Fuming didn’t work so well, so I wasn’t holding out much hope for ebonizing my oak as it’s a few more steps than fuming.
To recap, fuming oak is pretty simple. Just put the oak in a closed(ish) box with a small dish of ammonia. Stronger solutions work faster, but I got results with ammonia from a big box store and a 24 hour fume. It was greenish (a known issue with American red oak), but the chemical reaction took place as expected.
Ebonizing is a little more work as you have to prep a solution. I took one pad of #0000 steel wool and rinsed it in water. I cut that into little pieces and put the pieces into the remains of a gallon plastic bottle of white vinegar (~1 cup). The steel wool will begin to rust over a few days. I let mine sit for about 1 week. You can then decant and filter this solution into another container. Brush it onto the wood, and the color change is almost immediate. I also bought a little container of ebony stain to try that out.
Here’s one coat of ebony stain (left) and one application of ebonizing fluid (right):
Not quite what I was looking for in either case, but the ebonizing fluid surprised me greatly. It’s just the little veins of oak that don’t react (no tannins there, I guess), keeping that from being a winner. I wonder how it’ll work if I add the stain to the home made fluid?
I think we have a winner. Now to pick a finish coat (shellac/poly/etc).