Ebonizing a Maple Finial
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- Опубликовано: 22 апр 2019
- A simple method to ebonize wood - make it black. I have tried dissolving steel wool in vinegar and never been satisfied with the results. I like this better! I have also used India Ink and while it does a great job I seem to get it all over everything around me, as well.
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I always learn something from your videos. Your tool skills are impressive.
Thank you very much, Joseph. I do appreciate the kind words. Thanks for watching.
All the best,
.....Gord
Great information Gord, this is why I enjoy your videos so much. Thanks for sharing.
I appreciate that, Kent. Thanks for watching my videos. I do appreciate your support!
Take care,
.....Gord
Really brilliant method ! The result is impressive !
Thanks a lot for this tip Gord
Thank you very much. I’m happy that you liked it. Thanks for watching! I appreciate the support. 😁😁
Take care, .....Gord
Gord there is no way that I am going to miss you turning this stunning and amazing finial.
Thank you so much, Kobie. I really appreciate your support, my friend! 😃😃
Take care,
.....Gord
Great! I have been looking for some ebonizing metods for my project but Yours is simple and succesfull. You help me a lot 😊 Thanks!
I’m happy that I could help. Thanks for watching!
.....Gord
Great tool control. I kept watching how it was flexing at the knot expecting a catastrophic failure but you pulled it off as usual. Very nice. I have been using black leather dye but I will try the sharpie now. Thanks
Thank you, Scott. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!
.....Gord
Hello from France. Many thanks for your video. This is not often we can see a woodturner using wood late tools with this level of professionalism. (Hope you will understand my english)
Thank you very much, Yves. I appreciate your support. Your English is fine, my friend! Thanks for watching.
.....Gord
Nice work on the maple finial and the ebonizing Gord! Thanks for sharing it with us.👌👍😎JP
Thank you very much, JP. Much appreciated, my friend!
Take care,
.....Gord
Your very welcome Gord!😎
Great idea, thanks
Glad you liked it! I hope it will be helpful. Thanks for watching!
…..Gord
That's a great idea. I use black chalkboard paint on mine with a wax finish but I'll certainly give a Sharpie a try. 🙂
I’m glad you liked the idea. I hope it works well for you. Thanks for watching!
Take care,
.....Gord
Great finial...thanks for the info on how to do that!
My pleasure, Carol. Thanks for watching. Have a great day in the shop!!
.....Gord
Great idea Gord. I’ve tried the steel wool in vinegar , black dye, even high gloss paint to get ebony effect on larger turnings. I’m sure going to try this. Thanks as always for sharing your ideas.
I’m happy that you like it, Gary. Thanks for watching and the support you always give. Much appreciated, my friend! 👍👍
Take care,
.....Gord
Gord you are part magician. I have rarely seen such a satisfying video. Now our house is going to get ebonized. LOL
Thank you
LOL! Glad you liked it, Ken. Thanks for watching! 😃😃
Take care,
.....Gord
Great tip Gord. Sharpies are good colour tools, I use them on spin tops a lot, and I used them to ebonize my Halloween witch ornaments. Colour fast and quick.
I agree, Bert. I use other colors as well and they are very easy to work with. Much less mess than when I have used India Ink!
Take care,
.....Gord
Impressive job ebonizing the finial Gord , I will definitely try a sharpie next finial I make . That twin sure whispers some great ideas to you ;)
Great video Gord and cheers, Bram
Thank you, Bram. I’m glad you liked it. “THE IDIOT” can be PITA but occasionally entertaining. 😃😃
Take care,
.....Gord
Thanks. I never considered a Sharpie before. It works.
Glad you liked the idea, Glen. Thanks for watching! 👍👍😃😃😃🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Stay safe and healthy! 😷😷😷😷
Take care,
.....Gord
Nice job Gord. If you want an easier way to ebonize maple grab some black leather dye. It's alcohol based, covers in one coat jet black and once a finish gets applied it looks fantastic! Thanks for your videos. Mike
Thanks for the tip, Mike. I always appreciate learning something new. Thanks for watching! 👍👍
Well done Gord. Your demonstration was beautiful. Loved the Gord nome in the beginning. That was funny. :) I use Iron Acetate regularly. The ratio is 1 pad to 4 oz of white vinegar. I let it totally dissolve the steel wool. It takes about 3 weeks. Your results will be different if you try this. Maybe still not dark enough. The Sharpie trick was a great substitute.
I know others who have used that method and are happy with their results. The only one we have to satisfy is ourselves and it just has never been happy with "almost black". Thanks for the input and thank you for watching! I really appreciate the support!
.....Gord
@@GordonRock1 My pleasure. When using low tannin woods like maple, pretreating the target wood with green tea, coffee, or regular tea first, then let dry, before using the iron acetate. The results can be stunning. I agree, we only need to satisfy ourselves.
Nice job! I really like the finish. I've been ebonizing wood for years and found India Ink and black leather dye work the best. They each give a deep black color and take any finish you want to use.
I have used India Ink but found that I get more on the work area than on the project so I gave up on it. Never thought of leather dye! Oh well, if it’s a liquid I’m sure I would just make a mess with it so I will stay with something that even I can’t spill all over the place! Thanks for watching, Mark.
Take care,
.....Gord
Very nice awesome craftsmanship tool control take care my friend
Thank you so much, Donald. 😁😁😁
Happy turning,
.....Gord
Very nice finial Gord. Tough about the knot but I think you worked through it as well as, or better than, could be expected. Good tip about using the Sharpie for the ebonizing. I about half expected you to recommend india ink. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Glen. I have just about given up on India Ink. It’s great but I seem to get it on everything around me. Neat and clean, I’m not! 😃😃 Thanks for watching.
Take care,
.....Gord
That Sharpie did a great job!! Looks nice. Hey, let the guy out of the cupboard.LOL
LOL! Glad you liked it, Tom. Thanks for watching.
Great video Gord,special effects at no extra cost to the viewing public!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Special effects! What special effects?? 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
Now that is a brilliant idea Gord. I'll not be replacing my "cheat" ebonising spray when it runs out ... Sharpies could become very rare me thinks!!
Great video mate.
Cheers
Mike
Thanks a lot, Mike. I got tired of having India Ink spilled all over the place. I guess I’m a little messy! Necessity is The Mother of Invention after all.
Happy turning, my friend,
.....Gord
Great demo Gord. You can also try India ink. I used it on one of my turnings and it looks great too.
Yes, I have used India Ink, Terry. It's great but I have a problem with trying to get the Ink on ONLY the wood. It seems to get on everything around me. I just find it much easier to control WHERE the Ink is going with a Sharpie! Thanks for watching, Terry.
.....Gord
That was a real nail-biter with that knot in the middle there. The ebonizing worked great. I'm going to have to try that on an upcoming project. Thanks again for another awesome video.
P.S. - You need to come up with a name for Little Gord.
Thanks very much, Trent. BTW, I usually call him “The Idiot “. In a nice way of course! 😁😁
As I watched you work your way down to solid wood the term"Gord"-ian knot came to mind. Glad you didn't dispatch it with your sword. I've used colored sharpies for tops and such, using the black is a pretty clever approach to ebonizing. Much better than steel wool, for sure.
Thank you very much, Bill. Love the “Gord”-ian knot reference! 😃😃
Gord, this technique is SO simple.That means anyone can do it!
When I ebonize, I use black spray lacquer in the rattle cans !SAFE TURNING, John
Simple is always best for me! 😃😃
Happy turning, John,
.....Gord
I use India Ink to ebonise. It contains shellac and friction dries. You can build it up to have a jet black finish or light coat it to keep some of the grain. I use permanent markers on other projects too. Even known to use one on a scuff on my shoe (though I draw the line (no pun intended) at colouring my toe because of a hole in my sock). The ink is not my idea. Just something I picked up from watching people like you who are willing to share their experience.
I have used India Ink in the past and it works great. Unfortunately, I’m a bit messy and every time I use it I get ink on more than what I want to. The Sharpie is a good choice for guys like me! Thanks for watching, Gary!
Take care,
.....Gord
@@GordonRock1 A second tip :-) You can buy refillable felt tip markers. That way you can fill it with Speedball archival India ink and have the best of both worlds...
To ebonize wood, to me still sounds like a special process that someone does in order to get that ebony colour. It's actually rather disappointing to think that it just means turn it black by what ever method you like. Get some paint or ink out to either die the colour or coat the surface to cover it up. I can certainly understand why people do it as like most things its easy, cheap, often clean and you get the results.
The steel wool method does work great on some woods. Oak I find that you do get a very dark grey. When I made a canon I applied the solution and sanded it back before applying another coat and then sanded to the next grit. This had two reasons to deal with the raised grain each time of applying moisture to the wood and also help embed the solution into the wood. The best wood I've found that gets you that jet black colour is Sapele. This can have really high Tanin levels to give the desired result. I've also hear some people use cold tea to add Tanin into the wood.
I do have ebonizing spray but find it's expensive (will not be replacing it) and in fact has little difference in finish to a cheap tin of spray paint.
Like you I do have a wayward way with ink. Not tried it myself yet but do end up with a mess each time I refill my fountain pen at work.
interesting video, I really enjoy watching peoples ideas on finials, like with most wood turning we all have different ideas. Also using the skew on these is a great practice session I do more of these days.
I confess, Paul, that cheap, easy and clean are my main reasons for using this "technique". I don't want wood ebonized often enough to experiment with other methods. I admire those of you who do. It's just not high enough on my priority list. Too many things I want to try and too little time. Thanks for watching!
Happy turning,
.....Gord
Nice job, Gord. You have way more persistence than I do -- for me, that knot would have meant an addition to the kindling pile :-) A very minor tip: rifle bore cleaning patches are great for applying finishes on spindle turnings. Clean, consistent, dust free, cheap, yada yada yada. Clyde
Thank for tip, Clyde. I don’t have anything to do with guns. My brother is the great hunter in the family. Maybe I will see if he has a couple extra ones.
Thanks again,
.....Gord
Cool!
Thank you very much! 😃😃
You welcome, @@GordonRock1.
I use gloss black enamel with 2 coats......quick easy.
Great video Gord. I don't if you are aware that Sharpie has a chisel ended marker which would faster than the smaller point. I believe it's double ended with a fine point on the other end.
Yes, I had one of those but when I tried to use it I found that it was dry. Must have been sitting for a long time. Thanks for watching!
.....Gord
Lovely, what a great idea, though i'd have to use a ca finish because you can't get wipe on poly here in the UK for some reason
I think ca would work very well but you would have to make sure that the ink is totally dry or it may just be rubbed off. I hope it works well for you and I would like to see the results. Thanks for watching, Mart.
All the best,
.....Gord
Oh, that’s really cool!!!! How on earth did he open and close the door? THANK YOU - really enjoyed seeing the mini me!
How did he open and close the door? He’s MAGIC! 😱😳🤣😂
Thanks Jean. I’m happy that you liked it.
Take care,
.....Gord
Gord Rock what a great little leprechaun!!!! 😃☀️
Sharpies are not permanent contrary to what they say, though adding poly over it may help
Hi Allyn,
I didn’t mean to say that the Sharpie will never fade. Very few things are really permanent. However, I did the first finial with a Sharpie 6 or 7 years ago and it still looks as good as the day I did it. I did put several coats of poly over so that may be helping.
Thanks for watching,
.....Gord
India ink works very well for ebonizing.
Yes, I have used it a few times. The problem is that I usually get it on much more than the project!! Not a good thing. 😱😱
Thanks for watching,
.....Gord
I was wondering why you didn't use a high grade Black die. I was originally wondering why not the India Ink. Yes they can be messy.
@@rodhathaway4409 : One other trick I use that helps lessen the potential mess is I use a small detail tool that cuts a tiny v-groove; doesn't have to be very deep but makes a barrier like line the ink never seems to cross. You do have to be careful about not lading the brush too much when in this area but it seems to be a good trick I have used with success.
@@jamesstanlake4064 Thank you for the suggestion
Thanks again Gord I never would have thought of using the sharpie like that even though I have used the coloured sharpie for putting names and stuff onto projects. Ps I really like the shape of that finial even if you don't lol it's nice the way it's very thin and then gets thicker at the point it's different. Great job and thanks again for the tip also might be a silly question but I have never seen or used that poly can you give me more info about for the ebonizing thanks 👍👍👍
I don’t know where you are, Gavin, but Minwax is quite common here. They make a lot of different finishing products. It’s very easy to apply on most turnings.
Thanks for watching,
.....Gord
Hello Gord,
I'm based in N.Ireland and to be honest we have some places that cater for woodturners but not many and choice is limited and expensive. Even when we make some nice bowls we can't sell them at what we should be as people won't pay the money so for me I hardly cover the cost of my timber never mind anything else. But I guess I don't really do it to become rich it's for the love of turning and making stuff. Thanks for the info
Thanks for the video Gord. I planned to make a small lidded box with an ebonized maple finial but didn’t care for the steel wool/vinegar method so I delayed it. Your way is quick, easy, cheap, and looks great. What more could you want? I’ll be making it this weekend so thanks for the idea. Take care - Jay
I’m glad you liked it, Jay. I hope your box and finial are everything you hope for. I’d love to see photos of it if you don’t mind! Thanks for watching. 😎😎
Happy turning,
.....Gord
looks great, what kind of spindle gouge are you using?
It’s a 3/8” Robert Sorby gouge. Holds an edge quite well and I really like it. Thanks for watching, Denver!
.....Gord
Simple enough, Gord, but I have a question. Have you been doing this long enough to know if the black from the marker is color fast? I believe the India ink is, but I've heard about lesser results from such markers. Nice looking finials, by the way.
Billy
I think I did the first one about three or four years ago, Billy. It still looks great but I wouldn’t guarantee that it will last forever. So far I am happy with it. Thanks for watching, my friend. 😃😃
Take care,
.....Gord
Interesting. Are you sure those are finals - or are they weapons?
I never would have thought of that, William. OK, let’s see what happens if someone breaks into my house! Just kidding! Or, am I? 😂😂
Take care,
.....Gord
Hmm. Not sure if the lathe artists approve this technique.
Oh well, I don’t claim to be an artist and I’m not telling anyone to use this technique. It’s just the way I do it.
Thanks for watching.
.....Gord