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

[@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!

[@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!

[@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.

[@hyderized]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@MaureenTheTemp]

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

[@junkye_]

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

[@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"

[@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!

[@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.

[@ThePinkBinks]

Beautiful work. Thanks for showing your method. ♥️

[@mirothiel8039]

You had me going there for a minute. 🤣

[@MetalRestorationBho]

Good job bro

[@jliscorpio]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@DominicGreen]

1:35 “And I also used some thinner on any spots that were particulry… par-tic-u-lur-ly… that we’re particul-.. that we’re extra hard to get off.” SAME 😂

[@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

[@MrAllen718]

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

[@DashnerDesignRestoration]

Thank you.

[@ThePinkBinks]

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

[@mipakr]

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

[@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!

[@windarodriguez1671]

Wow, this turned out really nice. 👌

[@propagandapandas]

I enjoy the dry humor starting to seep through lately

[@BelindaJoy]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@michaelshaules3197]

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

[@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!

[@pkillatwill4292]

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

[@lauranellburch9774]

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

[@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.

[@piperatthegatesofdawn]

Damn, it looks a thousand times better!!

[@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. 😊👍

[@ForeverMasterless]

I must admit I was skeptical at the start. That bench was UGLY. But man is it beautiful in the end shot. Cleaning the dirt out of the grain lines with the wire brush was genius.

[@y0nd3r]

@@tetedur377 Did you structure your sentence just so you could bash millennials? How cute.

[@rayvin357]

it was not ugly!

[@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.

[@imxploring]

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

[@indie825]

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

[@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

[@branokrajcovic8863]

Finally, a video with no background music! The bench looks fantastic!

[@jodidavis6595]

😂😂😂 found in a park lol. And particularly 😂😂😂 love your humor. You’re coming out of your shell. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼🇺🇸

[@kelliebuchanan4045]

Celebrate, good times come on...Adding vinegar/steel wool to my finishing rotation now. Thank you. The 80's *sigh.

[@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.

[@markhedquist9597]

Welp, this helps me immensely. The '80s cabinets I salvaged from a remodel project for the purpose of putting in my shop will get this treatment. Now I won't vomit everytime I walk into my shop. Yay! Thanks for this video. You got a subscriber outa me.

[@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.🌸

[@ShellyCline]

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

[@ForeverEclectic]

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

[@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. 😂

[@Yellow.Dog.]

I refinish floors as a hobby. I've noticed dog pee does the same thing to oak. TSP is your friend in these cases. Amazing what it can do to remove the stains.

[@Thepourdeuxchanson]

I got an education. Living in England so long and being a loving supporter of old and un-modernized pubs, I saw a LOT of black oak beams holding up a lot of ancient bulging ceilings. I always assumed they had been painted, and wondered why always black. Now I know they would have been pickled with vinegar. Probably good against woodworm, rot etc. too I bet.

[@toddylu6869]

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

[@chezLynn]

Thanks, so much! I recently scored a wrought iron park bench with a wooden seat that's... well... rotted, but I've also been sitting on a piece of an old church pew I've been saving. So, I figured I'd try to use them, together, but didn't like the contrast of the black iron and honey oak, any more than I liked the idea of painting either another color. Seeing this, though, I know that resurfacing the wood as you've done will make these 2 materials work together, beautifully. Can't wait to try it out!

[@thebigone6071]

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

[@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!

[@pixelgraphica]

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

[@marthacrocker7718]

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

[@mirothiel8039]

Beautiful. Went from being rather unremarkable to striking.

[@MegaCharlottebrown]

Beautiful! I love the way the grain stands out.

[@RM-vw3ov]

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

[@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!

[@KathyDuncan9]

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

[@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.

[@Karmageddonn]

Beautiful outcome

[@jannamarie3990]

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

[@lindsaylinde1683]

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

[@NazVick]

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

[@juanignaciocaino]

Wow that's some seriously beautiful finish there!

[@CheaddakerT.Snodgrass]

That bench is back in black. It's been too long, we're glad it's back Forget the hearse because it never dies It's got nine lives I'll be here all week

[@argonaut3001]

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

[@rpc717]

Super pro tip with the wire wheel! I wouldn't have given that discoloration a second thought, but cleaning it made a huge difference!

[@michaeld1370]

Loving the humor at the beginning!

[@TheFiown]

I built a few raised garden beds from Douglas Pine and as it was bright I used this mix on it and it aged back great to blend with the rest of the buildings.

[@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.

[@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! 💕👍👍👍

[@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.

[@dshey6802]

Wow! The bench went from ho hum to high end! Very attractive.

[@gailgaddy5340]

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

[@avenuex3731]

That’s looks awesome! Beats the devil out of getting ebony stain to take.

[@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.

[@neilmorten6416]

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

[@DashnerDesignRestoration]

Thank you!

[@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

[@sharmathi25]

It looks gorgeous. Amazing job. Keep rocking 👍🏼

[@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.

[@joniwarren3100]

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

[@Ntyler01mil]

I love this technique. Incredible results.

[@kh3731]

Looks so nice! Huge improvement

[@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.

[@renmo6061]

Beautiful!! Such a lovely transformation!!!

[@kathysims8124]

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

[@cathieslabaugh7841]

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

[@waterbitten]

I love this method so much more than painting pieces black.