownish but I didn't use steel and vinegar. I will have to try it, I love oak a lot.
Thank you for watching Serge. Make sure you seal your wood as soon as it’s fully dried ( same day) my piece was really black but the pieces I didn’t use I left in shop for 3 days unfinished and the got more brown. Experiment first before you make a big build
Thanks for this video. Its just what I was looking for. I'm building a soap curing rack out of red oak and the customer wants it dark. I was not sure how to get red oak to be dark but now I see. Do you think its ok to spray lacquer on as a finish?
Great video and details. I really appreciate the real woodworker and not another marketing video. What happens to the wood over time after ebonizing it with the steel wool in vinegar solution? Does it continue to darken or does the reaction reach equilibrium. Does it change the density or strength of the wood at all? Does it become more scratch/damage prone, and can it be sanded? Have you ever tried ebonizing cedar? After completely drying, would it react with any topcoat finishes like osmo hard wax oils? I’m considering this ebonizing process for an experimental outdoor furniture piece that I’m currently building. I may try this on an off cut piece of cedar to see what it will produce. Will come back to share what I end up with. Thanks for this great video!
Definitely experiment first. Ebonizing should not weaken the wood. But.... If left unfinished it my change color. I had a few different test pieces left in shop unfinished. some turned brown after 3 days, some turned marbled brown and black and some stayed black . I thought about maybe neutralizing the ebonized wood once black with some water, maybe that stops the process?
@@woodworkingwithSkyler Hi, I was going to ask exactly that. Do you need to neutralize the iron acetate solution? Maybe with a wet rag ? I was wondering if it could react with or weaken the finish. Beautiful results, will definitely have to try this.
Hi from Australia. I have never heard of this process before but found it very interesting. I imagine the results may differ from one wood type to another depending on the wood's natural colour. I wonder how well it would work on white pine as it doesn't take conventional wood stain very well.
Thank you for this helpful video. After applying a sealer (clear) coat, how enduring, resistant to UV fading, scuffing are these stains and marks? I'm thinking of using them to stain trim pieces (door & window trim, crown molding, etc). I really like your method over regular oil-based stain with VOCs, which requires special treatment of the rags/brushes after using. If not, they might spontaneously combust.
Does it make sense to use the acetate and also ink? I would like the finish to be durable and very black, so if there is an option that penetrates deep into the wood that would be great.
The bark tea is powered AXE Breaker tree. You can make a slightly similar tea with OAK bark which increases the reactive tannins in the proffered wood. If you have actual BARK mulch in you garden beds, place a few small pieces in a old coffee grinder… then add to a small jar with hot water…try that. As low cost solution. Great vid. Thanks
Great video and presentation. I built a dog ramp that is outside, using treated wood. Painting or staining wood never has worked for me in the past as it always peels and flakes after several years, no matter how well I prepare it or how expensive the paint or stain is. I'm wondering if this would solve that problem. What do you think?
I've ebonised oak - English Oak- both with ammonia and iron solutions. Recently I've use iron sulphate solution simply because I had a bag of iron sulphate crystals which I use in the garden to control moss in the lawn and on fruit trees. It's so easy to use, just a pinch of crystals in a little water, shake and go.
try soaking your pine in very strong cold tea, let it dry, lightly sand it coz it will raise the grain, you will have added tannin to the wood and it is the tannin that reacts with the vinegaroon, pine has hardly any tannins in it.
Thank you for not playing music during your videos! Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub!
Love your work. I subscribed.From sunny South Africa
This is fantastic and exactly what I was looking for for an upcoming project with red oak. Thanks!
clicked on video and not disappointed, might as well start being fond of wood working
Thank you for watching
Woodworking just got more enjoyable to watch.
:)
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!
Fantastic points you have, thank you for showing me.
I never knew wood could change so quickly with your help.
😂😂
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!
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.
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
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.
This is a great video for wood ebonizing and for wood hardening.
Hardening, not the facts.
😂😂
Really cool effect. I was surprised at just how fast the reaction happens.
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.
Wonderful Tips.
Thanks for showing us
My pleasure 😊
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!
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
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!
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.
Your bosom knowledge is beyond this world :) thanks.
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
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?
Great tips thanks. I was happily distracted as well 😛
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.
That,s beautiful!!! I’m going to start playing with that this weekend. Thanks so much for sharing! Great video.
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?
Dr did a great job on the cans.
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
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
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 ?
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
Beautiful microphone you have! I've watched it several times.
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
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
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
perfect for that wood Tesla dash! I thought about trying to stain it but then I found alcontara covered caps that look even better
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!
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 can admit, it was very enjoyable ebonizing :)
Absolutely gorgeous. The wood final product is good-lookin as well!
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.
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 :)
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!
Hey, any thoughts on how well this finish will hold up over time, especially with exposure to light?
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.
You have such great information in this wood-ebonizing video! I think the ink method looks a lot messier (and more expensive) than the iron acetate. The bark tree is pronounced "kay-bra-cho" (with a slight rolling of the "r" sound) as it is Spanish.
i like the iron acetate the most.. looks very natural
Me too
Hi just like to say keep up the good work love watching you x
Thank you! Will do!
Black wood is my favorite!
I love this information and the supplier does not hurt my eyes either.
Nice tips!
Glad you like them!
@@woodworkingwithSkyler - I like them too. They're great.
Great video, as a beginner woodworker, I find these types of videos fascinating and really helpful.👍👍👍
Glad it was helpful!
That is one happy Microphone!!
A couple of really great tips. Thank you x
You are so welcome!
I did this on a solid alder guitar. I just used regular tea bags (UK, pennies... :)) to add the tannin and let it soak well in. It worked but not nearly as dark as you got it, more of a mid grey. I'll try again sometime following your method, thanks.
Definitely going to try the wire wool and vinegar 👍
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?
To give a distressed look I use black tea and apply that prior to the steel wool/vinagar..
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.
Worth knowing the experiment of ebonizing...thankyou so much
could park my bike in there !
I wonder if I use the steel wool and vinegar on a rosewood do you think it would work ? I am doing this for my guitar frets 😁
Would this work on a Guitar Finger board that has Indian Laurel Wood on it ? I want darken it to look something like Rose Wood..
Rit dye in the bottle full strength or leather dye both work well too
Your videography is fantastic!
Beautiful
I've been doing something similar for a number of years. The difference being I use the grindings from the machine at the brake shop down the road from my house. I spread them om the wood and spray it with water come back later brush it all off with a bench brush, it's reusable. all nice and dark, sometimes with a bluish tint, I love the process, if you want it darker do it again. I am going to try spraying vinegar to see what happens.
Thanks for the great video, I will be watching more of them.
Awesome! Thanks so much for watching
Great idea! A cool application of this technique would be coloring guitar fretboards/creating guitar necks.
That would be cool!
I don't know what you said but I loved watching you talk and move about 💖💖
How do you prevent the iron acetate from turning red over time? I used this formula on som Alder, which initially turned a beautiful grey, but a couple days later turn very rust-colored.
Got them heavies
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.
Can you sand the wood after the treatment? What are the effects? Does it retain the dark color, or rub off right away?
I have used coffee to stain wood in the past. I wonder if the tannins from coffee can make a difference. I'll give that a try soon.
I really appreciate this technique! I usually torch my wood to give it a nice dark colour. It has never been optimal for me. This may be better.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes
Excellent demonstration, thank you very much. My attemps at ebonizing came out much brownish but I didn't use steel and vinegar. I will have to try it, I love oak a lot.
Thank you for watching Serge. Make sure you seal your wood as soon as it’s fully dried ( same day) my piece was really black but the pieces I didn’t use I left in shop for 3 days unfinished and the got more brown. Experiment first before you make a big build
@@woodworkingwithSkyler What’s a good sealer? I’m thinking clear shellac.
nice tips!
Thanks for this video. Its just what I was looking for. I'm building a soap curing rack out of red oak and the customer wants it dark. I was not sure how to get red oak to be dark but now I see.
Do you think its ok to spray lacquer on as a finish?
Nice! I will try that for sure! Nice camera angles btw 😁
Thanks! 😁
Great video and details. I really appreciate the real woodworker and not another marketing video. What happens to the wood over time after ebonizing it with the steel wool in vinegar solution? Does it continue to darken or does the reaction reach equilibrium. Does it change the density or strength of the wood at all? Does it become more scratch/damage prone, and can it be sanded? Have you ever tried ebonizing cedar? After completely drying, would it react with any topcoat finishes like osmo hard wax oils? I’m considering this ebonizing process for an experimental outdoor furniture piece that I’m currently building. I may try this on an off cut piece of cedar to see what it will produce. Will come back to share what I end up with. Thanks for this great video!
Definitely experiment first. Ebonizing should not weaken the wood. But.... If left unfinished it my change color. I had a few different test pieces left in shop unfinished. some turned brown after 3 days, some turned marbled brown and black and some stayed black . I thought about maybe neutralizing the ebonized wood once black with some water, maybe that stops the process?
@@woodworkingwithSkyler Hi, I was going to ask exactly that. Do you need to neutralize the iron acetate solution? Maybe with a wet rag ? I was wondering if it could react with or weaken the finish. Beautiful results, will definitely have to try this.
Mesmerizing.
Thanks for watching
Very informative video!! Thank you so much! Well done!
Glad it was helpful!
Like your technique and your info tks for sharing
Very useful home technology and absolutely nicely presented. Thank you så much for sharing your skills.
My pleasure!
Hi from Australia. I have never heard of this process before but found it very interesting. I imagine the results may differ from one wood type to another depending on the wood's natural colour. I wonder how well it would work on white pine as it doesn't take conventional wood stain very well.
Thank you for this helpful video. After applying a sealer (clear) coat, how enduring, resistant to UV fading, scuffing are these stains and marks? I'm thinking of using them to stain trim pieces (door & window trim, crown molding, etc).
I really like your method over regular oil-based stain with VOCs, which requires special treatment of the rags/brushes after using. If not, they might spontaneously combust.
Hello, have you tried dry brushing a different color over this? I want to make it match my deck which is trex (black with lighter brown). Thanks
If you want the ebonize wood that does not have the natural tannins, does the bark tea add enough tannins for this to work?
Does it make sense to use the acetate and also ink? I would like the finish to be durable and very black, so if there is an option that penetrates deep into the wood that would be great.
The bark tea is powered AXE Breaker tree. You can make a slightly similar tea with OAK bark which increases the reactive tannins in the proffered wood. If you have actual BARK mulch in you garden beds, place a few small pieces in a old coffee grinder… then add to a small jar with hot water…try that. As low cost solution. Great vid. Thanks
Did you try using the bark tea on the other side of the cutting board to see if the MAPLE other woods that didn’t react would?
great tip. Thank you
Not sure why this popped on my feed... But I watched it anyways
Would you do this for stair treads?
Great video and presentation. I built a dog ramp that is outside, using treated wood. Painting or staining wood never has worked for me in the past as it always peels and flakes after several years, no matter how well I prepare it or how expensive the paint or stain is. I'm wondering if this would solve that problem. What do you think?
I think you should try it
@@woodworkingwithSkyler I'd have to first find out if it can be done on treated wood I guess. Thank you.
Really enjoy your videos! Keep up the good work.
Glad you like them!
Thank You! I will be using the Iron Acetate on some Picture Ledges today. Will seal with Tung Oil
Sounds great!
I have two good reasons to watch this show. 😂 keep up the good work.
This is great. Bit confused though. Is this like if you want to save money? (as opposed to buying a stain?)
Strong and beautiful lady, first video I see of her and loved it straight away
Awww, thank you
I've ebonised oak - English Oak- both with ammonia and iron solutions. Recently I've use iron sulphate solution simply because I had a bag of iron sulphate crystals which I use in the garden to control moss in the lawn and on fruit trees. It's so easy to use, just a pinch of crystals in a little water, shake and go.
Awesome. I will have to try your method
Another great videos, i must try this. Im guessing its no good for pine
You are correct. No pine
try soaking your pine in very strong cold tea, let it dry, lightly sand it coz it will raise the grain, you will have added tannin to the wood and it is the tannin that reacts with the vinegaroon, pine has hardly any tannins in it.