The spongy galls are excellent bobbers for fishing. Gouge a hole through the gall and stuff in a stick with the fishing line attached and you have a bobber. Try it some time if you ever find yourself out fishing for perch.
"Rusty nails in vinegar" . I will never forget and have wanted to try your ink methodology for years . Alyia is a gem and thanks once again for your tutorials .
I always kind of wish I had someone in my family I could learn all these woodsy country-living tidbits of knowledge from; foraging for plants, making our own products, woodworking, etc. Alas my family is... well my immediate family is an island and most everyone else is too. We're a bit fragmented by time, distance, and/or tragedy. Although I don't want kids of my own, perhaps one day I'll be the wacky and wise aunt, who knows. England seems like a nice place to live. Lots of history, it has actual seasons... I'd like to see the countryside. Rolling hills or ancient woods... My region is not to my liking. It's flat and hot 🥴
Oh no, I have oak galls collected with the intention of making ink with my 8yr old, and now I realise they are the wrong sort! Thank goodness for your video. We will have to go looking harder.
@@familyfruit9833 the knopper galls then. No problems, if you dry them and store them for at least six months to a year, they lose most of the waxiness that makes them unsuitable fresh, and you can use them for ink then. It's not as good as marble galls, but it should work.
Oh, Jeez, now another project. We have a grand old oak just down the street. I'll have a look on our evening walk. Fun. I'll have to show my Daughter so she can show her Daughter. :)
Thank you for sharing Alyia with us! I think I smiled through this whole video; she is so precious. You are a brilliant teacher, and that was ver clearly demonstrated in this video!
You gave the sweetest and smartest partner in the world!!! AMAZING. I should make ink! I live in Oakdale. LOL And YES, we have lots of oaks and they grow all over in places you don't want them, too.
Sally, what is happening? You are rocking on RUclips, your channel is growing so well. And you deserve it too. Your knowledge is awesome and your skills are so valuable. Thanks for sharing this and keep up the amazing work 👍❤️
Thank you so much! I've still got a lot to learn about how to put these videos together, but I'm having a lot of fun sharing skills and ideas with everyone. Really enjoying all the new conversations and suggestions of where to go next with the channel too!
Took me a long time to figure out that this is what the 'berries' are that Brendan picks in the forest for making ink in Secret of the Kells. Aisling says they're not berries, but what they are is never really mentioned. Had to get it from the movie's Wikipedia page.
What a wonderful, educational video! I have two very large oak trees in my back garden… going to go out and see if I can find any of these galls!!! There are plenty of old Rusty nails and other iron bits and bobbles out in the machine shed at my Grans old place… not sure about the gum stuff though… would xanthum gum work the same?
here in massachusetts we have red oak gals. I'm curious whether or not they could yield the same. we've also got some sort of gal that lives in goldenrod that ends up looking like one of those spiny christmas baubles with the point at the top and bottom. I love collecting them and hanging them next to my hanging planters in the window. also I'm fairly sure ferrous sulfate was in a supplement I used to take about a decade ago. iron supplements for some anemia related to my menses. It was sold as fergon here in the USA. maybe I should see if my local pharmacy still has some.
you two are a great team! I'm going to go foraging for oak apples. My nieces would love to do this! I'm soaking feathers so hopefully I can make good quills too!! :)
Amazing channel, and I loved this video. Thanks a LOT for your work!!! How do I do the rusty nail thing? I drop it in vinegar, let the rust dissolve and then pour the vinegar in the tannin?
Great pestle technique, Aliya! Such concentration on measuring the chemicals. Sally, Before the marble gall wasps were introduced to Britain in the 1700s, were the oak galls imported? Or was something else used to make ink?
I think we've got records of the importation of galls back into the medieval period, but I'd need to check the port records again to be sure of dates. Other galls and even acorns will work, but the marble gall gives the best results
Hey i really enjoyed it and it was helpful as i am going to make a quill and ink could you maybe do a video about how to make a quill from Leah (subscribed and clicked bell)
That would work fine, you are just dissolving the rust off into a form that will easily mix with the tannin. Some people just drop a rusty nail into the mixture and miss out the vinegar, the oak gall brew is already quite acidic. Try a couple of ways and see what works best for you, but it's not usually hard to introduce enough iron to turn the gall tannin black.
It's a quite fascinating reaction between tannin and iron, we weren't very specific with quantities for today's experiment, but for serious use it's important not to overdo the iron, it's a type of ink that can quietly eat through paper and parchment over the centuries if the balance is off!
@@SallyPointer hmmm i had always thought is was the tannic acid that made it eat through. that's what i get for just hearing acid and letting my lack of knowledge lead me, lol.
Bit of both, acid is definitely an issue, hence the use of acid free conservation materials, but iron is well known for corroding organic materials. Even during normal lifetime use, which is why you get sixteenth century laws about not dyeing hats black with iron based dyes, and why we have fabrics that have had the black elements just vanish. I won't pretend to fully understand the chemist, but it's effect is dramatic!
The spongy galls are excellent bobbers for fishing. Gouge a hole through the gall and stuff in a stick with the fishing line attached and you have a bobber. Try it some time if you ever find yourself out fishing for perch.
"Rusty nails in vinegar" . I will never forget and have wanted to try your ink methodology for years . Alyia is a gem and thanks once again for your tutorials .
Your little niece is absolutely precious… so smart too! I thought for sure that you were going to make a "pen" out of the oak stem she was holding…
Alyia is adorable and seems to have learned a lot from you. teaching the next generation up well :)
I love this! Your niece is adorable and this looks like such a fun activity to do with kids!
The nails in vinegar is called vinegaroon. Very good for dying leather and wood black.
That little girl is so precious. She reminds me of my own little 3-year-old granddaughter. Blessings to you both.
Cool! Love learning. Sweet assistant you have today!
I always kind of wish I had someone in my family I could learn all these woodsy country-living tidbits of knowledge from; foraging for plants, making our own products, woodworking, etc. Alas my family is... well my immediate family is an island and most everyone else is too. We're a bit fragmented by time, distance, and/or tragedy. Although I don't want kids of my own, perhaps one day I'll be the wacky and wise aunt, who knows. England seems like a nice place to live. Lots of history, it has actual seasons... I'd like to see the countryside. Rolling hills or ancient woods... My region is not to my liking. It's flat and hot 🥴
Oh no, I have oak galls collected with the intention of making ink with my 8yr old, and now I realise they are the wrong sort! Thank goodness for your video. We will have to go looking harder.
What sort have you got? There are ways to use other varieties, but they may take more preparation.
@@SallyPointer the spikey galls
@@familyfruit9833 the knopper galls then. No problems, if you dry them and store them for at least six months to a year, they lose most of the waxiness that makes them unsuitable fresh, and you can use them for ink then. It's not as good as marble galls, but it should work.
@@SallyPointer marvellous, thank you, we'll give it a go ☺️
Oh, Jeez, now another project. We have a grand old oak just down the street. I'll have a look on our evening walk. Fun. I'll have to show my Daughter so she can show her Daughter. :)
Thank you for sharing Alyia with us! I think I smiled through this whole video; she is so precious. You are a brilliant teacher, and that was ver clearly demonstrated in this video!
You gave the sweetest and smartest partner in the world!!!
AMAZING. I should make ink! I live in Oakdale. LOL And YES, we have lots of oaks and they grow all over in places you don't want them, too.
Sally, what is happening? You are rocking on RUclips, your channel is growing so well. And you deserve it too. Your knowledge is awesome and your skills are so valuable. Thanks for sharing this and keep up the amazing work 👍❤️
Thank you so much! I've still got a lot to learn about how to put these videos together, but I'm having a lot of fun sharing skills and ideas with everyone. Really enjoying all the new conversations and suggestions of where to go next with the channel too!
Took me a long time to figure out that this is what the 'berries' are that Brendan picks in the forest for making ink in Secret of the Kells. Aisling says they're not berries, but what they are is never really mentioned.
Had to get it from the movie's Wikipedia page.
Great to teach the young ones
They can carry forward 👍🏻
👍🏻❤️
What is more amazing is the coming METAMORPHOSIS of an ALYA into a SALLY !!
Oh, she'll be herself, but I have great plans to introduce her to as much of my world as she wants to explore 😁
What a wonderful, educational video! I have two very large oak trees in my back garden… going to go out and see if I can find any of these galls!!! There are plenty of old Rusty nails and other iron bits and bobbles out in the machine shed at my Grans old place… not sure about the gum stuff though… would xanthum gum work the same?
I enjoyed that. :)
Alas I haven't been nearby as my nieces and nephews grow up so I haven't been able to share my skills with them.
here in massachusetts we have red oak gals. I'm curious whether or not they could yield the same. we've also got some sort of gal that lives in goldenrod that ends up looking like one of those spiny christmas baubles with the point at the top and bottom. I love collecting them and hanging them next to my hanging planters in the window. also I'm fairly sure ferrous sulfate was in a supplement I used to take about a decade ago. iron supplements for some anemia related to my menses. It was sold as fergon here in the USA. maybe I should see if my local pharmacy still has some.
you two are a great team! I'm going to go foraging for oak apples. My nieces would love to do this! I'm soaking feathers so hopefully I can make good quills too!! :)
Amazing channel, and I loved this video. Thanks a LOT for your work!!!
How do I do the rusty nail thing? I drop it in vinegar, let the rust dissolve and then pour the vinegar in the tannin?
Yep! That's it, you don't need much.
Wow, this is a really mysterious black ink making video! You saw the video well!
Great pestle technique, Aliya! Such concentration on measuring the chemicals.
Sally, Before the marble gall wasps were introduced to Britain in the 1700s, were the oak galls imported? Or was something else used to make ink?
I think we've got records of the importation of galls back into the medieval period, but I'd need to check the port records again to be sure of dates. Other galls and even acorns will work, but the marble gall gives the best results
@@SallyPointer thank you, Sally. Have begun net bag, have finished first sprang sample. Really like your work/ videos.
Hey i really enjoyed it and it was helpful as i am going to make a quill and ink
could you maybe do a video about how to make a quill
from Leah (subscribed and clicked bell)
I'll add it to my list of ideas, thanks Leah!
Can house hold white vinegar (4% acid) be used or does it need to be a stronger concentration to properly effect the nail?
That would work fine, you are just dissolving the rust off into a form that will easily mix with the tannin. Some people just drop a rusty nail into the mixture and miss out the vinegar, the oak gall brew is already quite acidic. Try a couple of ways and see what works best for you, but it's not usually hard to introduce enough iron to turn the gall tannin black.
Thank you! I will give this a try! Excellent videos! Please keep it up!
Very informative. And there i was thinking that the oak galls where burnt and the remaining soot/ash was used.
It's a quite fascinating reaction between tannin and iron, we weren't very specific with quantities for today's experiment, but for serious use it's important not to overdo the iron, it's a type of ink that can quietly eat through paper and parchment over the centuries if the balance is off!
@@SallyPointer hmmm i had always thought is was the tannic acid that made it eat through. that's what i get for just hearing acid and letting my lack of knowledge lead me, lol.
Bit of both, acid is definitely an issue, hence the use of acid free conservation materials, but iron is well known for corroding organic materials. Even during normal lifetime use, which is why you get sixteenth century laws about not dyeing hats black with iron based dyes, and why we have fabrics that have had the black elements just vanish. I won't pretend to fully understand the chemist, but it's effect is dramatic!
How interesting!
This is so interesting!! 🙂
Awesome!
Awesome! She is a sweet girl.
If you have to import it, you should just leave it.