Redcoat’s Return

  Written and Photographed by John M. Young On October 9, Mark posed the following challenge: “I’m offering a No Prize for anyone who cares to take up the Natural Ebony DIY Challenge with me. I’ve got an estate System on hand and want to try my hand at creating a genuine “Natural Ebony” using some of Adam’s iron vinegar finish. Challenge accepted!  Being a retired science teacher and Certified Pete Geek, I couldn’t pass on this challenge. Step 1) Make the solution. The basics here are to put steel wool and vinegar into a 1 quart canning jar and wait.  Never having been a follower of “Keep It Simple Students” (KISS), I had to add a step.  I applied a bit of Dawn dishwashing detergent to two pads of 0000 steel wool.  The pads were then agitated with warm water and the soap to remove any oil on the steel wool. Rinsing and rinsing removed the oil and most of the water.  The 2 pads were put into a 1 quart canning jar and 800 ml of vinegar (store brand, apple cider flavored, 5% acidity) was added.  This solution was allowed to sit for 36 hours with the lid loosely fixed on top.  Keep the lid loose as the reaction produces hydrogen gas. Speaking of reactions, what exactly is the vinegar doing with the steel wool? The reaction of iron and acetic acid is: Fe        +   2 CH3CO2H   →    Fe(CH3CO2)2         +   H2 Solid         aqueous solution   aqueous solution          gas After 24 hours, I was curious as to the effectiveness of the solution, so I applied a little bit on an unfinished piece of quarter round oak.  I applied a wetting coat to the oak and waited.  Overnight the wood had darkened significantly.  See figure below. I allowed the solution to react for an additional 12 hours and filtered the solution through a coffee filter and strainer. Equipment used for first filtering.   First filtering of solution.   Residue from first filtering.   The solution was then filtered through a second and subsequently a third coffee filter and funnel. Second and Third filtering with funnel and coffee filter.   Step 2) Select and prepare a pipe. While the solution was developing I needed to find a worthy victim, I mean a worthy subject.  I have a few Peterson estate pipes so this shouldn’t be too difficult.  I settled on one of the first Peterson pipes that I purchased.  A System Standard 312 with a P-lip.  I originally won it at an auction and restored it years ago.  The stem had been cleaned with rough pipe cleaners so many times it had a very slight groove cut all the way through the stem ahead of the button.  I repaired this with cyanoacrylate.  The wood was in great shape. The first step here was to remove any finish from the stummel.  Originally, I had sanded this pipe all the way down to bare wood and worked it…