Dear woodturners,

I am desperatly looking for a 17th century method for the dyeing of
pearwood for a restauration project.

I can find descriptions saying: boil the pearwood to imitate ebony.
However regular cooking does not help. Probably there needs to be
something in the water, but who knows what?

Can anybody here help me?

Miki

In article . com,
wrote:

Dear woodturners,

I am desperatly looking for a 17th century method for the dyeing of
pearwood for a restauration project.

I can find descriptions saying: boil the pearwood to imitate ebony.
However regular cooking does not help. Probably there needs to be
something in the water, but who knows what?

Can anybody here help me?


Sounds familiar... ran across a couple of likely-looking recipes.
The use of vinegar rings a bell

[quote from
http://www.bt3central.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=9487]
I have used the steel wool and vinigar approach described he
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_bas...white_oak.html


I found another link to "woodcrafters.ca"; the article is no longer at
the sight, apparently, but Google's cached version seems to work:

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:...dianwoodcrafte
rs.ca/ebonizing2005.htm+ebonizing&hl=en

- essentially you make a rusty-vinegar solution, and use that as the
stain. (Hmm, be interesting to see what the actual chemical result
of that is)

Anything based on aniline dye would be inappropriate, of course, but
they seem to be the only other "ebonizing" links I could find.

On 25 Nov 2005 13:34:34 -0800, wrote:

Dear woodturners,

I am desperatly looking for a 17th century method for the dyeing of
pearwood for a restauration project.

I can find descriptions saying: boil the pearwood to imitate ebony.
However regular cooking does not help. Probably there needs to be
something in the water, but who knows what?

Can anybody here help me?

My guess would be the standard ebonizing solution, which is vinegar
which has had steel wool soaking in it until it dissolves. (Note: this
will take probably a week or two.) No doubt shavings from a metal
lathe would also work...point is to get the iron dissolved into the
acidic vinegar. In my experimentation, I have found that cider
vinegar worked significantly better than white vinegar. I don't know
as "cooking" would be necessary, except maybe to accelerate the
chemical reaction.

This solution will also work, to varying degrees, with most other
woods, depending on the amount of tannin found in the wood. Put it on
a piece of oak, for instance.


--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply.


September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

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Hi Miki

I have no idea what you are trying to do, other than it seems, dyeing
pear wood to look like ebony.

Question is was the old pear wood dyed, or does the old wood now look
like ebony and you want to make some new pear wood look like the old
pear wood I assume ???

If you use pigments to dye with you can control the final outcome better
I think than if you would ebonize the wood as some have suggested.

They might have boiled in peat (TURF) or god knows what in those days,
I'm sure you could find out what was used in those days, but it might
take some trips to museums or furniture restoration places.

If you want to go the ebonizing way, first of all you will have to find
out if pear wood has tannin in the wood, if not than you would have to
get that into the wood first, (tea works well).

Then the color you are after, is it like a real dark brown ?? or more a
blue black ?, if you use ammonia to fume the wood you would get a more
brown color, and with the acid iron you will get a dark blue color.

To use the vinegar and iron (staalwol zonder olie in azyn) just put some
vinegar in a jar and ad a ball of steel wool (with no oil on it) in it
the the acid will absorb the steel wool, (you will see the vinegar
bubble away) some one said to include some copper in it, I have never
done that and I don't know if there is a difference, the solution can be
used in a few hours, I usually let it sit overnight and than use it, I
always just wipe it on with a rag or sponge.

The ammonia fuming uses higher strength ammonia than the household
variety, even so that seems to work also, but takes longer, and I don't
know if you would get the same color and depth off color.

You should try to get the ammonia that printers use, it's something like
28% ammonia if I do remember right, to use this get a big plastic bag to
put your wood into, it has to be setup so that the fumes can get to all
the places you want to change color, or you will get places that will be
light or not colored at all, then set the ammonia in a shallow glass
bowl in the bag (don't use metal !!) and close the bag, (don't breath
that stuff its not healthy) if you get a clear bag you are able to see
the color change, otherwise you will have to open the bag to find out.

This is all I can think of right now.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo


wrote:
Dear woodturners,

I am desperatly looking for a 17th century method for the dyeing of
pearwood for a restauration project.

I can find descriptions saying: boil the pearwood to imitate ebony.
However regular cooking does not help. Probably there needs to be
something in the water, but who knows what?

Can anybody here help me?

Miki

Leo Van Der Loo wrote:

They might have boiled in peat (TURF) or god knows what in those days,


Urine was a big component of dyes. Perhaps that and the steel wool.

Man are you in for some experimenting. Please keep us posted!

John

If you go with the steel wool and vinegar - get the steel wool to
rust first. It's iron oxide that reacts with the acetic acid, the
result reacting with tanin (sp?) in the wood (naturally
occuring in oak - and, as noted, in tea) to produce a dark blue
to black. It's rust you're after to put in the vinegar - any
old rust - rusty nails, cast iron . . .

You might also look into India Ink.

Why one would "ebonize" pear wood is a mystery but . . .

charlie b

I have heard that soluble iron compounds as in fertilizer products used
to correct iron deficiency in ornamental plants will work. I tried a
product that was labelled 4.50% soluble iron as sulfate. Didn't say
ferric or ferrous, but it didn't work for me. Bad chemistry (not the
oxide) or just too weak? Probably pure and stronger stuff is available
at pharmacies or farm suppliers.
I know acetic acid is.

Remember that some steel wools are greasy, so probably best to pre-treat
with 50% Kirkland LDD and rinse. Avoid garlic vinegar; probably not a
good mix with the fruity smell of pearwood.

Maybe like black pearls, ebonized pearwood is prized over the bland.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

On Sun, 27 Nov 2005 09:22:33 -0800, charlie b
wrote:

If you go with the steel wool and vinegar - get the steel wool to
rust first. It's iron oxide that reacts with the acetic acid, the
result reacting with tanin (sp?) in the wood (naturally
occuring in oak - and, as noted, in tea) to produce a dark blue
to black. It's rust you're after to put in the vinegar - any
old rust - rusty nails, cast iron . . .

You can put shiny new steel wool in the vinegar. It will oxidize
right in there...easier, actually, since the acidic vinegar will etch
the surface of it and make it even more susceptible to rust. It isn't
necessary to pre-rust it, by any means.

I've done it, it works.

Why one would "ebonize" pear wood is a mystery but . . .

I wondered that myself.
--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply.


September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

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Arch wrote:
I have heard that soluble iron compounds as in fertilizer products used
to correct iron deficiency in ornamental plants will work.

I use that, get it from the plant/nursery store. It is a very fine rusty
red powder, in a plastic container. I forget how it is labeled but I
just call it iron powder. It keeps the copper beaches red and is good
for 'burning bushes' too. (no I'm not making a joke) And those red
maples. Chelated iron, that's it, I remember now.

John