How can you not be intrigued by a chemical compound called “liquid nightmare?” Especially when a more appropriate nickname would be “liquid dream?” You don’t have to buy it. In fact, it is made out of inexpensive, readily accessible materials: cider vinegar and #0000 steel wool. And, liquid nightmare darkens most wood a few degrees shy of ebonizing—a dye-and-chemical process in which wood attains the deep, dark color of ebony but with the grain pattern still evident. In fact, liquid nightmare almost could be called Ebonizing Light. However, a more accurate chemical description of it is iron acetate.
George Frank, a legendary wood finisher—did not invent the process of liquid nightmare but he did stamp it with its memorable name. Mr. Frank was a renowned wood finisher in Paris whose work appears in museums worldwide. He is credited with elevating the practice of fine finishing into a respected profession. When he was first learning the craft, Mr. Frank watched his boss’s wife make a brew of old rusty nails and scrap iron covered with vinegar, which she let sit undisturbed for weeks until the mixture turned into a dark liquid that was strained and then used to color wood. Mr. Frank decided to recreate the recipe but he forgot a critical step in the process. His mistake was that he covered the jar tightly, and one night a few weeks later—during a dinner party no less—the jar exploded, spraying its contents everywhere. Hence the nickname Liquid Nightmare.
Recipe for Iron Acetate
2 pads of #0000 steel wool
1½ quarts of apple cider vinegar
It cannot be white vinegar because it needs the acid boost of the cider.
Loosely put the steel wool pads in a non-reactive container like glass or plastic and then pour the vinegar over them. Loosely cover the top and poke a few holes in it. As the acetic acid in the vinegar breaks down the steel wool, it creates an off-gas that will lead to an explosion if it is not able to escape.
After four or five days, strain the solution through a paper cone strainer. Test the color on your sample and adjust accordingly. Of course, if it’s too weak, you’ll have to start all over again—which is why it is better to make a strong first batch.
Apply the solution with a synthetic brush. Wipe the excess from the surface with a rag before the solution dries. Do not sand until after you have applied your first coat of finish.
Acclaimed furniture designer Gustav Stickley had his own rather loose recipe for making what he referred to as “Iron Rust. “He too threw iron filings, rusty nails or whatever small iron scrap he came across into a solution of vinegar or acetic acid. Woodworkers who make reproductions of Stickley furniture may not obtain the same coloration as the originals if they neglect to finish it with “Iron Rust” or a similar dye color.
Iron acetate is a “plan-ahead” technique for coloring wood because it takes four to five days for the solution to “cook.” It is better to make the solution really strong and then dilute it with distilled water if the color turns out too dark for your taste.
It should be stored in amber bottles in a dark place. Iron acetate loses its potency after a few months.
“You have three ways of succeeding in your field. You can either be cheaper than your competitors, you can be better than your competitors, or else you can be so specialized that you don’t have much competition. To this day, I have always tried to be the best in my specialized field.”
—Brian Miller
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