Thread: Solomon Island Blackwood

I bought some of this on the weekend, I like what you have done there, could you go into more detail on what you did with the darker one please?

Great work. I like the stained timber. It really adds a richness to it.

Originally Posted by Jack.Tar

I bought some of this on the weekend, I like what you have done there, could you go into more detail on what you did with the darker one please?

Jack Tar, To make the brew, pour some vinegar into a glass jar and drop in a handful of rusted iron parts -- nails, hinges, whatever. No rusty metal around your shop? No problem; throw some water on a couple of steel-wool pads; you' ll have plenty of rust within a day. Put the jar lid on loosely so that gas can escape but the vinegar doesn' t evaporate. Let the jar sit in a warm part of the shop for a week or more. Then remove the metal and strain the black liquid through cheesecloth or a coarse filter cone.I just brush it on and leave it to dry. I just brush it on and let dry. It is good on Walnut, Solomon Island Blackwood, White Oak, timbers with a high tannin in them.

Cheers
Darren

Looks good Darren

For timbers with little tannin, throw an old tea bag in the brew helps, the tea will provide the tannin.

Now I know where I went wrong with my Vinegar and steel wool solution.
I just placed a hand full of 000 steel wool into a jar and topped it with vinegar and put the lid on tight. No darn wonder it aint doin niffin.
Did fume some queen ebony with cloudy ammonia. Turned out all right but not as black as expected.

Originally Posted by cookie48

Now I know where I went wrong with my Vinegar and steel wool solution.
I just placed a hand full of 000 steel wool into a jar and topped it with vinegar and put the lid on tight. No darn wonder it aint doin niffin.
.

oh well i know what im doing when i get home today

Darren,

I am a fan but not rapt in Solomon Island AKA Queen Ebony to me its not one thing or the other in appearance, bit like other so called Ebonies that have a tendency to streak out to browns. We have a WWW Show coming here at the end of the month in Canberra and from memory the bloke from Qld was here before with this timber so I will examine it again.

Having said that old mate taking pics of dark to very dark timber was never my forte either.

I am time poor right now but loved your handles for your chisels especially the Hairy Oak that I regard as a Prince among timbers, wise choice to use it with the grain in handles. I suffer from minor envy you live neare the sources of so many of my favourite timbers.

In conclusion with my now thousands of blanks choice is so great thinking about thinning them out one day.

Our daughter on visit returns soon and I have a special pen to make for her using a blank half made by Seamus especially for her. What I propose to do soon is take before and after pics of hande made blanks cause often there is as much work making my part as the other part made by others and I do care to acknowledge who ever
(if I remember) some I have had for many years.

Having fun day to day.

Kind regards Peter.

Thanks for sharing your recipe. The results look great.