Vinegar and steel wool stain

[Trapper1993]

Heard about people using a vinegar & steel wool stain for rifles but couldnt find any pictures of it online. Put 000 wool and vinegar in a cup for a week, occasionally stirring it. After the vinegar turned a reddish brown color like tea it was ready. I used a coffee filter to filter out the remaining bits of metal. I used a piece of semi curly maple to test the stain out. The top part is regular aquafortis. The bottom is the vinegar solution. I did dilute it a small amount before applying the stain. Overall, I wasn't really impressed. I was expecting something like a light brownish color but got a grey stain with a hint of brown.

 

[64Springer]

The gray could prove useful. If you ever build a barn, you'll know how to weather the wood.

It's great that people experiment with different solutions.

Is there a top coat or oil finish on the gray?

 

[TDM]

Did you use any heat on the samples shown?

 

[Trapper1993]

The gray could prove useful. If you ever build a barn, you'll know how to weather the wood.

It's great that people experiment with different solutions.

Is there a top coat or oil finish on the gray?

I did 1 coat of Tru oil to make the finish pop a bit

 

[Trapper1993]

Did you use any heat on the samples shown?

Yeah, I used a heat gun for both

 

[deerstalkert]

just an observation, a stain/finish will be completely different on a rough piece of wood vs a smoothly sanded one.

 

[DuncNZ]

What sort of vinegar ? white , brown , malt, cider ?

 

[64Springer]

I think the gray has potential.

A rifle done in nothing but dark blued parts, rubbed back blued parts, raw steel, polished steel, etc. would look really nice and different for sure.

No rusts or browning or brass of any kind.

 

[garypl]

Steel wool dissolved in vinegar is used to dye leather black- called vinegaroon. Never seen it used on wood.

 

[longcruise]

Steel wool dissolved in vinegar is used to dye leather black- called vinegaroon. Never seen it used on wood.

It has the potential to go a whole lot darker than the OPs sample. It probably would have if it hadn't been limited to one week of dissolving the steel wool. It can be used to ebonize although it doesn't do a very good job of it in my experience.

The red color is rust. To avoid it be sure that the metal is kept completely submerged to avoid oxygen interaction. With a large batch some red is eventually inevitable as it is used.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

You need to go to the American Longrifle Forum and study. You'll learn how to do it and get the color you want.

 

[Tannehill]

I have used rebar and vinegar to make a stain for a traditions Ky . It came out reddish brown.

 

[Old-Duckman]

I have used vinegar and nails (same as steel wool....just slower to get to the finish-line). I used it on oak, the process is called "ebonizing". In other words giving oak the color of ebony. In my uses it turned the oak very black. I think I was using red oak if I recall...It was decades ago.

 

[1BadDart]

Vinegar and steel wool stains are used in antiquing woods. You need to buy non oiled steel wool or wash it in acetone to remove the oil.

 

[Greg_E]

It was suggested in another thread, shavings from cast iron brake rotors and drums work well. I wonder if a soak in muriatic acid would be a good first step to remove rust.

You can get clear "white" vinegar in the cleaning section of many stores, normally around 6% acid. I used this to make nickel acetate for plating and it worked well. In an ideal situation, you want all of the acetic acid to react and make iron acetate before you use this solution.

 

[david58]

Did you clean the steel wool first? Rinsing it with acetone will remove the oil that is present, that might be why you got a weak solution. Vinegaroon will turn wood almost black if strong, and really colors leather well.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Steel wool and vinegar solution for blackening wood is called “ Japanning”.

 

[longcruise]

Did you clean the steel wool first? Rinsing it with acetone will remove the oil that is present, that might be why you got a weak solution. Vinegaroon will turn wood almost black if strong, and really colors leather well.

The very finest steel wool is supposedly oil free. The brake turnings is the best I've found.

 

[longcruise]

Here's the results i got a few minutes ago on the area under the butt plate of a CVA kit with beechwood.

First the before pic.

This one with vinegaroon

And this one with ferric nitrate applied over the lower part of the butt. And with heat applied.

And here's the vinegaroon applied to curly maple. It got even blacker a few minutes after this pic was taken.

And curly maple with the ferric nitrate.

So, IMO, I don't think you will get anywhere near where you want to be with either on your beechwood. Conventional stains might be the best approach.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

I’ve used 0000 steel wool and fresh white vinegar for a solution. I made a couple of tables using old barn wood. When I had to cut the antique wood, or add a piece of newer wood I used the vinegar. It camouflaged the fresh cuts in the old lumber and the new pieces of wood. Several coats were used to get the desired tones. When I was satisfied, I gave the entire piece a wash with the vinegar. Finish clear coat darkened the wood uniformly. I just finished a small table without the clear finish on it. It looks like a cross between cherry wood and milk chocolate. I’m sure the clear coat will change that color.

Also as has been mentioned, the stain will look different on wood that has not been sanded. The barn wood I used is all pine/ fir.