Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar

Excellent Blog!!! Thanks for the information.

-- Dennis Zongker

That beats the heck out of using Sharpie markers! Thanks for the info!

-- You can't control the wind, but you can trim your sails

Check out my project on it awhile back. It is actually called “iron buff”, and has been used for centuries. Also, rinse the steel wool with lacquer thinner to remove the oil coating that all steel wool has been treated with. I use this often on clock cases & etc. where I want a dark look without the expense of dark wood. If you would like, email privately and I’ll send you my “recipe”. Works great, no secret, but kind of smells like pickles. As always, bbqKing

-- bbqKing, Lawrenceville

Wow… Thanks for the how-to Allison. That is definitely a trick to remember

-- Chris

This is the type of blog I’ve been missing lately. Something a little out of the ordinary that makes me say “I wonder how I can fit that into a project”. Thanks for posting.

It works by reacting to the tannic acid in the wood, so it works great on some and blah on others.

I have chosen to go with india ink on my upcoming project. I’ve seen some really good results using that. The only issue is its actually too strong and can overwelm the grain pattern so you need to swipe it with sandpaper to reveal the figure again.

Thanks for the tutorial Allison. I have been playing around with leather dye recently. It is relatively inexpensive ($5) and works great. Check out my recent project, Inside Rhapsody. It has a liming wax over the dye to bring out the grain. Prior to applying the liming wax, it was jet black. Thanks for sharing.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Allison Also make sure you use REAL vinegar, and not vinegar-free vinegar :o) lol… sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Thanks for sharing – this is a really cool way to darken the door, I usually use Ebony-Stain, but this might be an interesting experiment to try and see the differences, and results. :)

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Great tip Allison. I assume that you didn’t use a 3M pad that is suppose to work like steel wool.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Graet post thanks.
Anybody ever try Black Rite Dye (available at larger supermarkets in the laundry section) to ebonize wood???

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Thanks for all the comments. I sure did not expect all these. It is just I have been reading on LJ’s about the India Ink and dyes etc. I just so happen to live many, many, miles from nowhere, and could not find india ink along with the others without driving to another state. (Nevada) Reno, 110 miles from me. After doing this today I realize i probably will dilute next time. It was all nothing but a check it out thing, and I sure am glad I did.
However the hubby may not be feeling that way because every little different kind of wood I could find today ended up being painted black!
LOL!!!
PEACE!!!

-- Allison, Northeastern Ca. Remember, Amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic!

Allison:

Great blog – Your aim is true,

Iron and vinegar ebonizing solution is a reactive dye. The iron dissolves in the vinegar (acetic acid) and forms a soluble substance (iron acetate). When this solution is applied to wood, the iron acetate reacts with the natural tannins in the wood to form a black substance known as iron tannate. Depending on the amount and distribution of tannin in the wood, the results with the iron and vinegar solution will vary.

You can increase the ebonizing effect in some woods by pre-treating it with a water solution of tannic acid. One trick is to brew some very strong tea and use that as a source of tannic acid. Pre-treat the wood by soaking with the strong tea solution and let it dry overnight before applying the iron and vinegar solution.

I use iron and vinegar solution on white oak, which is high in natural tannins. It generally produces an intense black color and allows the woods grain and rays (qswo) to show through. On woods low in tannin, such as maple, the resultant color might be shades of grey and not ebony. The tannic acid pre-treatment will help achieve a darker color. As always, test before committing your final project.

You can also make a homemade black dye by mixing some iron and vinegar solution directly with strong tea. Particles and sediment will form, so strain or filter this solution before using. I use paper coffee filters.

Another commonly available source of ebonizing dye is black shoe dye (wax free) from brands such as Kiwi or Esquire. These leather dyes are usually alcohol based and will not raise the grain as much as the water based iron and vinegar solution.

-- Randy, Rustic Artisan (sixth generation) - "I am a seeker, not a follower."

I have read several articles on this and have always found it interesting, though never got around to, or needed to, try it. Nice to see someone in the real world has tried it. I like the results. Thanks!

btw – Scoured my local BORG for a brush for blush make-up but can’t find them anywhere! :)

-- I'm a wood magician... I can turn fine lumber into firewood before your very eyes! - http://www.woodworkersguide.com

Thanks for the info Allison. It’ll come in handy.

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

Since I’ve got a few days to experiment with things, I just got some steel wool and set-up my first jar of solution. I can’t wait to see how this turns out. Thanks for the tip, Allison.

-- Respect your shop tools and they will respect you - Ric

I tried this a few years back. Used nails and vinegar. Didn’t work. Gave up.
Thanks.

I’m gonna try again. Using cherry for the wood as it is mostly like ebony in grain.
Lee

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.

I thought I had read somewhere that hydrogen gas was a byproduct of the vinegar-steel wool reaction and that the jar needed to be vented to prevent a smelly accident…

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

gotta love experiments!! Glad you tried again and we got to benefit from it.

The non-steel wool issue reminded me of the “Cod Liver Oil” pills my mom bought and when she read the ingredients it was soy oil.. no “cod” involved. Buyer be wary!

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

I am thrilled with the response I received from this. I just so happen to have right now, watched on the discovery channel, a show called “How it’s made” and it was about how steel wool is made. It was actually quite interesting!
PEACE!!!

-- Allison, Northeastern Ca. Remember, Amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic!

Allison, don’t tell me it doesn’t come from steel Sheep? <g>

Nice blog. I haven’t tried the steel wool ebonizing trick but will give it a try now.
I have been using analine dye from Lee Valley with some sucess too.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I was wondering if anyone had any idea what the shelf life of this would be? If I made up a larger batch and stored it in an air-tight container, how long would it be good for?

-Rich

-- Rich, WNY, www.nyrockingchairs.com

It has a zero shelf life. Make enough for what you will be able to use in a day.Both articles said this and the leftovers I had you could just tell you would not want to put on your projects!!!
PEACE!!!

-- Allison, Northeastern Ca. Remember, Amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic!

I mixed some up to try this out, then it sat in a sealed jar for about 10 months before I used it on a project (tested on a scrap first). It smelled a bit funny, and the color ended up being more of a dark brown. I actually liked the brown better than the black I was expecting though… kind of looks like I fumed the oak.

Thanks for sorting this all out ;-))

-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.

I’ve been attempting this process on corsican pine, but suspect that it lacks tannin. I have premixed the solution with very strong tea, but only seems to help slightly. I tried also to use the tea by itself first, but didn’t seem to be any more effective than the premix.

Also, I’ve tried all brands of white vinegar available (in New Zealand), and none have yet to fully dissolve the steel wool, even after several weeks. The solution remains clear. I’ve tried opening the lid, but can’t see a noticeable change.

It does turn the solution black when I add the tea, but only turns the wood a shade of light blue grey.

It knocks it down a shade, and makes it easier to cover with stains, but not the ebony I was hoping for. Any Ideas out there?

-- Jeffrey France

can anyone tell me if this would work ok on a red oak floor? to rephrase, would it be a good idea?

to throw a twist out there, this is a 50+ oak floor that needs to be sanded tied into a new oak floor. Each side is about 100 ish sq feet. I’m wondering if the different age floors might react differently to the process.

Any thoughts?

What I’m after is a nice black floor, but where you can still see the grain. It seems like some of the ebony stains out there look kind of dark brown.

I’ve read also about ICA stain and Glitsa’s Sable Black. Where can one buy these stains? I’m wondering how the cabett water based black would look? It looks pretty nice online and would be locally available.

Allison YOU ARE THE EBONIZER…. Cool blog thanks for sharing

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Thanks Allison for your great post.
I used white distilled vinegar and fine steel wool. At first I put the cover on the plastic jug, and good thing I checked on it soon after, as it was about ready to blow up. I took the cover off and let it work. It just kept bubbling and the steel wool keeps floating to the top. I read someplace that if you use apple cider you get a more silver color. I’m going to try both to see. I am trying to achieve a lighter barn-wood color. I am going to try it on pine, as that is the wood I have to work with. I’ll let you know my results. Thanks.

-- Sandy, Minnesota, www.rusticwoodworking.com