Best way to ebonize wood, and best wood to ebonize?

[Jon Rista]

I've had a project in mind for a while: To turn a bowl (or bowls, rather) that have a black exterior, but their natural color on the interior. I've encountered a few pieces like this, always loved them. One approach, that I figure I'll try at some point but just not yet, is to burn the outside, and that is interesting, but not quite what I'm looking for.

I know that some woods, those containing tannins, can be ebonized in various ways by causing those tannins to blacken. I've done some research on this, and noted that ebonizing with certain solutions on tannin-containing woods, is not really going to give you a "true black" look like the charcoalizing approach does, nor a black that rivals say African Blackwood. I am really looking for a true black. I suspect that dyes may work here, although I am not sure what the best dye might be. Perhaps ink...I thought I came across someone talking in a video about using an ink to ebonize, however for the life of me I cannot find it again.

I'm curious what approach works best, to ebonize to a nice, solid, complete black, and which woods handle it best. I figure, if dye or ink is involved, the wood does not necessarily need to contain any tannins, but I figure some woods are probably better than others to soak up the right amount of dye/ink for the best results. Also curious about application technique, whether any kind of sealing first might be useful, etc.

Thanks!

 

[Bill Alston]

The best I’ve found so far for a good solid black on almost any wood is Spirit Stain. Over here in the UK I use Chestnut.

Spirit Stain Wood Colours | Chestnut Products - First for Finishes

A set of quick drying, fade resistant stains in a range of wood colours.

chestnutproducts.co.uk

 

[Dave Landers]

I use India ink - usually on things like finials and goblet stems. You can check my stuff in the gallery - some (not all) of the rockets and goblets have maple parts dyed with India ink (others are African Blackwood). I get a pretty good deep black.

I think the challenge you're going to face with a bowl exterior when using dye or ink (anything liquid-y of any color) is bleed-thru. Depend on the porosity of the wood (or if there's micro-cracks etc), you might get black bleeding thru to the inside. Also around the rim (re-cutting the rim after dying could help). So testing on similarly-thick pieces of side- and end-grain of the same wood is probably called for.

I've had varied results with the iron acetate (vinegar & steel wool). Sometimes I'd get a great deep black, sometimes just blah grey (even with the same solution on a different piece from the same tree). So I don't bother with that anymore.

Seems like to me you'd get the best results with something thicker. Someone is surely going to suggest shoe polish, but I have no experience with that. Paint seems like the safest bet to get the color and maintain control over where it goes.

 

[Dave Landers]

FWIW these two pieces were painted. Flat black enamel, "buffer coat" of fixitif, routed the grooves, then airbrushed lacquer.

 

[Jaramiah Severns]

I like the look of cherry that’s been ebonized with iron acetate (steel wool dissolved in white vinegar). The trick is to apply a coat of black tea to boost the tannins just before you apply the iron acetate.

Here’s a bowl I did a while back that used that technique on the exterior.

 

[Jon Rista]

I use India ink - usually on things like finials and goblet stems. You can check my stuff in the gallery - some (not all) of the rockets and goblets have maple parts dyed with India ink (others are African Blackwood). I get a pretty good deep black.

I think the challenge you're going to face with a bowl exterior when using dye or ink (anything liquid-y of any color) is bleed-thru. Depend on the porosity of the wood (or if there's micro-cracks etc), you might get black bleeding thru to the inside. Also around the rim (re-cutting the rim after dying could help). So testing on similarly-thick pieces of side- and end-grain of the same wood is probably called for.

I've had varied results with the iron acetate (vinegar & steel wool). Sometimes I'd get a great deep black, sometimes just blah grey (even with the same solution on a different piece from the same tree). So I don't bother with that anymore.

Seems like to me you'd get the best results with something thicker. Someone is surely going to suggest shoe polish, but I have no experience with that. Paint seems like the safest bet to get the color and maintain control over where it goes.

India Ink! That is what the video was about. Your results look excellent, just what I was looking for.

Good point about bleed through. That's why I asked about sealing... I guess it would depend on the wood and grain orientation. If I do bowls, I wonder if it might be better to do end grain bowls rather than the classic bowl grain orientation to try and prevent that.

The more common forms of ebonizing (iron acetate, is that where you steep steel wool in a solution for a while?) do seem to be hit or miss as far as how dark you get, which is why I posted the thread. I guess it probably depends on the amount of tannins in any given piece of wood, even if its known to have high tannins (i.e. oak). I like the look of the india ink, though. Will give it a try.

 

[Jon Rista]

I like the look of cherry that’s been ebonized with iron acetate (steel wool dissolved in white vinegar). The trick is to apply a coat of black tea to boost the tannins just before you apply the iron acetate.

Here’s a bowl I did a while back that used that technique on the exterior. View attachment 85605

Beautiful. Simple, yet the contrast really does something for it! I had read about using black tea as an initial conditioner. How has your experience been with bleedthrough? Do you do anything to prevent that?

 

[Jaramiah Severns]

With any penetrative finish there will be a little bit of capillary bleed, but when I use this technique I always finish the outside (sanding and ebonizing) before I hollow the interior. That approach leaves a pretty crisp transition at the rim IME.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

Here's a backwards colored from what you wanted. I did it because I was tired of trying to get the inside smooth. (hides a lot) There's a lot of bug activity visible. I'm calling it "rustic"

Dick Blick India ink.

 

[Dean Center]

The best woods for ebonizing, IMHO, are oak and walnut. Cherry will turn, but results in more of a dark gray. At our recent club meeting, where the demo was Ebonizing, the presenter used tannic acid from a wine making supply store, and any wood we tried got very black. I've used wet tea bags for the same purpose, but the wine-making tannic acid produced a very uniform and deep black.

One other choice to consider is Fiebings USMC leather dye. It's a potential disaster if you spill, but it also produces a uniform and dense black, on most woods.

With that in mind, the wood you choose might best be based on the contrast each gives between the natural wood inside and the deep black outside.

One note from experience--the result with ebonizing or leather dye will be a little fuzzy from raised grain, and the color may be blue-black (like Superman's hair is the old DC comics). After a light buffing with fine scotchbrite and applying your favorite film finish, you'll get a true black. (Sorry, no pictures, as the black pieces I make are given away immediately)

PS you might check with Vinnie Luciani on what he uses for the black background on his carved vessels. Maybe he'd even agree to a play date.

 

[Dave Landers]

will be a little fuzzy from raised grain

So I do get raised grain from India ink. But I just re-sand with the last grit and re-apply more ink. Sometimes I’ll wet sand with ink and the final grit. (Should go without saying: gloves!)

 

[hockenbery]

I'm curious what approach works best, to ebonize to a nice, solid, complete black, and which woods handle it best.

I like Fiebing's Leather Dye - USMC Black. I’ve not found a wood it won’t work with. Easy to work with. I usually apply with a foam brush. Have airbrushed it on a few times.

On HFs. I’ve used it on the inside of a few but have switched to golden airbrush on the inside.
If I finish the outside first the leather dye doesn’t bleed through but it dull the colors on the outside a bit.


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