stain/no stain?


Larry Moore

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Random idea, possibly a bad one...but I like the way the ammonia gassing looks on white oak....do people ever use that method on other species? Seems like a superior option to dye/stain to me based on what I've read, but I admit I have only read about it and seen white oak furniture done this way...zero experience talking here :D

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Joseph, I never hear of ammonia treatment on other woods, but iron acetate can be used to darken most species in a similar fashion. In addition to changing the PH level of the wood surface, it contains iron that reacts with the tanins in the wood. Easy to make by soaking steel wool or other ferrous materials in vinegar.

Some folks like to apply tea to light-colored species before the iron acetate, to add tanin, but I find that just letting the oxidation continue for a day or three before top coating gets the same appearance. White pine will turn a rich chocolate brown in a few days. Always test a sample first, as all species react differently. I've had red oak turn purple-black in seconds after application. Poplar turns sort of driftwood-ish.

YMMV

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