Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mad Dog Madda on November 1, 2009 at 7:11am

Just white vinegar and water...the longer it sits the darker it will be. I used red wine vinegar 'cause the missus was out of regular white vineger

Wes Yates said:

MDM,

Do you have a recipe? Is there any "trick" involved?

-Wes

Mad Dog Madda said:

Awhile back someone posted about using vinegar with a steel wool pad left to soak in it. He called it ebonising. I tried it and am happy with the results. It will be darker if you use the steel wool to rub in the mixture and it takes a little while for the wood to darken up. This fretboard is oak.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Doug on November 1, 2009 at 7:49am

Will the vinegar/steelwool mixture keep or do you make new each time?

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Permalink Reply by Mad Dog Madda on November 1, 2009 at 9:39am

OOPS...white vinegar and steel wool ... not water. It will keep. My mixture is about 3 weeks old and is much darker than when I first mixed it up.

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on November 1, 2009 at 9:51am

:-P

Proportions my good man: Qty of water per steel wool.

-Wes

Mortimer Snerd said:

You need a recipe for two ingredients?
Wes Yates said:

Mort,

Post your recipe :-)

-Wes

Mortimer Snerd said:

Steel wool and water in a jar, let the wool rust way, this makes an Iron stain, and has been used in woodworking in the past long ago.

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Permalink Reply by JUJU on November 1, 2009 at 12:15pm

Hi
as regards to the vinigar and steel mix it works superb on Oak and some other woods - on Oak it's true it turns it jet Black in minutes as long as the mix is strong enough

heres how i make mine - use 500Ml Malt vinigar and one good handfull of steel nails (clean not rusty) put them in a jar with a lid on but leave the lid slightly undone so the mixture can breath - give it a stir every days for four or five days then it's good to use the longer you leave it the better it gets

as always try it on some scrap wood before using on your build

i used this mix on both the plank guitars - on sycamore it turns it a silver grey which is a fantastic base for adding a waulnut over stain followed Danish oil - the oak necks on the Plank guitars went jet black then i rubbed it back with some 240 grit to highlight the areas that would wear by constant use

hope this helps

juju.

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Permalink Reply by tinman on November 1, 2009 at 3:56pm

Plug of tobacco soaked in a jar of ammonia. The longer you let it set before use the darker it gets.

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Permalink Reply by Al Allen (Hangten) on November 1, 2009 at 6:43pm

Gang,

Wow, what a good turnout on the replies. Guess I'm not the only one interested in the "messy" stuff! I got a real good bit of info from some Civil War re-enactors about Potassium Permanganate(poison) and water mixed. It produces a purple liquid that turns very lovely dark color on woods?? I haven't tried it yet but I did get some PP and I will give it a whirl soon. You folks are great, keep my imagination stoked.

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on November 2, 2009 at 12:46am

Guys, I started a discussion on Secrets of the CBG Underground. If you can, repost your techniques there. This stuff is gold. Thanks.

-Wes

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Permalink Reply by Carl Peters on November 2, 2009 at 6:14pm

I left a paper sack full of fresh fallen black walnuts, husks and all, in the back of my pickup. After a couple of good rains, the back of my pickup was awash in the best walnut stain I ever found. I've been meaning to experiment more with this natural stain, but I have moved away from [and out from under] the source.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Doug on November 6, 2009 at 2:55pm

Ok, I put a wad of steelwool in a jar of vinegar when this discussion started and NOTHING has happened! Are you guys laughing at me, like maybe a snipe hunt(who know what thet is?).... What gives?

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Permalink Reply by Mad Dog Madda on November 6, 2009 at 3:19pm

Try some on a piece of scrap. My mix looked clear the first time I used it but it did work. It takes a little while for the wood to turn....I don't know what else to tell ya. Did you stir it up good?

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on November 6, 2009 at 3:32pm

Guys, here is a great discussion on this in the American Association of Woodturners on this:

Here

Mad Dog Madda said:

Try some on a piece of scrap. My mix looked clear the first time I used it but it did work. It takes a little while for the wood to turn....I don't know what else to tell ya. Did you stir it up good?

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