How to Ebonize?

[Jeff Moffett]

Many of you post pieces with beautiful black finials that you say have been "ebonized". I'm assuming that means you did not use ebony wood, but darkened another species somehow. I've also seen mention of India Ink as the source of that darkening. Questions: Is India Ink the best product to use to ebonize a piece of wood? What are the best species of wood to use for ebonizing? How and when is the ink applied? Thanks for your insight.

[Robert McGowen]

Hey, somebody in the know please answer his questions! I would like to find out also. :D

[Mark Cothren]

I use India ink, but that doesn't mean it is the best way to do it. All I know is that it works good for me.

I have had good luck on Cherry... I have also used it on Walnut, Holly, and Poplar. I haven't tried it on any wood yet that I wasn't satisfied with it.

I apply a coat after I'm done sanding. Oh yeah... WEAR RUBBER GLOVES! It only takes a minute or three for a coat to dry, then wipe down lightly with steel wool, and repeat another time or two until you have it consistent.

This process was described to me by some others and it has worked well for me.

[Jeff Moffett]

Thanks, Mark! That helps a lot.

[Lee DeRaud]

My local Rockler has been stocking something they label as "Peruvian walnut"...I have no clue what the scientific name is or if it's known by another name elsewhere.

But it's much darker (and less porous) than regular walnut and any kind of oil finish (or CA like I use) turns it almost black. The fact that it turns well and isn't particularly expensive is a bonus. :D

[Marvin Hasenak]

Here is a link to ebonizing walnut http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=31044 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=31044) I have used it on game calls with good success. This is the link to making the rust stain http://www.joewoodworker.com/ruststain.htm (http://www.joewoodworker.com/ruststain.htm) It does raise the grain of the wood, and to get a good black I use black walnut and do the stain at least twice with a sanding in between the application of the rust stain.

[Jonathon Spafford]

Here is a link to ebonizing walnut http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=31044 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=31044) I have used it on game calls with good success. This is the link to making the rust stain http://www.joewoodworker.com/ruststain.htm (http://www.joewoodworker.com/ruststain.htm) It does raise the grain of the wood, and to get a good black I use black walnut and do the stain at least twice with a sanding in between the application of the rust stain.

I use the rust mixture and it works great... the darker the wood the quicker it will turn black, hence the reason walnut is commonly used! Note though, that the mixture is clear, NOT black... some people expect the mixture to turn black, but the deal is that it is a chemical reaction with the tannins in the wood that create the black color, not a coloring from the vinegar/steel wool mixture.

I've also tried black shoe dye and black shoe polish with good results... and as was said, india ink is a common ebonizer!

[Chris Barton]

Transtint make a true black dye that I use but, I have done like Mark and Johnathon and used black ink in the past. I quit using India ink because of the amount of blue pigments in most.

[Greg Savage]

OK.....I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.....I been known to build a few custom guitars. Those beautiful jet black ebony fretboards are not always perfectly black and uniform.....These fret boards are usually dyed with with a leather dye.....Fiebing's Profesional Oil dye. Easy to apply and dries fast. Major guitar manufacturers have used this stuff for years. Apply to..... say.... pear wood and you can't tell the difference between the pear and actual ebony. Good stuff.

Available from most leathercraft suppliers or Fiebing's direct.

[Robert McGowen]

OK.....I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.....I been known to build a few custom guitars. Those beautiful jet black ebony fretboards are not always perfectly black and uniform.....These fret boards are usually dyed with with a leather dye.....Fiebing's Profesional Oil dye. Easy to apply and dries fast. Major guitar manufacturers have used this stuff for years. Apply to..... say.... pear wood and you can't tell the difference between the pear and actual ebony. Good stuff.

Available from most leathercraft suppliers or Fiebing's direct.

I am going to try Greg's suggestion. Paid $5.50 for a four ounce bottle at Tandy Leather Shop. I will give an update on results when available.

[Bill Wyko]

The other night I was gluing up some segments and had set them on a cast table extension I had laying aroung and when I lifted them up the glue had turned jet black. I suppose that is the same reaction you would get with Iron/water combo. Too bad Black Ebony is 95bucks a bd ft.

[Dick Strauss]

Take this for what it cost you....nada!

I had an older inkjet refill kit that I no longer needed so I tried using pigment based inkjet refills as a wood colorant. I was pretty impressed with my results. The needle delivery systems make it easy to change the colors of small details like rims, etc. The ink dries very quickly and doesn't raise the grain as much as some other products might.

FYI-The pigment based colors are supposed to be lightfast for dozens of years. The same can't be said for most dye based colorants often used in inkjet printers.

Dick

[Phil Powell]

Take a 0000 steel wool pad and shred it into a plastic peanut butter
jar containing white vinegar. Let the solution set for a few days and
use it to darken your turnings. Dark wood goes black!