Black Stain on Oak

[Vincent Vogel]

I'm making two matching end tables turned on the lathe from red oak. 19" top, 16" base, and 20" tall pedestal. My wife wants them black, I've tried a couple of oil based stains and it isn't what she wants so I ebonized a couple samples one by burning with a torch and another by making the vinegar/steel wool solution. The vinegar/ steel wool solution does good except on the sapwood. Burning does the job, but is kind of messy until the finish is applied. After reading a bunch of posts here I've decided to use Fiebings usmc black leather dye because she wants an even color and I don't want paint. Some questions for those of you experienced with this type of finish: how much should I buy ? How careful do you need to be about applying it evenly (spray or brush) ? Can I apply the dye before assembly, I've read dyes don't affect glue up. How far does the dye penetrate the wood ? I want a true black, should I get usmc black or plain black ? I'm planning on using sprayed conversion varnish for the cover finish, the directions on the can say it can be used on dried stains. Thanks in advance.

 

[hockenbery]

Best way I know of to make things black
A little goes a long way. It has a long shelf life. I use usmc black.
I apply with a foam brush. An ounce will do a large hollowform. I pour a little in a disposable cup.
I wear nitril gloves so I can touch the wet parts. Just get everything wet it evens out.
You can redo if you miss a spot.

Citrus ball
Poplar seed jar
This i airbrushed Fiebings got some wicking under the resist on this cherry form

Golden Black airbrush paint works pretty well poplar seed jar .

 

[Carl Scott]

I'm making two matching end tables turned on the lathe from red oak. 19" top, 16" base, and 20" tall pedestal. My wife wants them black, I've tried a couple of oil based stains and it isn't what she wants so I ebonized a couple samples one by burning with a torch and another by making the vinegar/steel wool solution. The vinegar/ steel wool solution does good except on the sapwood. Burning does the job, but is kind of messy until the finish is applied. After reading a bunch of posts here I've decided to use Fiebings usmc black leather dye because she wants an even color and I don't want paint. Some questions for those of you experienced with this type of finish: how much should I buy ? How careful do you need to be about applying it evenly (spray or brush) ? Can I apply the dye before assembly, I've read dyes don't affect glue up. How far does the dye penetrate the wood ? I want a true black, should I get usmc black or plain black ? I'm planning on using sprayed conversion varnish for the cover finish, the directions on the can say it can be used on dried stains. Thanks in advance.

I would get the USMC if I want a really black black. It soaks in well and definitely put the stain on first or and dried glue will not get black. I have the first bottle that I bought and still have a lot. A little goes a long way.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Does the leather dye tend to hide or accentuate surface imperfections? Or is it fairly neutral?

 

[hockenbery]

Does the leather dye tend to hide or accentuate surface imperfections? Or is it fairly neutral?

Depends on the imperfections

When you have texturing the leather dye and a coat or two of Waterlox creates a sort of black on black effect.
The smooth part appears slightly different from the textured surfaces as light is reflected differently.

A sanding scratch will stand out.

The petroglyph hand on the sphere have a smooth surface. The background is sandblasted.
The hand has a slightly color or sheen.

 

[Vincent Vogel]

My dye came yesterday and I used it, this is what I found so far. A little goes a long way but I don't think the 4 oz bottle would have been enough, I bought a quart. As far as sand scratches go I sanded to 220 figuring the dye would penetrate better. It covered very well, if I were using a bowl finish (oil, wipe on poly, etc) I would sand to at least 400. The 220 scratches won't be a problem for me because I'm using 3 coats of sprayed conversion varnish sanding with 320 after first coat and 400 after second coat using a tack rag after each sanding. As far as differences in wood grain and sapwood vs heartwood the dye covered both equally well and I have a uniform black as Hockenbery pictures show. The dye did raise the grain on the oak slightly so I'll scuff it with 320 and apply another light coat of dye before applying finish. As far as the foam brushes they didn't work for me because the dye made them break down before I was done so I used a saturated rag and buffed with a paper towel to even everything out. I will put a picture of the finished product in this thread when I'm done for anyone interested.