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ebonizing maple

Can anyone offer some help on the best method(s) for ebonizing maple? If you've actually done this, how deeply does the ebonizing method you used penetrate?

tia,

jc

Reply to
Joe
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You might dissolve some steel wool in vinegar and try on a piece of maple scrap.

Smitty

Reply to
papadoo1

I've gotten excellent results on several species of wood with black leather dye. Any shoe repair shop should be able to provide it.

Joel

Reply to
joeljcarver

" snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@d4g2000prg.googlegroups.com:

I don't think this will work on maple, I could be wrong though. There are two ways of creating an "ebonized" finish in woods like walnut and oak - chemical reaction and dye. By dissolving shreaded steel wool in white vinegar, wait until it dissolves, and "painting" this on the wood, a chemical reaction takes place between the iron and the tannin in the wood resulting in a dark purple, dark brown, or black color (actual color depends upon species of wood and its tannin content). The other way is to stain the wood with a dye. There are several things that a google search revealed, shoe polish, India ink, commercial stains, and what I use for small projects - a Marks-A-Lot permenent marker. You might even be able to use a fabric dye (Ritz) dissolved in alcohol. The best resules will be from a non-pigmented dye/stain (a liquid that has no solid particles - everything is dissolved). This will penetrate further into the wood that a stain that has pigment particles that will tend to be trapped on the surface of the wood.

So to specificly answer your question - I've used the steel wool/vinegar method on walnut and didn't think it was dark enough. It raised the grain but went deep enough that I could sand the fuzzies down with 320 and did not sand through the color. The marker worked best giving aa deep black color. Since the marker used alcohol it raised the grain much less, but I still sanded and did not go through the color. Sorry I don't have better recomendations for maple. Can you try what we've mentioned on scraps and report back to the list?

Reply to
Smaug Ichorfang

The ferrous acetate method works only on high-tannin content woods, as mentioned. Some have added tannin with tea baths and then the acetate. Works like nothing on hard maple.

Dye is the answer, and water-based my preference, so it gets a bit farther in before its ride evaporates. You can still see the grain through two coats, but it is black. Not 100-grit black, but two strokes of 320 deep maybe.

Reply to
George

Wed, Jan 16, 2008, 2:14am (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@valid.com (Joe) do5th query: Can anyone offer some help on the best method(s) for ebonizing maple?

Google. Eboize wood.

JOAT

10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President

- Bumper Sticker I don't have a problem with a woman president - just not Hillary.

Reply to
J T

You might dissolve some steel wool in vinegar and try on a piece of maple scrap.

Smitty

I think that only works on Oak.

Reply to
Leon

Steel wool + vinegar will often give you a black stain on maple or softwoods too. What you're seeing is black ferrous oxide, rather than the acetates or tannates. It's usable on indoor work (try it first), but has a risk of turning brown (ferric oxide / red rust) if it's kept wet.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

For pete's sake JOAT, is that the only friggin answer you give???? Usenet is a CONVERSATION! You must be a real delight around the water cooler. If everything all anyone wants is to google, the rec wouldn't be here. For someone who posts "just dags" as much as you do, a reasonable thinking person would wonder why you enable everyone's googling disability by making all your 'inspiration' posts. And before you even think it, I'm not saying I don't like those. To the contrary, I've found some useful stuff there. The point is that your constant dags answers in that context come off as being extremely hypocritical.

If you don't have a method THAT YOU'VE TRIED and like, keep your dags to yourself.

sheesh.

Reply to
Joe

Thanks Andy. This particular use doesn't stand much chance of getting wet. I'm going to try it and some other suggestions as well.

jc

Reply to
Joe

I've used black transtint dye (with water or alcohol, i forget which) on an oak speaker stand, and got outstanding results. Very black--but I don't know how deep the dye went. I finished it with Deft from a spray can.

Reply to
eag111

I've used black transtint dye (with water or alcohol, i forget which) on an oak speaker stand, and got outstanding results. Very black--but I don't know how deep the dye went. I finished it with Deft from a spray can.

Thanks eag,

Depth of penetration is going to be a concern in this app. Oddly, I'm looking for less penetration. Tough to explain, but I'll post pics of the project when completed. I think I have a lot of experimentation to do.

jc

Reply to
Joe

Can you try what we've mentioned on scraps and report back to the list?

You can bet on it ;-)

jc

Reply to
Joe

George,

Since I'm going for less penetration, would alcohol based dye be better in your opinion?

jc

Reply to
Joe

Wed, Jan 16, 2008, 5:42pm (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@valid.com (Joe) did posteth converzation instructions thusly: For pete's sake JOAT, is that the only friggin answer you give???? Usenet is a CONVERSATION! If you don't have a method THAT YOU'VE TRIED and like, keep your dags to yourself.

You saning google doesn't work any more?: It worked awhile ago.

OK, ink. Happy Sunshine? Now, where's you'res?

JOAT

10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President

- Bumper Sticker I don't have a problem with a woman president - just not Hillary.

Reply to
J T

I have used water soluble anilyne dyes on soft maple several times and think it's excellent. I first wet the wood, let dry, then sand with 220 before I apply the dye. Sanding the raised grain before applying the dye lets you sand less aggressively after you've dyed the wood. I apply oil/varnish/terps or shellac as a top coat and it seems to hold up well.

Rick

Reply to
Rick

I've used India Ink on ash and maple, but have no idea how deeply it penetrates. It is _black_, though. I buy it in the pen aisle at Staples.

All inks are not created equal, so try the one you buy on scrap.

Reply to
B A R R Y

Makes sense. The alcohol would evaporate faster. I've found alcohol dyes to be fairly shallow, though better than pigment stains.

It's a push/pull if you don't do a fuzz set and sand prior to application, because you'll have to defuzz, taking off the shallow color. I still like two coats.

Reply to
George

"J T" tried to type, but failed....He also tried to address the points made, but failed at that too.

Reply to
Joe

Wed, Jan 16, 2008, 10:31pm (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@valid.com (Joe) doth mumble: "J T" tried to type, but failed....He also tried to address the points made, but failed at that too.

You mean google still works? Oh, I'm so confused. LMAO The point as I understood it was something that would ebonize maple, right? Which appeared to be that you didn't want to google. OK, I already replied ink. If you like that sort of thing, a lot of people swear by that method. Of course, you do have to use black ink, not blue, or red, or green, or purple, or whatever. What's not to the point on that? I guees you want an ebonized dog.

JOAT

10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President

- Bumper Sticker I don't have a problem with a woman president - just not Hillary.

Reply to
J T

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