Get the Black on

Bill McQueen

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Lincoln AR
I want to ebonize (Blacking) some wood for some small boxes I'm making. What is the best wood for this and what kind of dye, powder, liquid, vinegar and steel wool? :dunno:

If vinegar and steel wool, how is a batch made.
Do you seal the wood first or let it soak in. (the latter seems to make more sense)
What finish can be applied over it.
Is drying time an issue.
I tried some RITE cloth dye on a piece of veneer without success.

I want a fairly smooth finish so I'm not going to use much oak.

Thanks
 
okay you wanna use cherry wood then you want to use number 2 steel wool steel wool and vinegar for 24 hours, then remove the steel wool . brush vinegar on the cherry cherry will turn black within an hour. now if you wanna get really black , without sealing the wood I will take black die mixed with a little lacquer sealer lacquer thinner, brush the black on , let it dry , then seal and finish .
 
I tested the Vineger and steel wool on various wood and found that cherry, walnut and sapele all worked equally well. I keep a container of the brew around so I have it ready at all times. I just took a quart of the vineger and shreaded a steel wool pad #2 like dave said and let it sit a few days. The steel wool will disolve and you will have a brownish colored mixture left over. I find it best if possible to just place the piece to be blackened into the mixture for a few hours.
 
My preference is TransTint liquid dye. You can use it on pretty much any wood you want, and you can control the "blackness" by how much (or how little) you dilute the dye concentrate. If you dilute it with denatured alcohol, you will have minimal grain raised as compared to water-based dyes like Rit.
 
Thanks guys, so if I understand you right you take a #2 steel wool pad (I guess just one) and add it to about a quart of vinegar

What kind of vinegar, white, apple etc?

What kind of shelf life does it have?

Any reason why #2 steel wool instead of #00 or something. (I know I'm getting picky now)

So again vinegar; type please.

I'm going to try the Trans dye too. Boy you have to shop around. I found some price differences.

Thanks again
 
you wanna use white vinegar im you can use double ot steel wool , the problem with the double ot steel wool is it breaks up a lot easier than the oo. I like to keep the excess particles down. vinegar acid changes the chemical makeup of the woods so when the dyes begin to break down the darker under tone holds true keeps the fading to a minimum k
now 1 of the problems I have wood dyes is that they will bleach out over time, that is the main reason I like to use the vinegar acid wash before I apply and dye.
 
Dave, have you had any problems with fading when using metal acid dyes like TransTint? Modern metal acid dyes are supposed to be very lightfast.
 
Vaughn I have noticed that over the past 35 years that dye's will fade in direct sun light. The purpose for acid etching the wood 1st is to give the wood a deeper darker richer look.
 
Here's a picture of a walnut spline I ebonized using the steel wool vinegar method on a piece of walnut.
 

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Vaughn I have noticed that over the past 35 years that dye's will fade in direct sun light. The purpose for acid etching the wood 1st is to give the wood a deeper darker richer look.

Dave, I'm not talking about etching the wood before dying it. I'm talking about acid dyes. (Sometimes called acid metal dyes, or acid metal complex dyes.) I'm not sure they were making them 35 years ago. Not all dyes are alike, and acid metal dyes are said to have the best lightfastness of all the ones on the market these days.
 
Dave, I'm not talking about etching the wood before dying it. I'm talking about acid dyes. (Sometimes called acid metal dyes, or acid metal complex dyes.) I'm not sure they were making them 35 years ago. Not all dyes are alike, and acid metal dyes are said to have the best lightfastness of all the ones on the market these days.

From your sorce Vaughn; In the laboratory, the home or art studio, the acid used in the dyebath is often {vinegar} (acetic acid) or citric acid.

I would not use any citris products, just to left coast for me. LOL
 
I've used the dissolved steel wool in vinegar method, but I alternate with a wash of powdered tannin dissolved in water. It intensifies the black color significantly.
 
Thanks Vaughn for keeping up with this. Now I know what your talking about. Their nice to work with but you need to use them on 1st application after the sanding is done if your going stright dye color diluted a bit. Then what you do is apply a glaze coat of color over them mixed with a sealer or just seal and finish. Adding a color glaze or color tone over these give you a beautiful deep rich look. So far I have not had any call for this.
Working with old stuff their is not much call for flashy colors. :)
I like to call this the Rembrandt look. Adding malty color tones over a base hot base tone you can get some really cool light refractions. I played with similar colors when painting with acrylics or oils.

You got me thinking , I may have to order some , they have them at the local suppler shop down the street, and make up some samples.
 
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Dave, I've done a few turned pieces with "layered" colors...I really like the effect. :thumb:

But back to the original question in this post, the black TransTint liquid dye is the most lightfast black dye I know of for ebonizing wood.
 
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