# Making white oak as black as possible



## Mark Newton (Feb 10, 2014)

I need to create a black cerused piece of furniture.

Using white oak.

I need to color the oak as black as possible then apply a white liming wax to showcase the grain.

I bought a minwax ebony stain and it just darkens the wood and only to a point.... I want it black! but what ever I use needs to soak into the wood not sit on top of it because I need the grain to remain natural for the cerusing/liming process.

There are tones of pictures on line but I cant find any tips on how to create the look myself.

Any ideas?


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Burn it. Take a blowtorch and char the top just a little bit. Use a stiff bristle brush to know off the loose ash and be careful how you finish it so you don't knock too much off


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## jodasm (Oct 25, 2012)

Black lacquer it is such a thin finish it wont fill grain much


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

A dye would color the wood darker than a stain. I use Mohawk dyes. http://www.mohawk-finishing.com/catalog_browse.asp?ictNbr=178 Another option would be to use black ink. Ink may be a little concentrated however you can thin it with alcohol.


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## MT Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Transtint dye will make it black. Spray it on. Each pass will darken it.
Keep going until it is black.

This bench was made using Red Oak.


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## Jophus14 (Aug 21, 2012)

What about trying india ink?


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## RandyReed (Jul 30, 2014)

Easy way.
1. sand white wood and wire brush grain to open up grain.
2. spray black latex paint or oil base black paint.
3. scuff sand with 320 grit
4. apply a sealer or a thinned down sealer (washcoat)
5. Apply liming wax in a circular motion, then wipe as much as you can off AGAINST the grain.
6. steel wool the left over liming wax with the grain
7. apply sealer
8. scuff sand
9. topcoat of choice


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

There's a dye called Feibing's Oil Dye. It's used by luthiers to blacken the grey streaks in ebony fingerboards. It's the blackest stuff I've ever seen. And, it jakes everything it touches black, including but not limited to fingers.


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## RandyReed (Jul 30, 2014)

If you really want a dye to penetrate the wood, I would use a black dye concentrate and use 75% ethanol as the base solvent and 25% thinner and add 25% black concentrate to that mixture as a starting point. Ethanol is used as a base solvent in most sap stains and will make the dye "dive" into the wood. Of course you can use a water soluable dye concentrate and achieve the same look as the water will make it dive into the wood as well.

For a ceruse look, you can make any combination of colors with the only requirment being that the backround and pore are in contrast. The color in the pore can be obtained by using a glaze or paste wood filler which can also be tinted to whatever desired color you want or need in the pore. A washcoat of vinyl sealer *must *be appied over the dye or thinned latex paint before applying a glaze or liming wax. After wiping most of the glaze off, you can clean up the background by gently wiping with a soft rag dampened with mineral spirits.....but make sure to wait and let the color in the pore set up before wiping with a damp rag......otherwise it will remove some of the glaze or liming wax in the pore when wiping over the grain.


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

The way I have gotten the "blackest" black is to first apply a pigmented oil based stain like Minwax Wood Finish black. Apply heavily, let set 15-20 minutes and then wipe off the excess. Let it dry overnight and do it again. Then apply a black gel stain rubbing it in and then wiping off the excess.

This process should give you a consistent black color. Wiping off the excess as described should leave enough grain to do your liming process. However, to assure that you will end up with what you want, test your complete process on scrap before committing to your real project.


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## nbo10 (Jan 26, 2011)

You probably don't want to do this. But, I spilled white vinegar on Red Oak yesterday. It turned the Oak pitch black. YMMV


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## RandyReed (Jul 30, 2014)

nbo10 said:


> You probably don't want to do this. But, I spilled white vinegar on Red Oak yesterday. It turned the Oak pitch black. YMMV


 Have to be careful with that. Depending on the way the wood sanded, or if its red oak or white oak, it will change different colors using vinegar. Its hard to control the final color as well.

I think if he simply uses a black latex paint, then seals the wood with a sealer, then applys the liming wax everything will be ok and simple. The black latex will soak into the wood and he would not have to wait days to complete the project. :thumbsup:


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## walnutavenue (Nov 9, 2011)

+1 India ink. Black as night but won't hide the grain.


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## RandyReed (Jul 30, 2014)

Below are 2 more pickled finishes I did. One was a pickle glaze and the other is a tinted wood paste. Both black panels were sprayed with LATEX paint, sealed, and glaze/filler applied followed by a 20 sheen topcoat.


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## Mikethefinisher-inMaine (Dec 10, 2020)

Mark Newton said:


> I need to create a black cerused piece of furniture.
> 
> Using white oak.
> 
> ...


Mohawk or equivalent black ngr dye over wòod that has been dampened with water or water/alcohol mix (more water, more grain raising,more alcohol, less grain raising). The dye penetrates pretty good on its own , but is much darker over water grain raising . Let the water dry off before dying. If you want it even darker use a black wiping wood stain over the dye mohawk makes that also or sherwin williams or i use ml Campbell's wood song black wiping stain. So wipe with water,let dry,black ngr dye, let dry, black wiping stain then seal 2 coats so you wont burn thru sharp edges when you sand 320 it touches up easy with the same stain if you do tho


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