Ebonizing Leather with Quebracho Bark

[Bree]

I'm sure that all the 'Roonies (vinegaroonies) will be checking this out.

There is an article in the current issue of Popular Woodworking titled, "Ebonizing Wood". And of course they have discovered vinegaroon. But there was an interesting twist. We sometimes supercharge the tannin content with black tea. They are super charging the tannins with Quebracho bark. This stuff is extremely high in tannins that result in a very deep black. The article gives a lot of really good information. I suggest that the 'Roonies get themselves a copy.

They gave a source to get this vinegaroon enhancer pretty inexpensively. I checked it and ordered some. I also found lots of other great stuff at great prices. Here are some links plus a nice tannin info link.

http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/

http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/product/1...5/bark-tan-dye3

http://freecourseware.uwc.ac.za/ripmixlear.../tannins.ppt#34

So I thought that I would share this stuff with y'all.

Edited April 24, 2009 by Bree

[MADMAX22]

Very cool thanks for posting Bree.

Ive been doing alot more vinegaroon stuff lately. Really is a good stuff.

[gtwister09]

Just adding to what Bree stated...

Ebonizing wood with some derivative of the vinegaroon formula is an age old "recipe" for woodworkers. Just look up some of the recipe books from the late 1800's and early 1900's for harnessmakers and woodworkers on google books and you will see many of these "recipes". In fact some of them mention the taxidermy/leather tanning places as businesses to acquire the various tannins like Quebracho from. They also warn you that some of these tannins impart a urine smell to the product. A couple of books mention tea as a home substitute for tannis as well.

Many of the wood working techniques for coloring can be used on leather as well. Fading techniques are standard methods that are used by furniture makers and guitar makers.

On another note, several of the segmented turners that I know will ebonize wood when they don't have access to ebony.

Regards,

Ben

Edited April 25, 2009 by gtwister09

[Bree]

The big advantage of vinegaroon is the fact that it can ebonize throughout the entire product if you can get it in there since it reacts with the tannins as far in as you allow it to soak down to. It is very deep penetrating unlike many paints and stains that only affect the surface.

I have a 5 pound kit coming to test the quebracho and see how much it jumps up the blackness. I'll let you know what I find. I also picked up some nice glycerine and some bactericide/fungicide that I will use to make sure no nasties take root in my leather. Very nice little link they provied to that Van Dyke outfit. They have a lot of cool stuff.

[gtwister09]

Yes it is a great link...been buying from them for over 20 years. Even tried replacing some of the No More Tears Formula with some of the tanning oils. They darkened the leather a little so I didn't use them as replacements. I also tried their bacteriacide in the formula but it was a lot more costly than some other mold/bacteria fighting liquids.

I used to use the vinegaroon formula 20 years or more ago to do all black items but I am not a huge fan of all black. In fact I think it has been more than 18 years since I used the formula. It was on an old saddle that someone wanted to convert to black. In fact it was Krenov's ebonizing formula that I used to blacken the saddle.

I have used Krenov's formula for ebonizing almost as long as been buying from Van Dykes. He states to add tanning barks (tannins) to add greater depth of black to the formula. It makes some absolutely gorgeous arts and crafts furniture with quarter sawn oak (when people want a black - non lacquer finish). FYI - James Krenov was who Boggs garnered a lot of his information from.

Mentioning other methods like guitar makers use (in fact Big Orange did a similar orange sunburst style on leather like the Telecasters use) was only to get people to open up their leather creativity finishing like Big Orange did. The Sunburst method is just one method. There are lots of others to consider and airbrushing techniques open up all sorts of other methods like masking and so forth.

Vinegaroon is for the WHOLE project not just for other affects like sunbursts. Each has it's own place. There are some knife makers that use the quebracho bark to produce different shades of brown for the WHOLE knife scabbard project also.

Regards,

Ben

Edited April 26, 2009 by gtwister09

[Bree]

Yes it is a great link...been buying from them for over 20 years. Even tried replacing some of the No More Tears Formula with some of the tanning oils. They darkened the leather a little so I didn't use them as replacements. I also tried their bacteriacide in the formula but it was a lot more costly than some other mold/bacteria fighting liquids.

I used to use the vinegaroon formula 20 years or more ago to do all black items but I am not a huge fan of all black. In fact I think it has been more than 18 years since I used the formula. It was on an old saddle that someone wanted to convert to black. In fact it was Krenov's ebonizing formula that I used to blacken the saddle.

I have used Krenov's formula for ebonizing almost as long as been buying from Van Dykes. He states to add tanning barks (tannins) to add greater depth of black to the formula. It makes some absolutely gorgeous arts and crafts furniture with quarter sawn oak (when people want a black - non lacquer finish). FYI - James Krenov was who Boggs garnered a lot of his information from.

Mentioning other methods like guitar makers use (in fact Big Orange did a similar orange sunburst style on leather like the Telecasters use) was only to get people to open up their leather creativity finishing like Big Orange did. The Sunburst method is just one method. There are lots of others to consider and airbrushing techniques open up all sorts of other methods like masking and so forth.

Vinegaroon is for the WHOLE project not just for other affects like sunbursts. Each has it's own place. There are some knife makers that use the quebracho bark to produce different shades of brown for the WHOLE knife scabbard project also.

Regards,

Ben

I love Krenov's work. I have hardcover of Krenov's "The Impractical Cabinetmaker". I bought when it came out back in 1979. Darn thing is like "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Mainenance" to me!

[gtwister09]

Bree,

Zen....well I guess that's one way to put it... It is good to see someone else who mixes wood, leather and IT together.

Regards,

Ben

[Bree]

Bree,

Zen....well I guess that's one way to put it... It is good to see someone else who mixes wood, leather and IT together.

Regards,

Ben

LOL! I turned a Brazilian Tulipwood pen for a friend from work over the weekend and I was going to make her a suede pouch for the pen. I ended up putting it into a very nice hard maple box which I had bought on sale (took zero time). I'm always looking for ways to integrate woodworking and leathercrafting. I get that bug from IT... INTEGRATION!!

[Bree]

Well I got 5 pounds of Quebracho Bark powder yesterday along with some chemicals that I ordered from VanDyke. Prompt delivery, well packaged, and it looks like good stuff. I am going to brew up some Quebracho tea and test it out on some leather and some wood over the weekend. I will report results.

[esantoro]

Research a while back told me that "Quebracho" means "The axe-breaker." Found this on Ghurka's website.

ed

[MADMAX22]

Excellent,

[Bree]

Yep... Very hard wood and loaded with tannins. As much as 70%+ tannins in the processed extract. So this stuff ought to kick it up a notch and get that leather blacker than black!!!

http://www.unitan.net/english/quebracho.html

Edited May 1, 2009 by Bree

[gtwister09]

Bree,

Just checking to see if you had an update on the quebracho bark process.

Regards,

Ben