Finish over ebonized oak

[Joshjosh]

Hi

I've ebonized some oak on some drawer fronts and like the blue tones this has produced.
I've tested putting fiddes hard wax oil over the top of the ebonized oak and this turns the oak very black, I would prefer to keep the blue tones of the unfinished ebonized fronts.

Does anyone know a finish that would be worth trying to see if I can keep the blue tones once finished?

Cheers Josh

 

[Sachakins]

Can you try a light matt lacquer?

 

[Joshjosh]

Can you try a light matt lacquer?

Possibly but ideally I'd like to avoid a film finish

 

[Sachakins]

OK, how about Hampshire Sheen wax, or a micro crystalline wax.

You could try just a buffing wheel and try to burnish your existing finish, suggest a sample piece to match and try burnishing it.

 

[Inspector]

Any finish you put on the Oak is going to change it from blue to black. All the oil wax finishes have a yellow to them that when on the Oak makes it become a black. Maybe one of the water clear water based spray finishes might keep it closer to the blue/black you want to keep. Make a few test boards and try some to see. I've done the Ebonizing of Oak and counted on it going very black. I do like what you have shown. The texturing is a great contrast to the smooth wood it is with. Drawer fronts?

Pete

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Spray melamine lacquer?

 

[Cabinetman]

I like that surface finish, very Scandinavian. This may have answered my problem, I tried for a long time to ebonise Oak and only ever got shades of dark blue, quite beautiful but I wanted black. I read everything and tried all sorts of concoctions, eventually deciding to dye it.
BUT I never thought to put a finish on it! If that’s all that was missing to turn it black I do feel silly.
Ian

 

[Joshjosh]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

Yes that makes sense that an oil based finish will blacken it. It sounds like I'll have to compromise somewhere either in keeping the blue or in the touch of the fronts (I wanted to use an oil or wax based finish to give the textured fronts a nice feel Rather than lacquer)

I'll get some samples made up.

Thanks for the ideas

 

[Joshjosh]

Any finish you put on the Oak is going to change it from blue to black. All the oil wax finishes have a yellow to them that when on the Oak makes it become a black. Maybe one of the water clear water based spray finishes might keep it closer to the blue/black you want to keep. Make a few test boards and try some to see. I've done the Ebonizing of Oak and counted on it going very black. I do like what you have shown. The texturing is a great contrast to the smooth wood it is with. Drawer fronts?

Pete

Thanks, yes drawer fronts

 

[Vintage Frames]

Can I ask what you used to ebonise the oak? The blue tinge suggests you may have used a water-based logwood stain which would give that blue/purple finish on drying, ie the colour is coming off the dried logwood and not so much the oak.

 

[Joshjosh]

Can I ask what you used to ebonise the oak? The blue tinge suggests you may have used a water-based logwood stain which would give that blue/purple finish on drying, ie the colour is coming off the dried logwood and not so much the oak.

I used a solution white vinegar and wire wool brewed for 48 hrs, then diluted with more vinegar and a drop of fairy liquid

 

[Vintage Frames]

Well, I was wrong on that one.
As I said though, the colour is coming off the dried wood, so I would experiment with a well diluted water-based varnish. Even a diluted traditional hide glue glaze. You just want something to soak in and seal the oak and not create a lacquered layer over the top.

 

[Cabinetman]

I was told the washing up liquid was used on the wire wool to remove the grease which was applied to stop it rusting (during manufacture) , the grease prevents the vinegar process working properly.
Well that’s as far as I know haha.

 

[Joshjosh]

Well, I was wrong on that one.
As I said though, the colour is coming off the dried wood, so I would experiment with a well diluted water-based varnish. Even a diluted traditional hide glue glaze. You just want something to soak in and seal the oak and not create a lacquered layer over the top.

I'll give that a test

 

[Joshjosh]

I was told the washing up liquid was used on the wire wool to remove the grease which was applied to stop it rusting (during manufacture) , the grease prevents the vinegar process working properly.
Well that’s as far as I know haha.

I did give the wire wool a wash before hand but I'm not sure how needed it was.

I added the washing liquid to the solution as I saw an article on fine woodworking saying that it helped with open grain timber getting even distribution

 

[Vintage Frames]

I forgot to mention something simple like diluted PVA/wood glue.

 

[Inspector]

I used a similar process for my oak.

Liberon or Bulldog Steel wool in Cleaning Vinegar, 6%, strongest I could find locally, Pickling Vinegar is supposed to be up to 10%. I held it under the vinegar with old steel spikes and agitated it every day for about a week until there was no more activity. Filtered it out through a few layers of cotton T-shirt and then coffee filters.

I also made a solution of hot water and Wine Tannin from Amazon. It is normally used to impart an Oaked flavour to home made wine. Disolved whatever it would take. Used it because I didn't know whether the Oak (salvaged church pews) had any sapwood in it.

I would wipe the Tannin solution on the Oak and let it dry, then do the same with the Iron Acetate solution (steel wool/vinegar solution).

First go around wasn't dark enough so I repeated both steps again. Interesting to note the Oak was more blue black after the Tannin than after the Iron Acetate applications.

I think I repeated the process 4 or 5 times.

Between applications there would be a dry blue black dust on the surface that I rubbed off followed by blasting with shop compressed air to clean out the pores.

Then I applied Tried and True Finish on it, a linseed oil wax mix, rubbing off all the excess after letting it soak a little. Repeated about 3 times over several days.

I like how the Oak even though black, still shows the grain and figure of the wood. Opinions may vary. The wife is happy, so am I.

Pictures are of the Oak with the Tannin, with Iron Acetate and the oiled finish.

By adding Tannin to other woods that don't normally have any you can ebonize them too.

Pete

P.S. I'm not trying to hijack the thread.

 

[Cabinetman]

Thanks Pete, it’s been a few years since I did mine and I had completely forgotten about the Tannin thing.
Ian

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Pickling vinegar should be 5% or more to be safe, and isn't often seen below that. This stuff would probably be better for our purposes -
https://hexeal.co.uk/products/high-strength-white-vinegar