Interesting wood finish

[Brasilikilt]

Hey all

As some of you may know from my posts, I work at a hardwood store. While helping a customer today he told me about "ebonizing" some maple.
I asked him about it, and he says the process is simple. Take some vinegar and drop some rusty steel wool into it and let it sit for about a month.
You then strain the steel particles out and apply it to wood. He says that it turns the wood a lovely jet black color, but doesn't always penetrate between the grains which often results in a very pleasing effect.
If you do want it to penetrate all the grains, just add ordinary dish soap to the mix and it will color evenly.

He did also say that this process may take a few days or even a week to darken entirely.

I am seriously considering refinishing my Brown Bess stock and staining it very dark, but probably not THAT dark

This recipe sounds very old and I figured some of you may want to try it out

take care

Iain

 

[Vairochana]

I would love to see how it turns out

 

[renovato]

I'd like to see how it turns out also. I've been eagerly following all the vinegar stain threads and experimenting here and there. The more knowledge the better!

 

[dlpowell]

I have some vinegar and nails soaking since last July. No projects for it yet.

 

[boar]

Mine has old barb wire. I used it on some hawk handles, did good job. Have two stocks to do this winter. Amish blacksmith said rusty barb wire was good because of the carbon content. Dilly

 

[AeroncaTAL]

From what I have read, vinegar stain is indeed an old technique. Apple vinegar apparently is the best to use...
Scott

 

What he was talking about is a mild form of Aqua Fortis, using the acid in the vinegar as the catalist to make ferric nitrate or cloride. color, and darkness will vary with strength of acid, and type of iron used. True A/F is nitric acid with iron. After the solution is applied, and dry, you apply heat to activate the color. Sometimes it takes many coats to get it that dark. The type of wood stained will also affect the color.
Bill

 

[MikeFromON]

I learned about vinegar/iron stain from this website and have used it to good effect on some doors and furniture I have built (including a case for my flintlock). I think what happens is that the acetic acid in the vinegar reacts with the iron and creates iron acetate, and that is what gives the colour. Vinegar/iron stains softwoods brown and turns oak jet black. I haven't tried it on maple yet. If you want a darker, more chocolatey brown on softwoods, you can first brush them with strong tea, let that soak in, then brush with stain. Like a lot of stains, the project looks pretty dull and crappy until you apply some wax or polish, then the colour gets much deeper and richer and the grain really comes out. I have a quart jar of vinegar with some fragments of steel banding sitting in it and as I use it up, I just put in more vinegar.

 

[Marko10thivi]

"Magic Maple" Brand stain is an Aquafortis type stain. If you use it full strength (Instructions say to cut it 50%) and use a heat gun on the wood it will turn REAL dark, almost a burned look. I used it on some maple table tops, it penetrated too good, and I wound up taking it to a wood shop and having it drum sanded! It is a VERY authentic stain. If you experiment with the dilution some very pleasing colors are possible, especially when chemically combined with the mineral content in the wood depending on where it was grown. The advantages of this type of stain is that it really differentiates the grain patterns.Its a formulation of what they were/are using at Colonial Williamsburg.
You can get it through the better muzzleloading builders supply catalogs.

 

[bioprof]

Marko,

My understanding is that "Magic Maple" is NOT aqua fortis. It is chromium trioxide, which frequently turns wood green after about 10 years. Some have used it with good results by using it in combination with potassium permanganate, but others have sworn off it after disasterous results.

 

[bob1961]

fer some new members that didn't see the results of my vinegar stains here's some pictures of my stock samples pieces grade 4 maple....8 coats of apple cider vinegar stain and 8 coats of boiled linseed oil....

1. brass
2. engine bolts
3. wire fence 3/32"
4. nails
5. unkown iron
6. cut nails
7. cast iron pipe
8. metal banding

squares of an old t shirt held on by rubber bands to let the build up of gases from the acid eating the metal to escape....or ya could have a small bursting problem with yer jars if they are glass....make sure the metal is rusted before ya put it in the jars..............bob

 

[Norskie]

I've ebonized maple by treating it with aquafortis followed by concentrated black walnut dye.