I have been woodworking and refinishing for a few years now, but never did any ebonizing before. Wow, I was missing out on a wonderful technique!
I did 2 chairs yesterday, a Baumritter lounge chair, and a Gio Ponti-like ladder-back chair. The ladder back was in stained beech, and I really like these chairs better ebonized (plus I picked it up for 5 dollars, so it was a perfect experiment piece).
The lounge chair I have had for many years. When I got it, it was really loose, the frame had damage, and the finish was in pretty bad condition. I had to take it all apart, fix the frame damage, and re-glue the whole thing. This of course required sanding, on what I thought at the time was walnut, but in my later experience I now know is stained Elm. Anyways, anyone who has had to try and refinish stained Elm knows that it is a pain to try and match to the original finished condition, and this just being a run of the mill American Baumritter lounge, was really not worth the time necessary to get the wood back to an original finish. So it also got thrown into the 'experimental' ebonizing category.
I am really impressed with how it all turned out! Using india ink is super easy, which I think even experienced finishers can appreciate. I am going to 'fix' the ink with paste wax as I have seen Spanky suggest in the past, so that I dont get any ink transfer to the cushions over time. Which brings me to a question... currently, the cushions are done in an off-white suede. The upholstery effort also looks to have been an experiment for someone along the way, as well, so I am looking for suggestions of a fabric that would pair well with this ebonized lounge. thoughts?
I also need to replace the rubbarized-fabric support straps that are in the seat. I know there are a number of places on line to get these, but if anyone has suggestions on where they have had success on purchasing these (quality, cost), I would appreciate the input. Thanks!! 
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Nice job!
Make sure you buff off the excess pigment before waxing. Mine always feel very chalky-dry before buffing; after, they are very smooth. You have to rub really hard, though.
I would just staple good quality woven elastic webbing to the frame on a chair like this. But if you want to do it just like the original was done, go for it! I am not sure how it was done so can't help you there.
As for fabric, just pick out something MCM-appropriate that will look good with the black frame and with your other stuff, or if you plan to resell it then stick with a neutral so that it appeals to the largest market (yeah, boring, I know---but it will sell quickest for the best price. Unless you get lucky.)
You only need around 2 yards (MEASURE to be sure!) so modern-fabrics.com would be the first place I'd look. They have a lot of shorter lengths of fabric. (And no, I'm not affiliated with them in any way, just a happy customer.) An upscale fabric will make the entire chair look better, providing your workmanship is very good, too.
I've used India ink to color poplar extensively over the years and I've done exactly as spanky describes. Artist grade India inks come in different formulations depending on brand, but most are lampblack (soot), water, and often an added binder such as gum or shellac.
I apply ink liberally to freshly-sanded wood with small scraps of gray urethane foam similar to what's found on those foam brushes, usually two coats, let dry thoroughly, then rub off as much as will come. I've found that old linen dish towels are almost ideal for removing most of the dry pigment and burnishing surfaces. The water in the ink does raise the grain, so I wet critical areas, let dry, and then knock off the fuzz by scuff-sanding with 400 before applying ink. This helps a lot with poplar.
On surfaces that will contact fabric, though, you might want to "seal" the ink to help prevent pigment transfer. Carbon black stains are permanent. I'm not sure I'd completely trust only wax in the long-term. Maybe a wash coat of fresh de-waxed blonde shellac or lacquer followed by wax. Both will impart sheen, but rubbing out with #0000 steel wool will knock it down to satin. Maybe a good application for a water-white synthetic wax like Renaissance, too, depending on fabric color/fiber/texture choice.
Chairs came out looking great, BTW.
tktoo, have you tried clear sealers on top of ink? I think I tried something or other on the first one I did, years ago, and the solvents in it reconstituted the ink finish. It started coming off, if I am remembering correctly. The dried ink does come off---at least a little of it does, anyway---with water, and I bet shellac has the same effect. Or maybe not since the ink is mostly water. I don't know---I have thought many times about testing various things but haven't gotten around to it yet.
Black and white small dot pattern by eames. With the frame black it just does not demand the same attention fro. The eyes that a wood frame does, so the upholstery needs a bit more interests. Not too much though.
If you want rubber strap, I've bought from the seller on eBay in Bakersfield CA. Or you can go to any upholstery supply house and buy the modern stuff they sell for seat foundations. Cheaper, and more durable.
And they look great!
Spanky, I have not. The pieces I've colored with India ink could not be top coated due to environmental concerns and are isolated from direct contact. As you suspect, top coating may indeed reconstitute the ink. Have you noticed any black coming off either during or after paste-waxing? Experimentation, as always, would be advised.
I did some experimenting with a wiping varnish (general finish arm-r-seal) over the ink, and it worked pretty well. After the varnish dried, the ink was fully fixed to the wood. It did not dissolve any of the dried ink. I am going to experiment with a few other top coats here over the week, and I will let you know what I find.
Thanks for the suggestion Leif, I will check that out.
Blick Black Cat India ink, with a paste wax top coating (applied by soft cloth, not abrasive pad) has initially worked well for me. Caveat: I've only done one piece and it's only been about 3 months since completion. No issues though with ink coming off, either on cushions or flaking.
The best deal for Elasbelt 2" seat straps that I've found is here:
http://www.diyupholsterysupply.com/Upholstery-webbing.html
For the 10yd length, it works out to less than a buck a foot.
I get my supplies at this place and I always thought they only served local businesses but I just noticed their terms say they do UPS shipping, so it might be worth a call. The hitch is you have to buy a whole roll (328 ft, price depends on which of four stretches you get and I'm not even sure which is best, I think my roll came from someone on ebay a long time ago. Higher number is probably firmer stretch. Firm is better for seats.) But it comes out to $.25 a yard or so before shipping. Might take you a long time to go through the whole roll, though. The webbing is on page 19.
http://www.tedcoindustries.com/_downloads/Tedco_catolog_8_9_2016.pdf
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