Dyeing/staining/painting black…

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Randy Roberts
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Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 9:11 pm
Location: Omaha, NE (a suburb of Iowa)

Dyeing/staining/painting black…

Post by Randy Roberts »

Not a guitar but:
I am making a dining room bench that will have two bands of black running along the edges and small (3/4 x 3/4”) squares in the legs of an otherwise all cherry wood bench.
The banding will be inlaid, but the squares are structural.
I had intended to use wenge, but have now been told that since the table it goes with has solid black for these features, and the bench is to go with the table, they need to be black and the dark brown in the wenge needs to be all black.
One option is obviously to use up a bunch of the ebony stash, but these components have already been made out of the wenge. I also am leery of how unstable ebony is, and the marked difference in expansion and contraction compared to the cherry, especially across a 15 inch cross grain run, as well as 50 inches with the grain that would have to be scarf jointed ( unless any of you wish to send me 50 inch long ebony sticks??).

I’m trying to figure out how to turn the wenge completely black after the bench is done and sanded, and preventing whatever is used from running into the cherry. I'm also concerned about running or bleeding into the cherry when finished (probably pre-catalyzed lacquer but also likely hit first with shellac).

As I think staining or dyeing or painting any wood is criminal in the first place, I have no experience or idea of how to approach this.

Your help would be sincerely appreciated.
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Bryan Bear
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Re: Dyeing/staining/painting black…

Post by Bryan Bear »

This may not work at all but. . . Iron acetate (dis I got steel wool the n vinegar) will turn many high tannin woods black. The problem is that it doesn't penetrate very deep so you still have the issue of applying it without getter my it on adjacent wood surfaces. Wenge being very porous may allow it to soak in much further. Perhaps soaking the parts before assembly will get you there. You'll have to be careful to keep toloren we tight so you don't remove much wood flushing everything up. This is where the solution soaking deeper than usual helps. This also assumes wenge will turn black. I have not tried it with wenge but I suspect it will work. It is certainly worth a try (on scrap).
PMoMC

Take care of your feet and your feet will take care of you.
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Pete Halliday
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Re: Dyeing/staining/painting black…

Post by Pete Halliday »

I might be inclined to try sealing the whole surface with shellac and then masking off the cherry and air brushing trans tint black in very thin shellac onto the wenge.
Michael Lewis
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Re: Dyeing/staining/painting black…

Post by Michael Lewis »

Bryan, would you please read your last post. Either auto-correct is mangling things or you are in a great hurry and don't proof read your posts. Or maybe there is another reason I haven't thought of yet.<G>
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Bryan Bear
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Re: Dyeing/staining/painting black…

Post by Bryan Bear »

Yikes! Both auto correct and a terrible hurry w/o proof reading. Sometimes, when I respond from my phone, the display gets all messed up and I can't actually see what I'm typing. Sorry all. Maybe it would be less embarrassing to try to convince you all I was drunk. . .
PMoMC

Take care of your feet and your feet will take care of you.
Clay Schaeffer
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Re: Dyeing/staining/painting black…

Post by Clay Schaeffer »

If the wenge is quartersawed, oiling(boiled linseed or some other drying oil) it may make it go jet black. Flat sawn will darken quite a bit, but not completely (in my experience). Allow a week or two for the oil to dry if top coating with a film finish. As always ,test on scrap.
Randy Roberts
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Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 9:11 pm
Location: Omaha, NE (a suburb of Iowa)

Re: Dyeing/staining/painting black…

Post by Randy Roberts »

Reprieve from the gallows!!

Higher authority has now determined that wenge is dark enough

Thank you for your suggestions...thank the gods I won't need to use them.
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