Thank you for the link, Sir! 😊 First off, if you aren't aware, you can check a specific wood's hardness by Googling the Janka Hardness Scale for that species. Hickory is the hardest natural wood in North America, but you might have access to other woods like Heartwood(?), so it's interesting to check and compare. On the ebonizing process, a few things I've seen might affect the result. The amount of time you let the vinegar and (any)steel mixture sit in a container, will affect how dark the mixture will become, some ppl are saying the longer, the better, I'm sure that's up to a point, but 3-7 days is maybe a good start before you use the mixture. Also, the tannin content of the wood will affect the result, oak has more naturally occurring tannin, so it can darken quicker with fewer applications, however, if you are trying to ebonize a wood with fewer tannins, apparently there is a method to add tannin to the wood before you add the vinegar mixture, and this will have a significant effect on how dark it will get. And like you mentioned, doing several applications will impact how dark it gets. I've seen some demos where the wood is basically black by the end, and since it's soaked into the fibers, it doesn't even scratch off like paint, so it might be a very good finish for wood that takes some abuse. I'm making bo staves out of several different species, playing with the finishes. I've been using linseed oil, which is a very neutral color, but I bolster the effect by adding natural elements like food spices, Turmeric for yellow, Paprika for red, etc, and if you like your wood to have an appealing smell, I have been successfully using flavored tea bags soaking in the linseed oil to add that scent. For my hickory staves, I use a combo of Turmeric and Paprika to achieve a warm golden orange, because I wasn't too excited by the white color of hickory, either. They look gorgeous though, now. And it was pretty easy. For a cup of linseed oil, I used a teaspoon of Turmeric, even less of the Paprika, that was enough to color it. Anyway, I'll be trying your ebonizing treatment next, the staves would probably benefit from having such a durable finish, so Thank You! 😊👍
Thank you for the insight!!! I have heard of janka scale but never really looked up the woods i have used. In the video when I'm referring to heartwood I am still referring to hickory. Not the blonde sapwood but the darker heartwood. I have also used black locust and after your comment I looked it up on the Janka scale and it places just below hickory. I really enjoyed using it for a handle material and that data makes sense with how the wood worked and feels. I am very curious about your natural pigmentation methods as I also am not a big fan of the super white sapwood of hickory. Do you treat the wood with a mixture of the spice beforehand or are you mixing it in with the oil? As far as the ebonizing solution. I tested it again about 2 or 3 months after I had made this video. It seemd to loose some strength to me and the same batch at about a week old was stronger. It is possible the wood had less natural tannens in it though. Thus, reacting less to the solution. Let me know how you like it after you try it on you bow staves! Thank you again for watching and commenting 👍👍
@Nsvens89 Wahoo! 😊 So to finally get back to answering, yes, I put the powdered spices right into the linseed oil, including the tea bags. I wasn't sure how else to get the spice colors in without using oil, anyway, and then I thought maybe don't overthink the process, just put the stuff right into the linseed oil, and it seems to work! I will say that the oil looks darker than it actually shows on the wood, so try a color-fast sample on some scrap wood first. As far as applying tannin, apple is an excellent source, so maybe that's why some people use apple vinegar with the steel mixture to increase the tannin levels. I was thinking also that you can buy tannin, I believe in powdered form. I make wine, and for some reason this sounds familiar to me. If that's the case, I think a 2 part formula, tannin powder combined with JUST apple cider vinegar, mixed together and applied in several coats, might be a good prep for the wood before applying the final apple cider/ steel mixture. Anyway, that's what I'll be trying next! Oh, and I have some lovely Brazilian Cherry wood on its way, check out the janka hardness scale on that! 😱 But it's also incredibly dense and heavy, so we'll see... Keep in touch, Sir!
@@Axel-im6si very interesting indeed!!! I'm on my way to the hardware store for a different project at the moment. Maybe I'll grab another bottle of linseed oil and get a few concoctions mixed up to try! I would love to eventually find a way to replicate the vintage plumb wine tone. I appreciate the information!!!
It seriously feels like a magic trick painting it on and seeing it change. I've only tried 2 coats but will definitely try more in the future. I have carved a few handles from black locust and tested it on some scrap. It works incredibly well with that too. Thanks man!
If you brush on a coat of plain vinegar a few minutes before you apply the witches’ brew it will work to make a deeper hue, and yes - it’s all about tannin content in the wood. It’s a billiant technique and really shines when it’s oiled.
Wow that turned out great. I've never heard ebonizing before but definitely going to try this on my next handle. I have never really been happy when trying stain.
Same here. I've tried a few different kinds and they always came out blotchy no matter what I tried. I like this method because it changes the pigments in the wood itself, rather than something that sits on the surface.
I like it! I've done some experimenting with aniline dyes; waterbased, which gives color with clarity vs muddy stained look. I'm going to try the two processes together. I really want to be able replicate the look of age without it looking fake. Good vid gave me more to think about. Thankyou and best regards, Chris
That sounds promising for sure. The only dyes I've tried were leather dyes. The color was cool but I had issues with it transferring to my hands after. I'd love to see what yours comes out like. Feel free to DM on Instagram and let me know. @nsvensen89
I think I tossed about a golf ball size clump in then tossed a few steel nails in also. If I remember I let it sit about a week and the steel wool was almost gone and the nails looked slightly pitted. I did test this old solution I made up a few months later and it seems like it lost some strength as it sat. So I think it's a good idea to make it fresh for a darker finish.
Thanks man. I was basically looking for a way to spice up some of the super white handle got. I still want to test out some other methods but this seems promising.
Thanks man I appreciate it. I'm not sure how well the color comes across on camera but it almost has an olive drab hue in person. I'm definitely going to do some more testing and see what other results I can get.
@@Nsvens89yeah in my experience some of my best colors have come by expecting one thing but getting another. It’s cool you’re testing things out and showing your results!
Thank you for the link, Sir! 😊
First off, if you aren't aware, you can check a specific wood's hardness by Googling the Janka Hardness Scale for that species. Hickory is the hardest natural wood in North America, but you might have access to other woods like Heartwood(?), so it's interesting to check and compare.
On the ebonizing process, a few things I've seen might affect the result. The amount of time you let the vinegar and (any)steel mixture sit in a container, will affect how dark the mixture will become, some ppl are saying the longer, the better, I'm sure that's up to a point, but 3-7 days is maybe a good start before you use the mixture.
Also, the tannin content of the wood will affect the result, oak has more naturally occurring tannin, so it can darken quicker with fewer applications, however, if you are trying to ebonize a wood with fewer tannins, apparently there is a method to add tannin to the wood before you add the vinegar mixture, and this will have a significant effect on how dark it will get.
And like you mentioned, doing several applications will impact how dark it gets. I've seen some demos where the wood is basically black by the end, and since it's soaked into the fibers, it doesn't even scratch off like paint, so it might be a very good finish for wood that takes some abuse.
I'm making bo staves out of several different species, playing with the finishes. I've been using linseed oil, which is a very neutral color, but I bolster the effect by adding natural elements like food spices, Turmeric for yellow, Paprika for red, etc, and if you like your wood to have an appealing smell, I have been successfully using flavored tea bags soaking in the linseed oil to add that scent. For my hickory staves, I use a combo of Turmeric and Paprika to achieve a warm golden orange, because I wasn't too excited by the white color of hickory, either. They look gorgeous though, now. And it was pretty easy. For a cup of linseed oil, I used a teaspoon of Turmeric, even less of the Paprika, that was enough to color it.
Anyway, I'll be trying your ebonizing treatment next, the staves would probably benefit from having such a durable finish, so Thank You! 😊👍
Thank you for the insight!!! I have heard of janka scale but never really looked up the woods i have used. In the video when I'm referring to heartwood I am still referring to hickory. Not the blonde sapwood but the darker heartwood. I have also used black locust and after your comment I looked it up on the Janka scale and it places just below hickory. I really enjoyed using it for a handle material and that data makes sense with how the wood worked and feels.
I am very curious about your natural pigmentation methods as I also am not a big fan of the super white sapwood of hickory. Do you treat the wood with a mixture of the spice beforehand or are you mixing it in with the oil?
As far as the ebonizing solution. I tested it again about 2 or 3 months after I had made this video. It seemd to loose some strength to me and the same batch at about a week old was stronger. It is possible the wood had less natural tannens in it though. Thus, reacting less to the solution. Let me know how you like it after you try it on you bow staves! Thank you again for watching and commenting 👍👍
@Nsvens89 Wahoo! 😊
So to finally get back to answering, yes, I put the powdered spices right into the linseed oil, including the tea bags. I wasn't sure how else to get the spice colors in without using oil, anyway, and then I thought maybe don't overthink the process, just put the stuff right into the linseed oil, and it seems to work! I will say that the oil looks darker than it actually shows on the wood, so try a color-fast sample on some scrap wood first.
As far as applying tannin, apple is an excellent source, so maybe that's why some people use apple vinegar with the steel mixture to increase the tannin levels. I was thinking also that you can buy tannin, I believe in powdered form. I make wine, and for some reason this sounds familiar to me. If that's the case, I think a 2 part formula, tannin powder combined with JUST apple cider vinegar, mixed together and applied in several coats, might be a good prep for the wood before applying the final apple cider/ steel mixture.
Anyway, that's what I'll be trying next!
Oh, and I have some lovely Brazilian Cherry wood on its way, check out the janka hardness scale on that! 😱 But it's also incredibly dense and heavy, so we'll see...
Keep in touch, Sir!
@@Axel-im6si very interesting indeed!!! I'm on my way to the hardware store for a different project at the moment. Maybe I'll grab another bottle of linseed oil and get a few concoctions mixed up to try! I would love to eventually find a way to replicate the vintage plumb wine tone. I appreciate the information!!!
On hickory or ash, if it’s not dark enough, you can always reapply. I’ve done it up to 6 times and the results are pretty amazing.
It seriously feels like a magic trick painting it on and seeing it change. I've only tried 2 coats but will definitely try more in the future. I have carved a few handles from black locust and tested it on some scrap. It works incredibly well with that too. Thanks man!
If you brush on a coat of plain vinegar a few minutes before you apply the witches’ brew it will work to make a deeper hue, and yes - it’s all about tannin content in the wood. It’s a billiant technique and really shines when it’s oiled.
Very interesting! I'll have to give that a try in the next round. I somewhat jumped into this test without much research. Thanks for watching!
Looks awesome!
Thanks Joey! I've still got this handle in my stash. I really should hang something on it soon!
Wow that turned out great. I've never heard ebonizing before but definitely going to try this on my next handle. I have never really been happy when trying stain.
Same here. I've tried a few different kinds and they always came out blotchy no matter what I tried. I like this method because it changes the pigments in the wood itself, rather than something that sits on the surface.
I like it! I've done some experimenting with aniline dyes; waterbased, which gives color with clarity vs muddy stained look. I'm going to try the two processes together. I really want to be able replicate the look of age without it looking fake. Good vid gave me more to think about. Thankyou and best regards, Chris
That sounds promising for sure. The only dyes I've tried were leather dyes. The color was cool but I had issues with it transferring to my hands after. I'd love to see what yours comes out like. Feel free to DM on Instagram and let me know. @nsvensen89
Very cool, I have to try this. How much steel wool to vinegar? Is there a certain ratio?
I think I tossed about a golf ball size clump in then tossed a few steel nails in also. If I remember I let it sit about a week and the steel wool was almost gone and the nails looked slightly pitted. I did test this old solution I made up a few months later and it seems like it lost some strength as it sat. So I think it's a good idea to make it fresh for a darker finish.
It looks really good. like a vintage patina.
Thanks man. I was basically looking for a way to spice up some of the super white handle got. I still want to test out some other methods but this seems promising.
It’s definitely a unique color! I think it looks awesome man. You definitely have skills.
Thanks man I appreciate it. I'm not sure how well the color comes across on camera but it almost has an olive drab hue in person. I'm definitely going to do some more testing and see what other results I can get.
@@Nsvens89yeah in my experience some of my best colors have come by expecting one thing but getting another. It’s cool you’re testing things out and showing your results!
It's something that I would watch a video on so I figured others might also enjoy taking a peak. Thanks man!
I like it thanks bro
Thanks man! I still haven't hung anything on this handle yet. Perhaps soon!
I like it!
Thanks! I definitely want to experiment with it some more but this initial test seems promising.