The best ammonia for fuming white oak

[@jeffgrzeca2827]

Please be WARNED, one of the effects of ammonia is that it desensitizes your sense of smell very quickly. (You think the smell has gone away but it hasn't changed at all) Particularly when working with the stronger versions, you may think that you are not being exposed to much and find yourself in a dangerous and possibly life threatening situation. You need the ventilation and the green ammonia filters. Keep in mind that once the filters have absorbed their capacity, you will experience break through and start to smell it. Then you are in the same situation as if you werent wearing a respirator and in the same danger.

[@tomdickharryjane]

What was interesting was toward the end. You showed the darkening through the whole cross section for the industrial strength. Very cool result. Thanks for taking the time.

[@blackbird-25]

Over here in the UK I use what is called 880 ammonia, this is around 34% when the bottle is new. I fume overnight,8-10 hours. The colour change is complete by then and the penetration is around 3mm 1/8". I don't do any other work on the piece after fuming other than a final light sand with 240 grit paper before oil finishing. I have found that fuming does emphasize any water staining from cleaning off glue etc so extra care is needed in the final sanding before fuming. Luckily ammonia is highly volatile so if it's a warm day I can leave the piece outside in the sun to offgas usually a couple of hours is enough

[@hsiehkanusea]

Thx for the details. Useful

[@joemedley195]

If you’re doing American Arts and Crafts style, ammonia fuming is a technique you should know. I’m talking about Gustav Stickley or Green and Green.

[@johngrabski4578]

Many thanks for this. I just started the process of experimenting with fuming and your video not only educated me, (on a number of fronts), but saved me time as well. Thanks again.

[@goldendogwoodworks6675]

When I dealt with this kind of chemicals, we always did it with a fuming hood and almost the same kind of covering you would see in a pandemic

[@wilfredprins9718]

Would it be possible to brush the ammonia on it for similar effects?

[@clars7146]

.... I read the article yesterday… Almost passed up on the KZbin video… Glad I watched… One of your best Ben!!! Loved the tunes...

[@FineWoodworking]

Thanks!

[@lindrake8315]

Amazing follow up to Chris's article! I want to thank you Ben for everything you have done to improve the magazine. For the record if I saw you in a Panera I would definitely try to get your autograph. Keep up the great work and thank you again.

[@FineWoodworking]

Ah shucks. -Ben

[@gregdeering3771]

Thank you for the video. Does the tuba in your potting shed need a new home? I would love to provide that home.

[@Rcknives]

Is the colour only surface or does it go deep into the wood?

[@christianlemmermann7995]

I usually use 32% and then leaving 5-14days depending on the color I want. The 14 days give me dark gray / dark brown when oiled (with oak) Then the saturation also goes in 3mm in side grain

[@scottmartin7717]

Thanks for this, but just to clarify... You aren't getting full penetration using a higher grade ammonia for a much longer time than shown here? (I know you said side grain but since each piece is three dimensional it would just penetrate in the other directions through, or so I would assume.)

[@christianlemmermann7995]

​@@scottmartin7717 end grain soaks up way more of evreything...wather, glue etc. therefore the penetraion of endgrain is much more segnificant with the color as well. i fume oak regulary and the only way of menetration deeper than 3mm has been to ad pressure to the equation(forcing the amonia in, or exposing the wood repeadetly over a longer periode of time

[@scottmartin7717]

@@christianlemmermann7995 I got you, that makes sense. Thanks for explaining it some more

[@christianlemmermann7995]

Scott Martin no worries :)

[@go4384]

can this be stained for the same effect? seems safer lol

[@silverbackag9790]

No. White oak doesn’t take stain very well due to its closed cell nature. It can be dyed but aniline dyes can fade.

[@jonathantowne8863]

How do you safely dispose of the industrial strength (28%) ammonia when you are done with it?

[@germcrazyshokoff3623]

This reminds of of the (not so) good old days. I’m a pretty aggressive germphobe and used to have a business where I would go into some pretty gross houses. At the end of each day I’d rinse my boots and equipment in undiluted household ammonia and outside my shop would smell like ammonia for hours afterwards. Being nuts, I like the smell, but I doubt any of my neighbors did. Thankfully, this would go down late in the evening so the business complex I was in was typically empty by the time I got there. I can’t imagine pouring that stuff in a closed room and having to sit in there with it. Even I wouldn’t like that very much!

[@christianjanes]

Really interesting. This is the sort of thing that my other half looks at me funny when she realises what I’m watching!

[@tomdickharryjane]

You get used to it. I have.

[@carlgustafson213]

From your cross sections, I'd guess that prolonged exposure to the weaker solutions will give you more penetration. The stronger solution releases more ammonia, so you get faster penetration. When you dissolve ammonia gas (NH3) in water (H2O), it reacts on a 1:1 basis with water to form Ammonium Hydroxide (NH4OH). If you make the solution [more] alkaline, you will push some of the ammonium hydroxide back to ammonia (NH3). You may get faster results (or deeper penetration) by simply adding something alkaline (lye) to the ammonia solution.

[@gallegutte8820]

Dose the oak expand after the treatment? Could i make a drawer, and then let it sit i ammonia?

[@FineWoodworking]

There is a lot of water in any of these bottles. I would certainly not recommend letting a drawer sit in ammonia (and water). -Ben

[@gallegutte8820]

@@FineWoodworking it will expand after the treatment, with all the water socked in. I had my first week at a woodworking workshop, and one thing I didn't know was that the smoked oak came in as solid wood plank. So the oak did have the cooler that it did need before we even began to cut it.

[@Sstrubha]

Great video. Thanks for working on this and stay safe.

[@danieldurkton2942]

Hello, I have a question for you did you change out the ammonia after each day? Great video keep them coming. Thanks daniel

[@danieldurkton2942]

Hello again never mind I watched a video once again and it explains it so I will change it out after each day. Have a great weekend thanks again

[@Fredericbrondel]

Do you think it's could be food safe after the smell is gone ?

[@FineWoodworking]

Personally, I wouldn't use open grained woods like white oak for food use. Food and bacteria can get trapped in the pores of the wood and it'd be tough to clean. -Ben

[@yamabiru4553]

Well done

[@M13x13M]

Brilliant video!

[@Clintboyd]

Cool! Nice tunes, too.

[@johnbauby6612]

So how would I fume oak posts on my timber frame house? Not really practical in a large or actual size scenario

[@scottmartin7717]

A 50 gallon drum of high industrial grade ammonia (50 percent or higher) for thirty days. Just make sure the kids have their Covid masks on and they'll be fine. I just put mine out now and I'm feelongg fine fore suureup. D. Ronlapsj jsvcgxn . D XN xbxj *thud*

[@carlgustafson213]

Well, you know, this whole fuming thing was really discovered by examining oak in barns, which turns a really dark color, thanks to the ammonia released by animal urine. So for your house, you *could* use the natural approach ;)

[@SamuQu]

Where's the control group?

[@FineWoodworking]

That was hour "0"

[@tomdickharryjane]

On the left.

[@smoovefishing]

Should have cut the 72 hour in half and see if it went all the way thru

[@gregoryguitars6291]

Anhydrous ammonia or no ammonia. The only thing that makes white oak into brown oak is beefcake fungus

[@austinstubblefield9907]

The poor baritone sitting out in a garden shed.

[@chadjudge7552]

Also shave your face or your mask wont seal.

[@Tboyhoot777]

I've breathed ammonia for years an ip hasn't effected my, al all. Excep mayi tiping soneimte. wow aplt ehodopyy sueppyfd hg p[en . Si, don't worry about it 2 much.