Oak treated with vinegar and wire wool

[woody]

I made this yesterday out of oak and finished it today treated twice with malt vinegar and wire wool traditionally the Victorians used white vinegar  it is 6" wide x 11" long x 2" high and 2mm thick

[Bryan Milham]

Okay Woody, you're going to have to explain that please,

When I've made Black Nightmare, I've wet the wire wool and left it to rust. Then put it in the vinegar and steeped it for a fortnight before filtering it to make sure there are no metal bits.

You did it all in one day - what are you doing please?

As for the dish, as always a very well turned piece, are you going to add a decorative effect, as you said, gilt cream or liming wax?

[woody]

Okay Woody, you're going to have to explain that please,

When I've made Black Nightmare, I've wet the wire wool and left it to rust. Then put it in the vinegar and steeped it for a fortnight before filtering it to make sure there are no metal bits.

You did it all in one day - what are you doing please?

As for the dish, as always a very well turned piece, are you going to add a decorative effect, as you said, gilt cream or liming wax?

I was going to use the gold but it has sold so no, as for the ebonizing all I did was dip just a bit of the 000 wire wool in the vinegar and rub it continually till the wire wool disintegrated then left it to dry and do it again if needed I say that because although this bit needed two applications it don't always need two.
Sometimes the Oak turns blue  on the first application but will go black when the finish is put on but I wont chance it and do another application because I always want jet black as you can see
Here is one I used gold gild on some time ago

[Bryan Milham]

Thanks Woody, I'll have a go at that. I'm not enough of a chemist to fully understand it all. I know it's the Ferric Oxide (rust) reacting with the Tannin in the Oak (some other woods also work to some effect). I was always taught it needed to be a fairly strong solution, hence the preparation method I was taught.

The blue you mention I've seen when finding a slightly rusty nail in wood, it causes the 'Blue Bloom' in the wood around it. I might try a weak solution for the blue effect - just as an experiment.

[woody]

Thanks Woody, I'll have a go at that. I'm not enough of a chemist to fully understand it all. I know it's the Ferric Oxide (rust) reacting with the Tannin in the Oak (some other woods also work to some effect). I was always taught it needed to be a fairly strong solution, hence the preparation method I was taught.

The blue you mention I've seen when finding a slightly rusty nail in wood, it causes the 'Blue Bloom' in the wood around it. I might try a weak solution for the blue effect - just as an experiment.

I don't understand the chemistry of it one bit all I know is it works I have also had different levels of success doing the same with Ash from blue to Grey also I have used vinegar left over from gherkins which gave a blue finish  

[woodndesign]

Wow .......Woody,   amazing,  beats a can of black ...    .   can it differ with the type of vinegar more that the ratio wire/vinegar.

Oh gherkins now your talking ..  .  is that the sugar free ones,  you got me wanting a great big burger ...     ...

Cheers       David

[woody]

Wow .......Woody,   amazing,  beats a can of black ...    .   can it differ with the type of vinegar more that the ratio wire/vinegar.

Oh gherkins now your talking ..  .  is that the sugar free ones,  you got me wanting a great big burger ...     ...

Cheers       David

Dave all I can say is get a big fat burger and some Vinegar and stuff yourself silly and have fun experiment LOL that sounds like a good idea I might have to try it LOL please forgive my humor

[Eric Harvey]

Oak always looks good after a good soak of vinegar wirewool mix doesn`t it,I made a batch in a 200gram coffee jar I crammed wirewool in then filled with vinegar to just below the lid line,left it 3 months before I used it,that was 7yrs ago,still on the same jar,goes along way,oh lovely bowl by the way,nicely shaped bowl and good wing with foot,regards,

Eric.