Thread: Homemade Stains And Oil Finishes

Howdy Gents,
I was thinking about wood stains.
We have discussed before using coffee or black walnut ink, among other things, to stain wood.
Bog Oak came to mind. Anybody try it?
Another thing came to mind, and that's African Blackwood. Not for the dark staining I'm looking for, as you probably can't beat BO for that, but for the incredible ability of AB to resist mold, mildew, or any kind of rot. This comes from my experience with AB surpassing any that I have worked with in that regard.
So now we have BO for the deep black, AB for rot resistance, and we mix the two powders together, and pull the qualities out of them.
This is where testing will need to be done..
This could be done with something like alcohol, denatured alcohol, maybe lacquer thinner?
There are oils and also the tannins that need to be pulled out, so a happy medium I think would be alcohol as it will pull water solubles and oils out I think.
The other way may be to use neatsfoot, extra virgin olive, jojoba, or tung oil as a carrier.
This may have the added benefit of producing a single solution wood finish, but would not allow for a varnish finish follow up.
If a vanish is going to be used, then maybe skip the AB and oil carrier, and simply use the BO for color with the alcohol carrier, as a vanish is going to seal it anyway, and AB and oil do not let the varnish adhere well.
Anyway just an idea.
Of course... You can always go to the local hardware store and get all you need to achieve the same effect.
This is just a little added flavor to the process, I tend to like that kind of thing.
Any thoughts?

Mike, u can make an almost black stain from a 50/50 solution of vinager n water, and steel wool.

Here's what it looks like on maple.





Walnut

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I'll have to do some testing to see what kind of colors can come out, the BO stain may give a different effect.
Maybe a side by side of coffee, BO, VSW.
Also thinking about what the effect of using an oil as a carrier/lubricant for horn with the added BO coloring.
Could be something there?
And the effects of AB anti-rot..?


That dyed curly maple looks awesome!

I haven't tried Bog Oak before. I usually use the ebonizing technique that outback mentions.

If you are trying to transfer the properties from one wood to another why not just use the original?

Ive seen the steelwool and vinegar thing. You can go light with it and get some real nice tint on wood. Never used it myself. The stuff from the store is good enough for me.

Originally Posted by 32t

If you are trying to transfer the properties from one wood to another why not just use the original?

Well, that curly maple looks pretty nice with a tint to it, also the rot resistance is not a bad thing.
Not all value comes with ease or simplicity, as sometimes when I follow a process to achieve a similar result.. another form of value is gained on a personal level for me. Sometimes that which is gained is not only the result but the process along that journey.
Kind of sounds silly, I know.
But the idea of mixing up a concoction in my wood working laboratory is a novel idea, figure it's worth a shake!

Edit: I've always wanted to use that emoji! Lol

The stain I use, was originally made for making new wood look aged. A graying, aged look.

To make it black, add more steel wool. Let it age for a few days till all the steel wool is gone. Its like liquid, Devils Spit.

The vinegar/steel wool is one my my favorites. Lye can have interesting effects as well as nitric acid.

Citric acid? Gonna have to right that one down. What's the effect?
I saw some wood that had what looked like rust spots, looked really cool.
I'll do an online search, try to get some ideas.