How to ebonize wood with steel wool and vinegar. How to turn wood black. Aging wood.
Ebonizing wood is really simple . Ebonizing wood is the effect of blackening a naturally lighter colored wood to apear more like black ebony wood.
Ebonized wood turns black, like ebony, while still allowing the wood grain to show through. #ebonizing #woodworking #ebonizingwood
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ITEMS USED IN THIS VIDEO
Homax 10120000 Steel Wool, 12 pad, Grade #0000, Rhodes American, Final Finish
Brand: Homax. amzn.to/3CnwpJk
AVO 1 Gallon (128 oz) Pure Natural Distilled White Vinegar - 5% Acidity (2 pack). amzn.to/42C3lZe
Speedball Super Black India Ink, 16-Ounce. amzn.to/3JbXbZ3
Пікірлер: 488
Thank you for not playing music during your videos! Subscribed.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the sub!
@martintheron1386
Жыл бұрын
Love your work. I subscribed.From sunny South Africa
Be strong gentlemen, stay focused.
@rolandzoske448
Жыл бұрын
It's really not that easy when you're not made of wood...
@LNVACVAC
Жыл бұрын
Yes
@dragbikedemon
Жыл бұрын
Amen
@thatnthis1042
Жыл бұрын
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...😅
@36index
Жыл бұрын
🤭🤣😂..... EXACTLY!
clicked on video and not disappointed, might as well start being fond of wood working
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Thank you for watching
Woodworking just got more enjoyable to watch.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
:)
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.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
I will have to try that
@NeoRichardBlake
Жыл бұрын
I was actually wondering if the tea would make a more noticeable difference on something like maple or poplar.
@BoB-Dobbs_leaning-left
Жыл бұрын
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.
@lazio7495
Жыл бұрын
Awesome video! 👍
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
@@lazio7495 thanks
I love this channel. Absolutely amazing tips! Gotta go work my wood now, but I'll be back for sure! 😉😉👍👍
@budm9982
6 ай бұрын
Yes, amazing tips!
This is fantastic and exactly what I was looking for for an upcoming project with red oak. Thanks!
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!
This is a great video for wood ebonizing and for wood hardening.
@jeffhildreth9244
3 ай бұрын
Hardening, not the facts.
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.
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
Жыл бұрын
Great tip!
@haliaeetus8221
Жыл бұрын
@@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?
@Bigtwinman
Жыл бұрын
@@haliaeetus8221 If I understand your question correctly I believe she covered that @ 14:33 in the video.
@haliaeetus8221
Жыл бұрын
@@Bigtwinman No, because you do not understand what impregnated wood means then, but thanks for the well meaning attempt.
@scpatl4now
7 ай бұрын
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.
Absolutely gorgeous. The wood final product is good-lookin as well!
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!
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Totally agree!
Great tips thanks. I was happily distracted as well 😛
Thank you. This is exactly what I was looking for. I just bought all of the materials from Lowes and started my first batch.
Great technique, I really like the simple homemade aspect of this solution and especially that there are no volatile chemicals involved.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Glad you like it!
Wonderful Tips. Thanks for showing us
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
My pleasure 😊
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.
@dismafuggerhere2753
Жыл бұрын
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 ?
@stefanfyhn4668
Жыл бұрын
@@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
@consciousconscience
9 ай бұрын
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?
I learned a little about ebonizing woods but it was a little difficult concentrating on the table area. Good information, thanks.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
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.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Thank you for watching. I never used spray lacquer. Can you recomand a good brand? I might try it
@woodrowsmith3400
Жыл бұрын
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.
Well they both looked fine from here. . .
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
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
:) Thank you. I figure nobody would be watching by that point of the video. But yes, very important
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,
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much. So glad you liked it
@dgperforms1
Жыл бұрын
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
@ChrisPBacon-vf2dz
Жыл бұрын
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 ?
Really cool effect. I was surprised at just how fast the reaction happens.
That,s beautiful!!! I’m going to start playing with that this weekend. Thanks so much for sharing! Great video.
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.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
11 ай бұрын
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. 👍
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
That sounds really cool. I used watercolor on wood before for coloring some burned designs
I love this information and the supplier does not hurt my eyes either.
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 :)
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Great tip! Will do and that makes total sense. Thank you
Great video, as a beginner woodworker, I find these types of videos fascinating and really helpful.👍👍👍
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
Mesmerizing.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching
Your bosom knowledge is beyond this world :) thanks.
Hi just like to say keep up the good work love watching you x
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Will do!
Nice tips!
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Glad you like them!
@herenow2895
Жыл бұрын
@@woodworkingwithSkyler - I like them too. They're great.
I have used this method to make black leather, however never thought of using it for wood.. Making some today.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Cool. Let me know how it went
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 have two good reasons to watch this show. 😂 keep up the good work.
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!!
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Awesome, thank you!
@lazygardens
Жыл бұрын
Bark tea alone will be a brownish color of the tannins You need the iron acetate to get black.
A couple of really great tips. Thank you x
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
You are so welcome!
Nice! I will try that for sure! Nice camera angles btw 😁
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Thanks! 😁
Not sure why this popped on my feed... But I watched it anyways
Black wood is my favorite!
Dr did a great job on the cans.
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.
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.
Beautiful microphone you have! I've watched it several times.
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
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.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Great suggestion!
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 KZread 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
Worth knowing the experiment of ebonizing...thankyou so much
Your videography is fantastic!
Like your technique and your info tks for sharing
i like the iron acetate the most.. looks very natural
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Me too
I have never seen this before. i love the natural grain showing through, and the MUCH lower price and its much easier to find than pieces of ebony.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Glad you like it!
Beautiful
Definitely going to try the wire wool and vinegar 👍
Really enjoy your videos! Keep up the good work.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Glad you like them!
Strong and beautiful lady, first video I see of her and loved it straight away
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Awww, thank you
I just realized I never saw what her face looked like. Thanks for the info.
@Spiritof_76
Жыл бұрын
You don't have to type what you are thinking.
@jerseycornboy
Жыл бұрын
@@Spiritof_76 Hey who gives a crap what you are thinking about my comment. Who are you her lover chick friend.
That is one happy Microphone!!
nice tips!
Very useful home technology and absolutely nicely presented. Thank you så much for sharing your skills.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
My pleasure!
GREEN! it was green wait what??
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 :)
Great information. Thanks
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
I am focused, strong, and pulsating.
Came because my wood needed ebonizing and was not disappointed.
I don't know what you said but I loved watching you talk and move about 💖💖
I missed every thing she said,have to watch again,and again.
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.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Awesome. Thanks for the tip
@fliving70
Жыл бұрын
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.
could park my bike in there !
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?
Well I learned something new today ty, I would love to see more of your face when your talking rather than watching the microphone and your hands.
Hey, any thoughts on how well this finish will hold up over time, especially with exposure to light?
Great idea! A cool application of this technique would be coloring guitar fretboards/creating guitar necks.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
That would be cool!
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..
WOW, just WOW!
Just WOW!
Great video I really enjoyed it thank you for the comparison between techniques
Men of culture....we join together again...I see, we all are interested in the type of microphone being used for the video.
Great explanations
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
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.
Cool, might be good for staining guitar fretboards!
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Yes, that’s a great idea
@rkgaustin9043
Жыл бұрын
Exactly why I'm here! I'm wondering if the color will come off on sweaty hands? Will it affect inlays?
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
@@rkgaustin9043 color doesn’t come off even when not sealed. But you should seal it. If no top coat is applied in time color changes to brown. Experiment first with scrap wood
@peterschmidt9942
Жыл бұрын
@@rkgaustin9043 Apparently the vinegar/steel wool is a tried an true ancient way of staining wood. And no leaching of tannins. One thing I'd like to try for myself.
@rkgaustin9043
Жыл бұрын
@@peterschmidt9942 I'd love to see your test results
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?
Very interesting method, I'll try it. Thanks.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
you are welcome
Neat! I watch a ton of woodworking videos, and this is the first I've heard of this!
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Great to hear!
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
Man, when she was holding that piece of wood, I lost it.
To give a distressed look I use black tea and apply that prior to the steel wool/vinagar..
Very informative video!! Thank you so much! Well done!
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
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.
Kids :-) Love your style. Make a lot more videos!
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Will do!
Nice bunch of wood👌
Got them heavies
Thanks for the tips! Excellent quality.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
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.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Awesome! Thanks so much for watching
Very nice. I am a cabinet maker, this may be useful sometime.
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Awesome. Give it a try
Thank You! I will be using the Iron Acetate on some Picture Ledges today. Will seal with Tung Oil
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Sounds great!
Thank for the information, nice to know the process ! 👍
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Any time!
@CRIS.V1891
Жыл бұрын
@@woodworkingwithSkyler 🙂🖐️
Just learned about this process, and good to see the difference between the 3. Thanks!
@woodworkingwithSkyler
Жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!