Tried a vinegar and steel wool stain on a pine dresser and it turned green

I mixed up a batch of the classic DIY ebonizing stain, one cup of white vinegar with a pad of 0000 steel wool soaked for two days. Slapped it on a sanded pine piece expecting a deep gray, but after it dried overnight the whole thing had this weird mossy green tint. I think the tannin content in that specific pine board was way lower than oak, so the chemical reaction went sideways. Anyone know a good fix to push the color back toward black without stripping it all off?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_brooke7d ago

My buddy Dave had the exact same thing happen on a maple table leg last year. He ended up brushing on some strong black tea to boost the tannins first, let that dry completely, then went over it again with a fresh batch of the vinegar mix. It pulled the color way closer to a charcoal gray, not perfect black, but it killed the green. You might need two rounds of tea. It's a pain but less work than a full strip and sand.

ivanl187d ago

Wait, did Dave try letting the tea soak overnight?