Faking Ebony

[Dan Mages]

Hello All! It has been a while. I have a project that I calls for ebony. Obviously, ebony is too expensive. What wood can I stain with an ebony stain to simulate ebony's grain?

Thanks!

Dan

[mil ford]

mohagany has the same grain

[Jim Becker]

Walnut "stained" with India Ink is sometimes used to emulate ebony. You could also use cherry or maple with the India Ink treatment if you want something without noticiable grain.

[John Weber]

Dan,

I refinished my Grandfathers plane several weeks ago. It had painted black handles, so I stripped them and used India ink to let the grain show. I like the look, but should have used a couple less clear top coats, just I like a thinner finish better. The handles were some unknown hardwood, without really any grain, so I can't say if the grain would show though, but the texture does, and I think looks good.

John

[Jamie Buxton]

Me, I think maple has a grain closer to ebony than mahogany. I've never used india ink, but have used anilyne dye, and it works fine. My only caution is that the dye sometimes doesn't penetrate very far into the wood. Do all your sanding before you dye. After you dye, do only what sanding you need to flatten the grain raised by the ink or the dye.

[Steve Wargo]

Maple is much closer in grain to ebony than mahogany. Transtint black dye used straight works great to simulate ebony. Mahogany will work, but only if you fill the pores first, but it still doesn't have as close of a cell structure as maple does. Hope this helps. P.S. - Maple is cheaper too.

[Tim Sproul]

Maple is much closer in grain to ebony than mahogany. Transtint black dye used straight works great to simulate ebony. Mahogany will work, but only if you fill the pores first, but it still doesn't have as close of a cell structure as maple does.

Yeah, all the ebony I've seen is closed grain. Walnut and Mahogany, being open grained, would need a bit of work to more closely emulate ebony.

Hmmmm.....would charcoal work

Yeah, I kinda like the idea of using the wood you want it to look like...... .

[Mark Singer]

bakelite or beluga caviar mixed with BLO...cook in a pot under low heat add onions for grain a little "whats this here sauce "(Worchester) some soy sauce a few other things a bisel this and a bisel that...

If these ingredience are too expensive(more money)...try to find an old piano...usually the keys are either plastic or ebony....or maybe just buy ebony. usually sold by the pound gabon is cheaper(less money) then Madagascar

[John Hart]

Dan, I'm curious how large the pieces of ebony need to be. If small pieces are what you need, there are inexpensive avenues of real ebony that are available. I try to keep plenty laying around the shop in case I need a highlight.

[Steve Wargo]

Mark,
If Gaboon is Cheaper out there than maybe we can work some kind of swqap program. It usually about 40% more expensive than Macasser is here.

[Doug Shepard]

You might also want to google for 'African Blackwood'. It's not ebony, but might as well be. I've started to see it pop up for sale quite a bit lately, but it seems to generally be a lot less $$ than ebony.

[Dan Mages]

I am making another PT Cruiser shelf for a guy with a complete blackout job. He wants the shelf high gloss black. I need this thing to be approx 5/4"20"x41". I will check out these options when I get to the wood store this morning.

Mark. Are you okay? I think you have either had too much wine, or been sniffin too many fumes in the finishing room.

Dan

[Jim Becker]

I am making another PT Cruiser shelf for a guy with a complete blackout job. He wants the shelf high gloss black.

Black lacquer would be what I'd use for that purpose--it's a big surface...Target Coatings USL is available. Several coats of the matte black followed by however many coats are necessary of the clear gloss will get the effect. I recently did that for the top of the glass-front cabinet in our kitchen, although in white. The result was very nice.

[Mark Singer]

Dan,

Thanks for asking it may have been some bad sushi last nignt....or I may have a split personality and this is the weird part....much like faking ebony....not the real Mark...a poor facsimile.....Wait I think he is trying to emerge again...

I am making another PT Cruiser shelf for a guy with a complete blackout job. He wants the shelf high gloss black. I need this thing to be approx 5/4"20"x41". I will check out these options when I get to the wood store this morning.

Mark. Are you okay? I think you have either had too much wine, or been sniffin too many fumes in the finishing room.

Dan