Ebonizing A Big Oak Bench With Vinegar & Steel Wool | Furniture Makeover

In this video I turn a thrift store bench black with a mixture of vinegar and steel wool.
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[@DashnerDesignRestoration]

Have you seen my Patreon page? I'm excited to announce that I'm posting Patreon exclusive videos and behind the scenes updates on my Patreon page! I'll still be posting videos here on KZbin just as I always have but I will also be posting exclusive videos to Patreon. These exclusive videos and updates are a way for me to say Thank You to the patrons that support me there. If you'd like to become a patron, the link is www.patreon.com/dashnerdesign . Thank you!

[@DashnerGuitars]

You're the best!

[@DashnerDesignRestoration]

@DashnerGuitars No, you are!

[@pauloalvesdesouza7911]

Hello, I just discovered your channel. I've never tried this because I never got feedback on how does it lasts along time. Does it maintain its tone or does it change somewhat?

[@marin4311]

It's my favorite wood enhancer. In France, woodworkers call it "the nail soup", because they used to make it by putiing old broken nails into a jar full of vinegar. You can add a few tea leaves or grounded coffee to change the color a little bit. Turmeric powder is also a safe, great and cheap yellow substance to add to any vinegar mixture to put on wood.

[@wichitarick]

Yes is the method I learned when young, or various similar methods, grew up working with metal, in a shop I worked in we saved filings, from different areas that a guy used for lg. restorations jobs! he also scraped and saved rust from iron & steel and saved, always wondered what the different types of iron and steel would change in the final color? The "soup" you refer to, I have used made with scrap steel from a milling machine,10% vinegar and the tea or tobacco and applied with sponge on knife handles and numerous gunstocks. The yellow would look nice,have seen numerous flower petals used the same way but in a spray bottle on raw wood and wicker for porches. thank you. Peace. Rick

[@ant1sokolow]

The best thing with tea is to paint the wood first with very strong tea, let dry and then put the iron acetate "soupe aux clous". The tea is not there for own color, but to bring more tannin to the wood. It is the tannins, naturally present in the wood, that react with iron ions to give that black color. Tea helps much with tannins poor woods, like softwoods. Oak is a tannin rich wood. If tea is put into the vinegar/iron the reaction will occur in the bottle, tannin /iron complex will precipitate and the staining effect not as good. Other tannins source can be used like bark, peat..

[@coppulor6500]

@@ant1sokolow great info! what happens if you use stronger vinegar. I have 30%. Can you make this mixture more quickly with stronger vinegar? and then add water back in after you have iron acetate to dilute it a bit? I've seen some videos and it takes ten to fourteen days. Seems stronger acid = quicker reaction no?

[@ant1sokolow]

@@coppulor6500 stronger is better i guess. The best iron source is steel wool. Maximum reaction surface But you must degrease it as there is some oil on it to prevent rust.

[@ant1sokolow]

@@coppulor6500 I guess so. Never used stronger than 12%. Beware of skin or eye burns

[@cpta03]

“1980’s kitchen cabinets” Exactly what I thought when I saw the bench. After refinishing, the bench is beautiful! I had never heard of using vinegar to color wood. The vinegar finish looks so natural and rich. Thank you for the video. By the way, I was thinking of donating my dusty corded drill (exactly like the one you bought) but I will now keep it. One never knows when it will come in handy.

[@RicardoCristofRemmertFontes]

It’s mostly the iron oxides reacting with the tannic acids, but the vinegar reacts with both the iron and the lignine, adding to the action.

[@cpta03]

@@RicardoCristofRemmertFontes Thank you for the explanation.

[@cpta03]

@@lesdmark Thank you for the suggestion. I will definitely do some further reading on ebonizing.

[@Flecha57]

I would suggest that you clean up your dusty corded drill. As far as I am concerned, cordless drills are totally useless.

[@mateuszminsky5619]

vinegar was used extenisvely and is one of the reasons furniture examples disintegrate rather than survive. It's way too acidic to use as a preservative or dye, unless it's neutralized afterwards. good luck with measuring the pH of your wood.

[@karlasheives2865]

It turned out to be a gorgeous bench after all that. I love this finish technique. Thanks for sharing ❤️

[@DashnerDesignRestoration]

Thanks for watching.

[@thestoryhomechannel]

I love this technique! Thanks for showing us how.

[@skwalka6372]

@@DashnerDesignRestoration Just wondering why you didn't hand-plane the bench, especially the top and sides. A good planing would have removed everything you didn't want and left you with a smooth surface ready for your ebonizing!

[@DashnerDesignRestoration]

@@skwalka6372 I wasn't going for a smooth surface. I wanted it a bit rough so that it would absorb the vinegar. If the surface is too smooth and glassy it won't absorb much.

[@skwalka6372]

@@DashnerDesignRestoration In that case you can rough it up with sandpaper after you plane it, which is a very fast task. My point is that planing might save you from having to clean the pores. Great looking piece in the end!

[@DS-qw1tp]

Appreciated the humour in this video. Particularly is a hard word to say

[@scarvesbowtiessuspen]

took me a second but guy's voice reminds me of the show archer interesting video!

[@MaureenTheTemp]

The shape of the bench is very modern, the black finish complements the modern shape brilliantly!

[@jomercer21113]

Household vinegar is about 96% water, so I'd expect it to raise the grain like plain water would. The vinegar/iron reacts with the tannin on the surface of the wood; perhaps the wire brushing, sanding and washing removed too much tannin in those lighter areas. You can use tannin to treat wood with weak tannin content in order to make this effect work better.

[@denvernow7294]

Good point. I was wondering if it was just harder wood in those areas and absorbed less, but your idea makes more sense. :)

[@tobins6800]

Coffee or tea has tannins in it as well.

[@aragorndedolor4171]

@@tobins6800 how do you apply the tannin? You make/mix the vinegar with coffee or tea (vinegar coffee/tea, no water) or you apply coffee/tea water mixture first, let it soak in and dry, then brush on the clear vinegar?

[@tobins6800]

@@aragorndedolor4171 I used coffee that had already been brewed, dumped em in a jar of water, let it sit for a while. Use a damp rag and wipe it on, much the same way as the vinegar mixture. Wipe off excess, let dry then do the vinegar mix.

[@trudyeby464]

​@@aragorndedolor4171there is a response above that said paint the tea on before the vinegar stain

[@aok2727]

It’s always good to move all that oak furniture out of the 1980s. I never realized one could use vinegar for this. It looks like a new piece. Well done!

[@mymidschoollife8485]

Wonderful. I've always loved bog oak, and this is like the fast way to get it without sitting your oak in a bog for a couple of hundred years !

[@lmtt123]

Bog oak is created over hundreds of thousands of years

[@wandererstraining]

@@lmtt123 No, hundreds OR thousands of years. According to Wikipedia, the oldest bog wood is about 8-9000 years old.

[@sofiavalenzuela9782]

Hi Dash, you used to be reserved, you spoke just enough.... today you do it with ease and confidence, showing us your style of humour which I love, you take the risk of expressing your doubts out loud. And I want to believe that all this is because you have felt that you have earned our respect and affection. 😊"thank you for reading"

[@Laura_Brock]

What a remarkable result for this project! The video covered dealing with several issues that came up in the prep and finishing of the bench. It was interesting to see a stain process that I have only read about. The bench has a deep glow and sets a new bar for the current trend of black paint ed and stained furniture. Absolutely stunning!

[@stiglagerfeld9151]

I like how the crow calling in the background made the bench feel even darker 😄 Thanks for sharing your vinegar recipe - creates a great finish!

[@ralphiewigs2208]

I love this ebonizing technique and I've used it many times on the new pieces I've made. I was always afraid to use it on a refinish piece, so it's good to know it works. After the vinegar and steel wool solution have dried, I seal the surface with laquer spray sealer and then apply a gel stain (usually an antique mahogany tone) and wipe it off. It imparts a cool reddish brownish tone to the piece and adds some depth. After that, I wipe on a satin oil/poly finish like minwax, then a tinted wax. It's easy and pretty much fool proof, which is what I need!

[@MrAllen718]

The grain on the end result is amazing! Really enjoy your work.

[@DashnerDesignRestoration]

Thank you.

[@seeingthepattern]

I love ebonising oak in this way - partly because of the finished look, but partly because I just like seeing the change as the wood darkens. A rather dull-looking bench turned into something very classy. Another great job, sir.

[@caroltanzi29]

Steven: I really like the way the bench turned out. Changing the stain brought it into the 21st century. Good looking. Carol from California

[@user-cl3kf4qe4i]

Отличная работа, я обычно дуб морю в парах аммиака,получается цвет старого дуба и за счёт взаимодействия аммиака с танинами в дубе протравливается глубоко, можно даже шлифовать после покрытия.

[@hyderized]

I've never lol at one of your videos but that park shenanigans had me rolling. Thanks for the laugh.

[@sherrygiambalvo2288]

This completely changed the look of the bench. I think it actually elevated it to look very classy. I have those 80s oak cabinets in my kitchen. Lol As usual I love watching you transform furniture! 💚 Fantastic job!

[@marcwright4790]

Now I’m wondering how old 80s cabinets would look with this kind of application.

[@MB-xw1tu]

@@marcwright4790 exactly.. mine aren't from the 80's but they basically look like it. I feel like this might actually work better than painting as a solution

[@pteddie6965]

This bench looks fantastic! The ebony turned out to be an excellent choice. I love it when you sneak in the little jokes. They always catch me off guard and it takes me a second or two to realize that you are joking and then I always have a good laugh. Thanks for sharing the video. I look forward to watching and listening to you.

[@lesleythompson6801]

He actually said particularly right, though. 😃

[@shannonnakashima7714]

@@lesleythompson6801 😆😆😆

[@lesleythompson6801]

@@shannonnakashima7714 What.

[@laurasell2353]

That's a beautiful finish!! I'm going to try that on an oak side table I'm refinishing. Thank you for sharing and taking time to make your videos.

[@imxploring]

Great Video as usual! Perfect choice on the refinishing process. Looks great! Good for another couple of decades!

[@junkye_]

I'm sure I'm not the only one digging the jokes on the last 2 videos. Yes, I'm a Dashnerd!

[@MetalRestorationBho]

Good job bro

[@pkillatwill4292]

Holy shit!! I’m staining everything black now!!

[@garyfairbrother5532]

I’m going to use this method on a tool chest I’m making out of red oak. You really put that old bench in a Time Machine and sent it decades into the future. I think it looks classy now…understated elegance.

[@lauranellburch9774]

Absolutely freaking beautiful result. I enjoyed seeing you do something that didn't end up with a reddish look.

[@jliscorpio]

You turned a thrift store reject into an incredibly chic piece of furniture. Bravo!

[@RM-vw3ov]

Another lovely ASMR experience sir. Between your calming voice and the thoughtful restoration technique every video is a gift. Thank you!

[@Chaptersaudio]

The before and after on this piece is not just dramatic but is stunning 😚

[@joepaskowski9091]

Wow…that looks so much more refined than the natural finish. Live the wire wheel technique to clean out the deep grain. Really shows in the final product!

[@wayne00k]

That is a beautiful effect! I think I'll start a collection of small scraps of different woods and test the vinegar solution on them for reference. Thanks for the inspiration

[@kevinw3671]

This turned out beautiful. I'd never heard about using a wire wheel to clean out the deep grain. Going to remember that next chance I get.

[@indie825]

The bench looks gorgeous! What a great and simple way to up date a 80's piece.

[@katharinatrub1338]

What a stylisch bench! Great find! I like it's new dark color and the way the wood 'shines through' .

[@deborahmatatall]

I really like this finish, especially on oak. The bench is beautiful and sophisticated now. Thanks for showing the process.🌸

[@mirothiel8039]

You had me going there for a minute. 🤣

[@Beruthiel45]

Interesting technique to remove those black areas on the top of the bench. I know from having oak cabinets and furniture that oak will get those black streaks from water. My cabinet doors below my kitchen sink are all blackened on the raised edges in the frame from my grandbabies playing with water in the sink, and I looked it up and found out that it's a thing, and have been stuck with them since. I love your bench. Solid and sturdy and simple and graceful. Oak does well in black. 😊👍

[@toddylu6869]

This looks awesome and completely different! I enjoy your sense of humor. Keep it sprinkled in your videos!

[@michaelshaules3197]

Your videos are getting more and more entertaining. The humor is nice. Great job as usual.

[@rosalindhendricks6337]

You certainly are up to all challenges. Admire your persistence in removing and cleaning up the finish. Most would merely give up. It turned out beautiful.

[@VisionaryGardener]

This is beautiful. I'll bet it sold quickly! I've used the vinegar steel wool finish on several different woods, and it reacts completely differently depending on the wood. Oak has lots of natural tannins in it already, which is why I think it goes so dark. If you use it on pine, I find it goes a much lighter, silvery grey. I made a cupboard for my travel trailer out of reclaimed pallet wood, much of which was pine. By using a wire brush like you did (quite aggressively), then using the vinegar finish, I managed to make the wood look like driftwood. I finished mine with spray lacquer, too. I love how easy it is to use, and how quickly it dries.

[@snowglobe55]

amazing transformation, I love to see you restore a piece to its original state but there is something special about getting creative and making something totally different!

[@jennynevers4811]

That's such a cool bench. So sleek and simple looking. It reminds me a lot of that mid century haywood wakefield desk you shared a video of about a year ago. Sometimes simple furniture is just so satisfying to look at for me, I can't even explain it. Very cool idea to blacken it with the vinegar mixture. It made the end result look a lot more modern than the natural wood color. I would have never thought of this option, but it looks amazing. Thank you for the great video! 💕👍👍👍

[@livingcreatively1]

Oh wow the deepness of the black blew me away. I'm definitely trying that. I just used watered down black and i thought it look amazing but the bench looks so good as well.

[@ShellyCline]

Wow, I had absolutely no idea you could have a nice furniture like this. Amazing. And it turned out absolutely beautiful.

[@krista2216]

You were so right about making the grain more visible! You saw all of its potential, and transformed it. This bench ended up beautiful, based only on its natural attributes

[@hameley12]

🤩 Oh my stars! It looks so beautiful! I enjoyed every moment of this video. I look forward to seeing you experiment with other finishing techniques. Thanks so much for sharing!

[@DashnerDesignRestoration]

Thank you.

[@pixelgraphica]

Really elegant finished bench! I would not have thought it would turn out like that. Very nice!!

[@ephphathaoracle]

Brilliant! I’m going to give this a try. Thank you for the step-by-step instruction and thought process. I love how it turned out.

[@ForeverEclectic]

Great job...simply beautiful. The next time I spot a table with this finish in the thrift store, I will try this technique👍

[@KathyDuncan9]

Stunning result! I'm going to try this on a 90s oak desk. Thank you for posting.

[@lindsaylinde1683]

wow!!! it turned out so sleek and cool looking. I love the finish and technique!

[@altheamcnabb2829]

Love it. Thanks for telling us about the vinegar. I had forgotten all about that. I saw my father use it one time when I was a kid.

[@NazVick]

You got some beautiful results out of this simple concoction. Great work and thank you for the tips

[@mipakr]

Heat gun trick, audible "whoa." Very cool!

[@windarodriguez1671]

Wow, this turned out really nice. 👌

[@MegaCharlottebrown]

Beautiful! I love the way the grain stands out.

[@jannamarie3990]

That looks so good! Wow! I would have never thought of that...

[@catherineb8658]

Amazing. Inspiring. I have an oak kitchen table with the exact same 80s vibe, and the black stuff in the grain too. I've been wanting to refinish it for a while but not sure what to do and I think this is a gorgeous look. I have a jar of vinegar and steel wool steeping in my closet while I slowly work at removing the old finish. I'm very excited for how it's going to look! Thank you for your videos

[@frankiemcgough2462]

Another absolutely stunning piece! So impressive! Thanks for sharing this.

[@bearzlla]

Probably my favorite video of yours to date. I love ebony/charcoal furniture!

[@nachojones1]

Dude!! That looks amazing. I have an oak draw table that I am replacing the veneer or ( it was all chipped and coming off) and THIS is the perfect finish for it. OMG I finally found the right finish for it. It's been sitting around for 2 yrs. Thank you so much. And your bench is really really great. Love your channel, videos and information.

[@theriverbend]

Wow! I might actually pick up a golden oak piece next time I go thrifting, always thought there was no hope for them. Thanks again for a great video!

[@marthacrocker7718]

Wow! Absolutely beautiful!! This could be a cure for those 80's kitchen cabinets, too.

[@neilmorten6416]

Yet another awesome video! Your persistence paid off, as always, yet another beautifully refinished project. Thank you, Sir!

[@DashnerDesignRestoration]

Thank you!

[@kh3731]

Looks so nice! Huge improvement

[@jandavis1523]

Beautiful! I had second thoughts about the use of vinegar but this was just enough to retain the original grain. Well done!

[@ImCarolB]

A beautiful job. The bench looks so much better when it's dark. I have enjoyed the results of a vinegar/iron wash. With a diluted wash, it's an easy way to make new pine look like driftwood or barn boards.

[@Karmageddonn]

Beautiful outcome

[@ThePinkBinks]

That are particlarrll… that are particulallar.. that are partic…. that are extra hard. Made me chuckle. I do that too. 😊

[@cathieslabaugh7841]

Looks spectacular! Made it look modern. I like how that finish still allows the grain to breathe. Not sure how to say it. 😍

[@gailgaddy5340]

It really turned out good. I was surprised. Thanks for the video.

[@argonaut3001]

Lovely work. I really appreciate the water wetting tip. as well as the 180 max to keep a key.

[@Barackrifle]

Love the narration. Love the texture. Could never get the vinegar and steel wool mix work for me but it clearly works for you, amazing finish.

[@holly5791]

An unusual finish for sure. It turned out nicely. Just proves that you don't have to have a lot of expensive product for a good result. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. 🙂👍

[@MrsShanonBrown]

Wow! Vinegar and steel wool makes oak black! I did not know until now. And I do woodwork! And I’m 52 yrs old! Thank you, young sir. I am excited to try this.

[@joniwarren3100]

Loved how this turned out.. I may have to try that finish… Thank you for sharing..

[@ThePinkBinks]

Beautiful work. Thanks for showing your method. ♥️

[@sharmathi25]

It looks gorgeous. Amazing job. Keep rocking 👍🏼

[@juanignaciocaino]

Wow that's some seriously beautiful finish there!

[@leenahusa1806]

Looks incredible. I need to try that vinegar steel wool trick!

[@Ntyler01mil]

I love this technique. Incredible results.

[@peztopher7297]

This is my second time watching this. It came out really nice, with all the different subtle hues. 👌

[@renmo6061]

Beautiful!! Such a lovely transformation!!!

[@lesliejohnson7247]

Love it! Loved also that you let us hear your sense of humor too!

[@shazzied1]

Beautiful. Love your video's. 'Thanks for watching' always makes me smile and I'm sure I'm not the only one that says it either just before you do or straight after. 😂

[@migmagingenieria]

Phenomenal technique!!! Will try it out rigth away, thanks a lot for sharing man!!!!!! 👍👍👍

[@kathysims8124]

Thank you for sharing, I've never seen that type of finish before and I really like it. Great job!!

[@LaughingInTiny]

This is brilliant! I have a set of cabinets that are the "80s oak" you find in every thrift store with the smoked glass. I've wanted to do them in black for forever and when I get around to them the store always seems to be out of black stain. I almost ordered it online a few days ago. It's a good thing I didn't because now I've learned that I can do this instead 😁

[@Texburrito03]

Fantastic color and finish. Great job!

[@thebigone6071]

Thanks for these vids fam! You’re the greatest wood worker in world history!!! The 🐐 of wood!!!!

[@carmenponcedeleon2693]

Holy smokes! This is so cool! You did a great job 👏🏽

[@chrisdavis1722]

I like the idea that this bench is just in a park and you just took it 😀 As always, this is stunning! The darker finish really looks nice on this piece. I immediately see this fitting in a high end, chic entry way or at the end of a grand bed. Great job! 👍

[@ashleyosborne6239]

WOW!! I LOVE the way this turned out, Dash. It looks like a totally different piece of furniture (definitely not 80’s kitchen cabinets look anymore) and such a cool technique. I have a large solid oak hutch which I’m going to do kind of the opposite color in a ceruse finish. But the part I’ve been dreading…cleaning out/opening the grain because I’ve only seen it done with a wire brush by hand. So THANK YOU for the wire wheel attached to a drill idea!! Of course I will not be working on it this weekend bc while y’all are still in the 40’s, we’re having a crazy heat wave here in Dallas and are going to be 99!🥵 Another great video and piece, Dashner.💜

[@joleneplourde9885]

What a cool technique! I love the color❤️

[@JamesDeese]

I remember the desk you dyed black. It turned out really good. So did this project!

[@erickjason9092]

That is a piece of art. Its beautiful!

[@carolynwalker580]

That finish is so rich, like chocolate must try..thankyou for sharing.

[@megh1684]

My 1980s-vintage oak side table is weeping just like yours did. The temperature in my garage is 70+ degrees so it’s not from it being too cold outside. I like the Stripwell stripper but it certainly isn’t quick-acting. Thanks for your excellent videos.