: Btw, pretty much have to pre-stain the strips if you're going to
: use ebonizing in addition to stain, from what I've heard from
: the few people that have used it on kayaks, it tends to bleed
: across strips.

: Then it requires very closely fitted strips since the ebonizing is
: mostly a surface treatment, any large amout of sanding or
: planing will remove much of the color.

: Bill H.
Thanks, Bill. I did a test panel with the ebonizing and discovered the surface nature. On the other hand, most of the bleeding that occurred was along the length of the strips. It seems like the glue I was using (Titebond III) acted as a barrier as long as I was careful applying the vinegar. The design I have in mind has the ebonized sections on the edge of the deck so I'll only have to be careful on the inside edge of the dark areas. If it bleeds a little, I can sand the area I want to keep light.

Based on the other responses, I'm going to forget about the stain and probably go with a dye (although I'm testing a couple of bleaching agents I have on hand to see if they lighten the cedar much).
Dwight