Dragon's blood, used in making mahogany stain, is generally sold as a red powder; it readily dissolves in methylated spirit, yielding a bright red stain generally considered, if used alone, too fiery for a good imitation mahogany. In conjunction with other stains or mordants, as nitric acid and carbonate of soda, it gives better results. A cheap mahogany stain can be made by mixing burnt sienna (ground in water) in stale beer or vinegar. Colour, such as dragon's blood or Bismarck brown, in the polish or varnish used afterwards will give to this stain a richness of tone far superior to that obtainable by dragon's blood alone.