Darkening Walnut

[hawthorn1213]

Hey!

I have been posting a lot of questions this week and appreciate all of your responses and help!

That being said...I just received a set of Claro Walnut back and sides and was wondering if anyone knew a good way to darken them.

Here is what I have:


Here is what I'm going for:

[HonketyHank]

Here is a walnut (not Claro, though) pickguard and the plank I cut it out from. I was going for an ebony look, so I used two applications of Minwax Penetrating Stain, Ebony 2718.

[David Houchens]

Sealing with a darker shellac will take it in that direction. For that much change you may need to tint a wash coat. It can be deceiving though so as always try it first on a scrap.

[Nevin]

Just be aware that walnut will darken with time and exposure to light. I don't know if it will still darken if it has been dyed though.

[Dale Ludewig]

From my experience (about 45 years) doing woodworking for a living, walnut is one of the few woods I know that will lighten, not darken, over time. The finish might darken, but not the wood.
If you want to darken the claro, you could do like Hank suggested, or you could use an alcohol based dye. A mixture of Transtint dyes will give you some options on how dark. Practice on some scrap, of course.

[hawthorn1213]

Thanks for the advice - I'm leaning towards a dye. I just finished up a practice piece using Behlen American Walnut and had some pretty nice results.

[soliver]

If you want to ebonize it, this is what I do:
1. Let a piece of #0000 steel wool dissolve in a jar of vinegar (it takes about a week)... call it Iron Oxide.
2. Brew some really strong tea (10 bags in a pot).
3. Raise the grain in your wood twice.
4. Using a brush, paint the tea onto the walnut and let it dry, then paint on the Iron oxide mix on and watch as your walnut turns black.

The interaction of the iron oxide with the natural tannins in the wood, plus the added tannins in the tea will turn the wood black... This isn't darkening the wood so much as it is turning it black which may not be what you want.

[Phil-D]

Walnut is an open grain wood. Try to find what they call wood filler stain. The filler stain fills,the pores of the wood and also stains it. I haven’t seen it in years, but I’m sure that an internet search will find it. It use to be available in oak, mahogany, and walnut. Experiment.

[NRMiller1958]

Ditto on the ebonizing. You'll get a much more natural look than with a dye. You may not even need the tea wash if there are enough tannins in your walnut. Try the Iron oxide alone.