India Ink

[SteveSare]

Hi folks,

I'm new to the board, but I've watched a ton of Wood Whisperer episodes online and have been lurking around for a little while.

I've started a project for a component stand in my living room. I'm going to wall mount my tv, so I don't need a large, wide tv stand any more, so I made a tall and skinny component stand. Anyway, I used oak, and I want to get a dark black finish to match my speakers, and coffee table.

I've read some things online about India Ink and I found this thread on the forum.

I'm just looking for more information on India Ink. Have any of you used it? What were your experiences? What should I be careful of, what are the pitfalls? How exactly did you apply the ink? What did you put over top to seal it? Do you have pictures? I'm pretty new at this, so please forgive the barrage of questions.

Thanks for your help,

Steve

[Beechwood Chip]

Steve,

Check out this thread - lots of good info on India Ink. (I guess I should have read the original post more carefully.)

[PaulMarcel]

Steve,

In the thread you referenced, I mentioned that I prefer India ink over TransTint black since TT's black is more like really really dark violet and that hue can be an issue in certain light. Charles Neil recommends China ink, too, for the intense black. On my latest project, though, I used up the last of my China ink after 2 coats; it seems to take 3 for a solid black. I had picked up a pint of General Finishes Ebony water-based dye and used it for the third coat. Wow, black. I put some on a scrap of hard maple and though hard maple takes up dye slower than others, it was pretty much black on one light coat; a heavier coat or a second coat and you'd be done. I was impressed; easier to get than quarts of India ink. Price per quart is about $1 more, but I'm certain 1 coat would work in many cases, 2 at the most.