Iron Staining

[dvz@eskimo.com (David Van Zandt)]

<George Kloppel <geok@aol.com> recently wrote:
< 
<>Iron staining is another possibility .  I wish someone would tell me how
<>that's done.

<From: Joshua Proschan <0004839378@mcimail.com>
< 
<For furniture, iron staining is usually a two-step process.  The first
<is to apply tannic acid (or very strong tea).  [For oak the first step
<is unnecessary.]  After this dries, apply a solution of iron salts 
<(off-hand, I don't remember which).  This is only one example of a wide 
<range of two-step stains and dyes.

This is one process, courtesy of Charales Rufino, Jr., that is used to 
stain veneer for violin purfling black:
	6 gr KOH (potassium hydroxide) per L of water
	13 gr Logwood extract chips per L of water
	10 gr FeSO4 ( Ferrous Sulphate per L of water
-Boil wood in KOH for 1 hour keeping water lever full.  Wash well in 
fresh water. 
-Boil wood in logwood solution for 1 hour, then let sit over night.  Wash 
well  in fresh water. 
-Boil wood 1 hour in FeSO4 solution and let stand overnight.  Wash wood 
very well in fresh water to avoid any surplus color from staining adjacent 
unstained wood.  Dry wood loosely, avoiding contact with other wood.

The above process is designed for thin pieces of wood, usually pear or 
maple. 

David T. Van Zandt                           http://www.eskimo.com/~dvz/    
dvz@eskimo.com            (206) 789-7294             Seattle, Washington