Tannin

[joeljcarver]

Where is a source of inexpensive tannin? All I have found so far is pricey, reagent or lab grade stuff. I've seen what look like 1 pounds plastics bags in a crafts video so I know it's available somewhere.

Thanks.

Joel Jacobson

[Tom B]

Are you talking about Tannin as in "Tea Tannins" or Tannic Acid (used to tan animal hides)? They sound the same but aren't.

What use do you plan to make of it?

Regards.

Tom

[joeljcarver]

I'm planning to experiment with ebonizing wood with a low tannin content. I'll brush on a tannin solution, let it set and then use an iron salt like iron sulfate or iron acetate. It's essentially the same effect as when my pipe clamps contact red oak after gluing. Usually tannic is an ester of tannic acid, but either the acid or the ester will work.

I think I could probably use a concentrated tea solution, but I'm hoping for something more elegant.0

Joel

[Woodie]

My gym advertises that they have three tannin beds. Perhaps you could get some scrapin's or juice from them?

[joeljcarver]

Thanks, but no thanks. I don't want scrapin's or juice from anybody's bed - no matter what it would do to wood.

In the meantime, save your gym fees and soak in a tub of hot tea, swab on some iron salts, dry off, and rub down with linseed oil. Your friends will be impressed by your finish.

Joel

[Woodie]

I blotch easily... perhaps a gel stain followed by a wipe on poly.

[Tom B]

Joel:

OK - sorry for the tone of my question 'cause it's apparent you know what you're about.

Short of ordering out some tannic acid from a reagent supply house ($$$), my best thought is to boil then soak some oak sawdust/shavings or even crushed white or water oak acorns in water for a week or two (better 2). Decant or strain the liquid, and boil it down to 10% of volume. That's what I've use to tan hides, old recipe from the Foxfire books and it seems to work for that purpose. It'll be stronger than tea anyway.

It may be that if you DAGS on tanning supplies/tanning leather you'll find a hobby/crafts outfit that can supply tannic acid of one of its close relatives. I've never bothered to search.

If you can get enough tannin in the wood, you might want to try fuming with ammonia as well. Of course that means searching out a source for

1 molar (or stronger) NH4OH. Depending on the underlying wood you may get something that's close to ebonzing, maybe not. Most folks in this NG suggest old fashoined Indai ink for ebonizing as it seems to give the clearest black.

Let us I know how it turns out. As an ex-CHE I'm always interested in new experimental results.

Regards.

Tom