@Colten Griffin Try this simple trick: \/ \/ \/ \/ Scroll down to see

As with all wood pretty much anything applied to end grain will come out darker than face grain. This process is chemical and therefore works on end grain.

Thanks. I am glad you found it informative. As for what barks are best - I really don't know enough about this. What I do know is the bark that is best will also be the most ideal bark for leather tanning. So if you search this you will find options. Sumac, Alder, Oak, Hemlock and some of the pines are good that I know of. Easiest way would be to search "tannins". They mostly all will be OK. Some are just more potent that others. Tannins are just polyphenols in the plant. They must be tart or astringent. In other words the solution will make your mouth want to pucker when you taste it.

@@xandoo1962 thanks for the advice, I waited a week on my acetate to work but today I tried it on some cedar and mahogany and it works really well

Glad it worked for you. @@diegoibarrabasurto9424

Interesting question Robert and never a simple answer. Given the process is a chemical one unlike a stain, it renders the wood virtually unchanged at its surface so you can add any topcoat you please. I wouldn’t want to say “I suggest” anything in terms of a top coat since it can be so subjective, however if you wanted the least noticeable finish then a clear water based flat or satin resin is your choice. Anything with an oil base will change the look more with a darkening and even a sheen. Same for an oil based resin like a varnish etc. The water based products will raise the grain so will require careful sanding so that you don’t sand through the color. Oil or oil based finishes wont raise the grain. Fuming with ammonium hydroxide (dangerous) however will colour very deep (as much as an 1/8” or more but a very different color. I should try both sometime.

I would think that once it dried it would be food safe, but the ebonizing doesn't go very deep and if you were to cut on the board the lighter color would come through

Dave. Thanks for looking and your question. I cant report such difficulty, no however i can imagine it. Have you raised the grain and resanded? If so to what grit?. I just wonder if the surface is too burnished? You could try warming the solution.

Leave it in the fridge. It will last almost indefinitely. We do the same with cyanoacrylate glues (well sealed) and hide glues.

@@xandoo1962 Not sure how well my partner will take storage of my tinctures in her fridge, not my mum in hers for that matter 😂, but as long as I can keep it unrefrigerated in my basement shop for a few months its all good. Loved the video btw, was the most informative I have seen on the subject 😊

While I have not tried it I cannot see why it wouldn’t work on any smooth or rough wood. Just wood with maybe heavy surface oxidation and or rot might not behave normally (chemically speaking).

You should not sand past 320 grit and be sure to change your sandpaper ofter so you don't burnish the surface. The sweet spot for getting good absorption is said to be between 220 and 320. I am working on some sample boards on Ash, which has no tannin. I used the bark tea first, then the iron acetate, Let it dry for an hour, then the bark tea again. The color is a really deep brown/black. I did samples of shellac and wax for a finish and a water base finish. My only issue was that I sanded through the color on the edges between coats. I need to be more careful. Hope this helps.

​@@pamelagoldman7613I use iron acetate on my white ash axe handles and it does work fine without bark tea to be honest. I get a nice dark walnut stain, though it does take a while for it to work/darken.

Sure yes BUT you won’t get to an unstable H2 to O2 ratio. Neither would you be able to in a regular shop environment as the H2 concentration would dissipate fast being about 1/16 the mass of O2.

Guess you missed the part where he talked about the black leather dye looking more blue?