adamantypants

I've been looking a LOT into that method for ebonizing. It uses vinegar and any iron/steel material, usually steel wool. The method calls to soak/dissolve the steel wool in vinegar for 24 hours, some people do it a week or more. Rubbing that on the wood causes a chemical reaction to the tannins in the wood turning it black. I found an old woodworkers article that said he got the best results using rusty nails as opposed to steel wool. Also, Ripthorn mentions bark powder but I'm going to go straight to the source and get some powdered tannic acid. Just make it into a "tea" and brush it on before the iron/vinegar wash. I've got a bass guitar with some relatively cheap parts that I'm willing to try it on. My only question is how well chemically changed woods will react to oil finishes, as I'd rather not deal with shellac.