Testing the Blacktail Studio N3 Nano Ceramics Coating - Is it any good?

[@myssadonno2759]

Nice one! Thanks!!

[@HHWS]

We’ll done as usual my friend. I’ve always been very sceptical about these types of products, but after watching your video, we’ll I think I lol take the plunge on all my surfaces going forward. Thanks again!

[@Woodensoul]

Hey Henry! I was also sceptical, mainly due to you telling me that you were sceptical, haha... but I am glad I tried it out, it's pretty rad that stuff!

[@karllautman]

Excellent video. Thanks. It would also be helpful to see comparisons for heat (e.g. a cup of coffee without a coaster) and scratching.

[@Woodensoul]

Thanks Karl, I have received that request a couple of times and might publish a video with this soon...

[@bobfisher8159]

I’m based in the State of Ohio, USA. I’ve used Blacktail Studio’s N3 coating on the last two tables I constructed; a 14’ x 4’ x 1.75” sugar maple and a 7’ x 4’ x 1.75” Norway maple. Both of these tables were finished using two coats of Odies Oil; then two base coats of N3 followed by 2 top coats according to the directions provided by Cam in his videos. They have been in use only 3 months and 1 week respectively. No issues thus far.

[@Woodensoul]

Thanks for the feedback, Bob. Sugar maple? Sounds amazing - I have never seen that wood. Happy that the N3 is holding so far. I am also excited about it.

[@kiwdwks]

Appreciate your video/test! Nice to know it does the trick. A great addition to Rubio for protection...

[@Woodensoul]

Most welcome, Mark

[@_dooley]

That's exactly the information i needed before buying this product. As a hobbyist, one bottle will last me a very long time. Especially considering I'm only using it on the tops of my tables.

[@Woodensoul]

Happy to hear that this has been helpful. And agree: It can last long if you don’t create oversized dining tables 😆

[@davidwhite8978]

Nice video... I'd like to try a ceramic coating like the N3, but as you said it's an expensive mistake if it doesn't perform the way you like. I think a better test would be (1) to compare N3 to another ceramic coating like Black Forest Ceramic Coating, and (2) compare the finish of the three products (N3, Rubio, and Black Forest). Waterproofing is important, but so is the look and application of the finish. What would you think about doing that? I'd be very interested!

[@Woodensoul]

Hi David I have never used the BF coating up until now. What would be the main reason for such a comparison? Just looks? Is it cheaper/more expensive? Or would you expect different protective capabilities?

[@gulfcoastgrainz2245]

You’re about to be bombarded with comments, since he just shared this video in an email lol. So I thought I’d get my opinion in here. First off, anyone in the lower 48 struggled to get a solvent free ceramic for these types of applications. The shipping, coming from the other guys, was so long for the better part of 2 years. It just made more sense to use something different. The only diff option at the time was black diamonds attempt at a hydrophobic coating and me personally, I didn’t have good results with that. So when Cam dropped this product I was excited to have access to something (hopefully) comparable and within reach. Secondly, it’s just labeled as a ceramic. Not a certain level of ceramic that costs way too much because it’s the higher quality out of 3 options. Or a lower end ceramic because it’s cheaper than gold or silver. Not to take away from BF but they made it too gimmicky, for me, when they added those 3 labels. Furthermore, the stuff works. It speaks for itself and I don’t provide any client with my guarantee of quality without adding this product. Good video

[@Woodensoul]

Hahaha... up until now it's not too bad, just three comments :D On your first point: I had no idea that getting this stuff was hard in the US too. I never ordered the BF one, as it was so expensive plus very expensive to ship. I really hope that eventually there will be a distribution in Europe so we can shorten the shipping times and lower the shipping costs. Glad that we both agree that the stuff works and thanks for your comment man...

[@guylambrechts2303]

Cam's the King!

[@Woodensoul]

Being from Switzerland, we don't appreciate monarchies, but yeah, I agree, Cam kicks ass... 😆

[@drummondF]

How does the surface grip/friction compare with and without the Nano? I love rubio for guitar necks, where the slick finish is desireable. Thanks!

[@Woodensoul]

It's a tad more "slicky" than pure Rubio, because the ceramics close up the wood pores and make it more smooth. Most welcome...

[@tonyvandijk4339]

Hi, I live in Europe and was debating buying N3. The shipping is still expensive. Do you remember if you paid any import tax aswel?

[@Woodensoul]

Yeah, I had to pay hefty import taxes on top…

[@jeffreyjbyron]

Great video! Is this their Top Coat? Or their Hard Coat finish?

[@Woodensoul]

Thanks. Both, first two layers of hard, the two top coat

[@vulgarwoodworks]

Im by no means criticizing your test, but I'm concerned about theses exotic film type finishes and if they can be "spot" refinished. I find the most endearing quality of Rubio is that you can spot treat (in certain circumstances) instead of having to refinish a whole piece. Im sure more channels will, or have, tested these ceramics against abrasions and impacts, but if an owner is going to mistreat their wood product, adding a boutique finish doesn't seem practical. I appreciate you spending the time (and $$$) to show this test. Its good consumer information for those of us on the undecided side of the fence to take into consideration.

[@Woodensoul]

My friend! I agree with all you said. I also love Rubio for the spot refinishing properties it has, and you are right, that I have no idea how well this goes when you have to do that on a workpiece that has the N3 coating on top. Which gave me a great idea: I could test that by sanding down a small area on the piece of wood and refinishing it. So I could check out how it looks. Thanks for the inspiration. I will fly to the US on June 19th and will put your shirt on the mail a few days later - I did not forget :D

[@vulgarwoodworks]

@Wooden Soul if you use those pieces and see how well the N3 holds up to serious punishment, then show the refinishing process, I think you'll address the elephant in the room for us skeptics. Cheers, and no rush on the shirt.

[@Woodensoul]

I will think about it :D

[@jbclski]

A few questions - How long does this ceramic coating last? Can it be repaired? Is the dust toxic? Are nano particles ok for the environment? I can't find much information about these issues.

[@Woodensoul]

Ho. Unfortunately, I don’t know. I don’t have long time usage data yet. In the instructions it says to repeat the treatment every couple of years. I don’t know anything about toxicity but I am pretty sure it’s not healthy (which saw dust in general isn’t) and no idea about environmental questions for ceramics. Sorry

[@ToolingDesignTru-Die]

You are comparing a rubio application to a rubio plus 4 extra coatings? What if you just applied the rubio 4 extra times? Then compared them.

[@Woodensoul]

Using multiple layers of Rubio doesn’t improve its waterproofing, I have tested that here: Do additional coats of Rubio increase wood waterproofing? kzbin.info/www/bejne/apvMdoSZmsipfck

[@smalcat]

Great review! Do you still have the boards? I would love to see how it performs after a year! In general for tabletops which see a lot of abuse (like wine overnight) I have always used lacquer. I hate it, not just because its pain to apply with a brush but primarily because the object becomes more artificial. I oil and wax most of my other projects. Evan shelack some. So a question: how natural is this nano coat?? I can see there is much more sheen which is generally a bad thing in my book. Lots of people like it, however, lots of people like epoxy too. Just not my cup of tea.

[@Woodensoul]

Thanks, appreciate. Yeah, I think the boards are still in my workshop, but they are not a year old and also they have not been in use. I am with you when it comes to lacquer. The ceramic coating is much thinner and doesn't feel like laquer at all. Its correct that it adds a little sheen, which many people like. The wood doesn't feel like plastic or epoxy afterwards, it's pretty similar to Rubio Monocoat only, maybe a tad more slippery. If you want to try it out, you can also buy a cheap car ceramics (see separate video I made) and try it out for yourself. Should cost you around 15 bucks...

[@smalcat]

@@Woodensoul Thanks for the answer mate. I think I will try it with car ceramics! But what I was getting at the one year old boards, it would be great if you did the experiment again on one year old coat. Eg does the ceramics still perform holding the red wine for one minute. I would be plesantly surprised if it still does the job, even if the boards have not been in use.

[@Woodensoul]

@@smalcat I will put that on my to-do list

[@jeffreyjbyron]

Have you tried the Black Forest ceramic? I'm curious if it is similar to blacktail!

[@Woodensoul]

I have not tried it, but I assume it will be very similar to all ceramics. I have two follow up videos where I tested car ceramics, so you might want to check out those to get an impression

[@jeffreyjbyron]

@@Woodensoul Thanks! Yes I've seen our other videos. Great comparisons. It sounds like the conclusion you came to is that Blacktail is the best you've tried, and definitely better that automotive ceramic coats. Appreciate your videos.

[@Woodensoul]

No, in my recent tests I wasn’t able to find significant advantages of Blacktail over car ceramics. They mostly performed tge same but are much cheaper

[@jeffreyjbyron]

@@Woodensoul INteresting. I saw your video where you describe the damage to the table. It would be a shame if the ceramic coat actually made the finish LESS durable, or more difficult to repair. It does seem like putting a layer of silicone on finished wood would be a bad idea, as there's only a weak chemical bond to the oil wax finish underneath. Appreciate your experiments!

[@Woodensoul]

@@jeffreyjbyron Yeah, let's say that there are mixed signals. I haven't stopped completely using it, but I am evaluating much more carefully if its really necessary, and what it would mean if I have to repair the object.

[@user-bm8kl3dd4c]

Would you use this for vertical surfaces like cabinets? Or is rubio enough for that?

[@Woodensoul]

In general, I think I would go without the N3 for vertical surfaces, assuming they are not of heavy use. If you have vertical surfaces that are touched frequently, come in contact with body fat of fingers etc., then you could consider it.

[@asderven]

Thank you for the video. That completely answers the question about water/liquids. Do you know if people have done heat testing on it? Hot mugs, dinner plate food (subcontinent food always seem to have hot to touch plates).

[@Woodensoul]

Thank you - pumped if this was helpful. I am not aware of such tests, but maybe I should test that and post another video?

[@asderven]

@@Woodensoul this was very helpful. People here often have beautiful dining tables but they cover it with a cloth and clear plastic to protect the surface. To me that takes away the beauty of having a wood dining table. Naturally with people, kids, guests, the table will take abuse. It seems this product holds up to heat from a plate alright. Tea mugs is the only thing left that I have to figure out.

[@huntersego6582]

Can you do a scratch test to demonstrate its durability compared to Rubio monocoat?

[@Woodensoul]

This video has some scratch tests: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHuuYYiPiLJmacksi=6R79bloEna8cUCwr

[@ericarnsdorff3441]

Very good evaluation and this got me looking at this product for upcoming projects. However, when I started looking into it I found that the safety/toxicity may be of concern. I’m not one to be overly cautious in this area but I only found info indicating concerns with the safety of it. An evaluation of the safety/toxicity of it for things like tables and other such potential ingestion possibilities would be helpful. Also, if there is a need to identify PPE for applying it would be good to understand if it is safe once cured.

[@Woodensoul]

Hi Eric. This is a good point. I am not an expert in this field, obviously. I did likely the same as you, and found that nano graphene is indeed toxic, hence you should use gloves and I would also use breathing protection. Once cured it seems to not to expel toxin, but I would also not use it for a cutting board, where you will cut the surface and get the stuff in your food. So likely, it needs to be treated similar to epoxy resin. But again, I am not an expert. Here is an article I found: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8213470/

[@Romuich]

Hi! Thank you for the videos, i find them very useful! That was exactly my concern, how to protect table top covered with rubio. I watched Camerons finishing course and i trust your tests on N3. But... still very expensive considering shipping to Europe😢 If you only could compare N3 with some real auto ceramic (that have same small bottle 10-30ml, application method and cure time like N3 has). Not the one you tested few months ago, that turned out to be useless 😞

[@Woodensoul]

Thanks for your kind words, I am glad if this was helpful to you. I didn't have time to do research about alternative car ceramics. Why don't we do the following: You look for a product that looks promising and let me know which one you would like to see tested, I buy it and test it and publish that video. Deal?

[@Romuich]

@@Woodensoul Sure, that will take time for research, cause I really want to find ceramics as close as possible to N3, but available in Europe for purchase. I'll come back, thanks 🙏

[@Woodensoul]

Deal!

[@christophec.482]

It would be nice to compare to other coatings (compatible with rubio). Thanks for the test you’ve done.

[@Woodensoul]

Most welcome. Which one are you thinking about?

[@christophec.482]

@@Woodensoul i do not have one in particular on my mind. Blacktail mentioned other coatings but maybe not compatible with Rubio. In any case thanks for making this test and sharing. This coating is impressive for every day usage !

[@ericarnsdorff3441]

I had dismissed this coating previously. But this is an eye opener. I’m curious about other typical things like tea, water, coffee, milk, orange juice, etc. My next project is a dining room table and you convinced me to get the coating and try it over Rubio as well as Osmo. I’d much prefer one of those finishes over polyurethane.

[@Woodensoul]

Got you. So Blacktail says that his coating is compatible with all wood coatings (Rubio, Osmo, Wax, Oil based etc), and that car ceramics might not be compatible with some wood coatings. I have only tested one car coating (kzbin.info/www/bejne/eavKdoF5apdsetU) but it seems that I have not applied it well (a viewer mentioned that also car coatings come with two liquids that need to be applied like the N3), so I might need to repeat the experiment one day.

[@paulfowler3416]

How does it compare to BlackForest wood co ceramics?

[@Woodensoul]

Hi Paul. I have no idea, I have never used the BlackForest one, because that is similarly expensive and also comes with enormous shipping costs.

[@paulfowler3416]

@@Woodensoul I like it but it is ridiculously expensive with shipping.

[@Woodensoul]

@@paulfowler3416 Yeah, agree with that. The price is hard to swallow...

[@andrewupson2987]

@@paulfowler3416IIRC Cam started out using Black Forest ceramic coatings and must have found it lacking in some way. Perhaps that he didn’t get a cut from it? Or some performance issue? I agree, getting someone (perhaps a USA based channel so shipping didn’t kill on costs) to do a comparison test of N3 and a bunch of alternatives would be fantastic.

[@therebellion6911]

@@andrewupson2987 This is a 100% guess but he cut a deal with them to label it for himself in the usa and its the same. Based on his use of it and how fast he then got his own and he says he's in contact with them I dont see him having the time to develop his own. Fineby Me cause I like to buy closer for shipping reasons.

[@RobD37]

haha helps to have buddies do reviews

[@Woodensoul]

Hi Rob I am not Cam's buddie (I wish...). I have never interacted with him except through one comment on a video that he responded to. So I am as unbiased as it can be, except for me liking and respecting his work. Cheers Javier

[@stew1tx]

Hey man great videos. Please link up with new I want to run something by you in ref to printing dominoes. I have a few questions but have a solution

[@Woodensoul]

Thank you. You can contact me either over e-mail (go to my channel page on a desktop computer and in the channel info my email is listed) or also through my Instagram

[@reallevifpv]

You should try also with oil and wax and compare, not just oil.

[@Woodensoul]

Is there a way you would recommend testing?

[@reallevifpv]

@@Woodensoul no particular way; i am just saying this because a lot of people use wax in the very end...... also i heard someone that he used cearmics for car for the table, because it is cheaper ... hmmm

[@Woodensoul]

@@reallevifpv I have tried out car ceramics (kzbin.info/www/bejne/eavKdoF5apdsetU) with no good results, although I was told I didn't apply it well, so I might need to repeat that one day. I never use wax, hence my question. I wouldn't even know which one to buy to test this out...

[@therebellion6911]

@@reallevifpv Dont know what the differences are but blacktail or black forrest says its not the same cause the one for cars are not made for woods. ALSO I know little about it but do know thee are cheap ceramics for cars at your local store but are not the same quality by far that professionals use on your car which I believe get back up to being expensive. Feel free to correct me where Im wrong, all I do is read about it, never used it.

[@pctatc66]

id like to see some automotive ceramic coatings applied over Rubio. They are substantially cheaper than Blacktail.

[@Woodensoul]

Hi Dean. Here you go: Can Ceramic Car Coating improve wood waterproofing? #waterproofing #wood #ceramic #rubiomonocoat kzbin.info/www/bejne/eavKdoF5apdsetU

[@therebellion6911]

Are they? When I look at high end ceramic that last yrs I didnt see a big difference in price. Which one are you saying is as good and cheaper. Those 30.00 spray on bottles you see everywhere I dont think are a high end ceramic and won't last 5 yrs.

[@TheNatos]

ok... so... how does it compare... on its own? like wow, combining a product worked better than rubio by itself? shocker. how does JUST n3 hold up?

[@Woodensoul]

You don't use N3 alone, it's meant to be applied on treated wood. , that's also how Cameron uses it and how it's described in the instructions. And no need to get cocky here, you can ask a question without getting unfriendly.

[@TheNatos]

@@Woodensoul yes but you're still doing the test to compare protective properties, no? for all I know, you could get the same level of pretoection from applying another layer of rubio. Who's to say the extra protection was from n3? Maybe it was just from having multiple finishes? Seems logical to me.

[@Woodensoul]

I wish, because that would be much cheaper. But I tried the multi layer approach too: Do additional coats of Rubio increase wood waterproofing? kzbin.info/www/bejne/apvMdoSZmsipfck

[@therebellion6911]

@@TheNatos There are other KZbin videos to show you were wrong and wordensoul was right, you were rude in how you presented.