# Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar



## Allison (Dec 31, 2007)

*Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*

A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!

The article I have the link to above says this

The ebonizing solution is made with two common products: vinegar and steel wool. A plastic jar with a plastic lid is best to use because the lid won't rust.

To make ebonizing solution put a coarse steel wool pad in the jar and pour in enough vinegar to cover it, loosely screw the lid on the jar. If the pad is not totally submersed rust will quickly form on the portion exposed to air. After about twenty-four hours pour the vinegar in another jar. Don't squeeze the vinegar out of the pad or you may get bits of metal in the liquid, which will rust, then just brush the solution on the contoured project pieces you want ebonized.

A couple of days ago I ran into another article about how to do this , and I decided to give it another try. Come to find out the reason it did not work for me the first time was the steel wool I was trying to use was some generic crap that wasn't completely steel wool. At the time I never really checked nor did I know that you can even buy steel wool that is not real steel wool. LOL!!!

The article I followed starting day before yesterday was slightly different. First of all it said to use nothing but a glass jar. Place your steel wool in it. Then cover with vinegar. (Again making sure that you do indeed completely cover the steel wool with the vinegar.) Then place your lid on it and make sure it is tight. (Not loose like the first article) and to keep it in there for 48 hours.After the 48 hours strain the liquid a couple of times thru a coffee filter and then apply.

Following is what I did this morning messing around and I was so impressed.

Above is a piece of 1/4 inch Birch plywood. This is with the first coat. I painted it on the wood with a brush for blush make-up.

(Sometimes a girls just gotto do what a girls gotto do) as this was all I had! LOL.

The dark side on the left is a second coat. the middle is what the wood looked like before I put this solution on . The right side is the same wood but the other side with just one coat.

Same piece just upside down. Now with 3 coats on the darker side and 2 on the other side.

Well now I am having too much fun. I love the way this is looking , so I gather up some funky odds and ends just to see what would happen.

On the left 1/2 inch toungue and groove pine from a drawer.The middle apiece of pine originally brought home for our wood stove.It is laying on corkboard flooring. And to the right is a 1 inch piece of Douglas Fir, that I only did half of.

This is a piece of the redwood that we just used to make our deck on our house. It has a couple of coats put on it.

I am truly thrilled that I gave this another try.(And used the right steel wool) LOL!

I have so many patterns where I need dark/black wood that I have not done. I now feel as if I can. All this was done today in a hurry.I was so excited by the outcome. I feel confident that I can ebonize wood for my intarsia pieces, yet I won't feel as if I used paint. When I used the whole jar up of the stuff I made I came in here to write this. In doing so, I had forgotton about reading about how this can be deluted with water if you prefer a lighter dark.Of course I would not recommend doing this on a nice piece of furniture for color, but I think it is going to be perfect for my scroll work , and intarsia!


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## DennisLeeZongker (Jul 25, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


Excellent Blog!!! Thanks for the information.


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## CaptainSkully (Aug 28, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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


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## bbqking (Mar 16, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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


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## croessler (Jun 22, 2007)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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.


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## marcb (May 5, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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.


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## trifern (Feb 1, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


*Allison* Also make sure you use REAL vinegar, and not vinegar-free vinegar ) 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.


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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


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## JohnGray (Oct 6, 2007)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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


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## Allison (Dec 31, 2007)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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!!!


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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.


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## woodworkersguide (Mar 7, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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!


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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


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## oldskoolmodder (Apr 28, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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.


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## Sawdust2 (Mar 18, 2007)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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


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## Radish (Apr 11, 2007)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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…


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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!


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## Allison (Dec 31, 2007)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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!!!


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## boboswin (May 23, 2007)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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


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## NY_Rocking_Chairs (Jul 20, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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


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## Allison (Dec 31, 2007)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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!!!


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## griffith (Apr 29, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


Thanks for sorting this all out ;-))


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## JeffreyFrance (Jun 22, 2009)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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?


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## richdesign (Aug 9, 2009)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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


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## SandyK (Dec 12, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


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.


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## gunnieyehoshua (Sep 11, 2010)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


if strong tea works as a tannin solution, what about red wine?


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


Alison said 
I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
Wow sounds like some cheap wine from England LOLAlistair


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## triw (Jan 30, 2012)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


I use vinger to remove scale from Iron pieces I have forged (I am a hobby blacksmith). I have a plastic bin with a lid that will hold most of my knives and other oblects. After a while the vinger turns *BLACK* and I have soaked oak in this and it turns black the only problem is it only penatrates about 1/32 of an inch after 3 days well it also smells for a while as it drys. But the wood looks beatiful.


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## awoodnut (Sep 25, 2009)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


Made up some of the vinegar and steel wool. Tried with some fine steel wool I had laying around and nothing. Got some course steel wool and worked. In about a day and a half I strained it out and tried it.

Tried on maple, Pine and some walnut. The pine just turned a litte and looked almost blue. The maple took a little color but transparent and not near ebony. The walnut which I dried in my basement turned dark black. Not shure if the fact that it was home dried and not in a commercial dryer had anything to do with it.

After a couple days the mixture is turning a brown color. I think I didn't strain very well and it has rust in it but not shur.

I will just use the walnut for the project I had in mind as it turns a nice dark black with the vinegar mix. I am going to get some india ink and try that on the maple and see what it does. I had tried some ebony stain prior to this and it didn't get very dark at all.

Thanks for the idea Allison.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


I just use indelible ink to ebonize


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


If you want to have consistent results and ebonize any wood you want you need to add a chemical on the same family of that as tannic acid. I use cathecol simply because it is what I had when I used to do platinum printing. You can use pyro, etc.

Make a solution of vinegar/iron, and make another solution of cathecol, about one tea spoon per pint works fine. brush the cathecol first and then the iron solution. You will a piece of wood that is as dark as night. It even works on pine, it is what I used to make a small table.


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## awoodnut (Sep 25, 2009)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


Jorge this sound interesting. I searched cathecol and came up with catechol which sounds like it is what you are talking about.

Where do you get this in small quantities?

Jim I am going to try ink. I need to get to town and get some, probably micheals I am thinking.


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


Sorry for the misspell…. yeah it is catechol. You can also use pyrogallic acid. I believe both are still sold by the photographers formulary or Artcraft Chemicals. Of course nothing stops you from buying Tannic acid, sold by artcraft.

Here are the links

Photgraphers formulary

Artcraft Chemicals

You can search the sites for pyrogallic acid as well.


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## Jenine (Sep 6, 2013)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


Allison, nice work. For anyone reading this thread, I second the comment to add tannins, I use 10x strong black tea or coffee to do this, I let that dry for a while and add a second or third coat if i want it super dark. Then I brush on the steel wool vinegar solution. If you top that with polyurethane it goes from really dark to almost black. I had a piece of wood turn the same color as a board of wenge I had in the shop. Another fun trick is to use milk paint as "stain". It won't look like stain or natural colored wood, but if you mix the milk paint thin amd paint it on, it dries fast and you have a beautiful matte finish through which you can see the wood grain clearly, like stain. Very fun to mix colors from the powdered paint and experiment with tinting the wood.


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## Eddie_T (Sep 23, 2012)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


I needed to lightlly stain the sawn edges of some barn wood to match the weathered face, white vinegar and nails did the trick. I think I read the tip in FWW as it was the only woodworking magazine I was reading at the time.

I saw some walnut that appeared ebonized by accident. It was still wet so I don't know how it looked in the finished product. A dulcimer maker was soaking black walnut strips for dulcimer sides in the same water chairmakers were soaking white oak splints for chair bottoms. The tannin in the oak did a neat change in the walnut.


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## pjones46 (Mar 1, 2011)

Allison said:


> *Ebonizing; Steel Wool and Vinegar*
> 
> A few months ago I had read an article about ebonizing wood with steel wool and vinegar. Awhile back I tried this and absolutely nothing happened. I never even tried again. Ebonizing is a stain of sorts I guess. I also have heard there are several ways of doing this. The reason the original article caught my eye was because I sure as hell don't have the money to buy Ebony (wood), and I am forever wanting or needing dark/black wood for my projects and I do not like to use paint, to the point of not making something I want to make if I need paint. (This is just a personal preference). Stain in itself can be quite expensive at times. However I just so happen to always have steel wool around especially the 0000 kind, as I use it as my last sweep of sanding. I also am one of those thrifty homemakers that likes to make a lot of her own cleaning supplies, and almost all have vinegar as an ingrediant. Even in my town, I can still buy a big gallon jug of vinegar with 2 bucks and leave the store with change!
> 
> ...


Chemical ebonizing is not just viniger and steel wool. Read this article Chemical Ebonizing
﻿A sure-fire recipe for turning any wood deep black.

Brush on the tannic acid solution and let it dry first.


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