Staining is the process of imparting to the surface of wood a color different from its natural one. It consists of two varieties, surface-staining and body-staining. In the former, as the name implies, the staining is effected by various compounds in the nature of pigments, laid upon the surface like paint, and forming a thin opaque coating, which does not, to any considerable degree affect the fibre of the wood. In the latter, the changes are chemical, the stain being usually applied as a thin wash, which, entering the pores of the wood, colors it to some depth below the surface. Staining requires no preliminary preparation, the stain being applied directly to the wood. As most stains raise the grain of the wood to a considerable extent, it is necessary before applying the varnish, to sand-paper the wood enough to render the grain quite smooth; this sometimes renders a second coat necessary, after which the sand-paper must be again applied.

Black Stain

Boil ½ lb. of chip logwood in 2 quarts of water, add one oz. of pearl-ash, and apply it hot to the work with a brush; then take ½ lb. of logwood, boil it as before in 2 quarts of water, and add ½ oz. of verdigris and ½ oz. of copperas; strain it off, put in ½ lb. of rusty steel filings, and with this go over the work a second time.

A Good Black Stain

1. Gall-nuts coarsely broken, 2 ounces, rain-water, 1 quart; boil until reduced one-half. 2. "White vinegar, pint, iron tilings, 2 ounces, antimony (powdered) 2 ounces, vitriol, 1 ounce, logwood a small handfull. Infuse in bottle eight days, tying the cork down. To stain a piece of wood, give the wood a coating of No. 1, which acts as a mordant; when nearly dry put on No. 2; let it dry quite, and then brush it over again with No. 2.

Black Stain

Boil the extract of logwood in water and to it add slowly a little of the yellow prussiate of potash. Brush on hot.

Black Stain

Boil 1 lb. logwood in 4 quarts of water; add a double handful of walnut-peel or shells, boil it up again, take out the chips, add a pint of the best vinegar and it will be fit for use; applv hot. This will be improved by applying over the first stain, a solution of one ounce of green copperas in a quart of water.

Brown Stain

Boil 1 lb. of the brown pigment called Terre de Cassel with 4 quarts of water, until it is reduced one-third. Mix 2 ounces (Troy) of white potash with sufficient water to dissolve it, and mix with the Terre de Cassel. This stain must be applied with a brush, two or even three times, according to the depth of the shade required.

Walnut Stain

Mix together by stirring, 1 quart spirits of turpentine, 1 pint asphaltum varnish, 1 pint of japan, 1 lb. dry burnt umber, 1 lb. dry Venetian red; applv with a brush. This stain is transparent, and allows the grain of the wood to show through.

Walnut Stain

-Boil 1½ ounces washing-soda,and ¼ ounce bichromate of potash, in 1 quart of water; add 2½ ounces Vandyke brown. This stain may be used either hot or cold.

Walnut Stain

With a brush apply a thin solution of permanganate of potassa in water, until the desired color is produced, allowing each coat to dry before another is applied.

Oak Stain

Add to a quart of water,2 ounces each of potash and pearl-ash. This is a very good stain, but it should be used carefully as it blisters the hands and softens brushes. The stain may be made lighter by adding more water.

Oak Stains

To darken the color of oak any of the following may be used:

Liquid ammonia laid on evenly with a rag or brush will deepen the color immediately, and it will not fade, this being an artificial production of result produced naturally by age.

Bichromate of potash, dissolved in cold water, and applied with a brush will produce a similar result.

A decoction of green walnut-shells will bring new oak to any shade or nearly black.

Rosewood Stain

Mix in a bottle ¼ lb. of extract of logwood, one oz. salts of tartar and one pint of water; in another bottle, put one pound of old iron in small pieces and one pint of vinegar, which after standing twenty-four hours will be ready for use; make a hard, stiff brush with a piece of rattan sharpened at one end in a wedge shape, pounding it so as to separate the fibre. Mix in one pint of varnish, ¼ lb. of finely powdered rose pink. The materials are now ready, and the first thing in the process is to stain the wood with the logwood stain; give two coats of this, allowing the first to become nearly dry before applying the second; then dip the rattan brush in the vinegar and with it form the grain, after which give the work a coat of the varnish and rose-pink. There can be no definite directions given for graining, except to study the natural wood and imitate it as near as possible. With the above materials skillfully appiied, any common wood can be made to resemble rose.vood so nearly that it will take a good judge to distinguish the difference.

Rosewood Stain

Boil one pound of logwood in one gallon of water, add a double handful of walnut-shells, boil the whole again, strain the liquor and add to it one pint of the best vinegar. It is then ready for use. Apply it boiling hot, and when the wood is dry, form red veins in imitation of the grain of rosewood with a brush dipped in the following solution: Nitric acid, 1 pint; metallic tin, 1 ounce; sal ammoniac, 1 ounce. Mix and set aside to dissolve, occasionally shaking.

Cherry Stain

Mix together, by stirring, one quart of spirits of turpentine, one pint of varnish, and one pound of dry burnt sienna; apply with'a brush and after it has been on about five minutes wipe it oft" with rags. This stain takes about 12 hours to dry.

Red Stain, For Common Work

Archil will produce a very good stain of itself, when used cold, but if after one or two coats have been applied and suffered to get almost dry, it is brushed over with a hot solution of pearl-ash in water, it will improve the color.

Mahogany Stain

To darken mahogany, apply a weak solution of bichromate of potash in water. Apply successive coats allowing each to dry, until the required shade is secured.

Surface Stains

The following are for the most part used to apply to woods of inferior quality, to make them resemble choicer woods. The colors are all to be mixed with very thin glue size, laid on warm with a soft woolen material, and the wood wiped dry after application. All the colors used in staining should be well pulverized, and before use the liquid should be strained.

Imitation Oak Stain

Equal parts burnt umber and brown ochre.

Imitation Mahogany Stain

One part Venetian red and two parts yellow lead.

Imitation Rosewood Stain

Venetian red, darkened with lampblack to required shade.

Imitation Walnut Stain

Burnt umber and yellow ochre, mixed in proportions to give desired shade.

Fine Crimson Stain

Boil one pound of good Brazil dust in three quarts of water for an hour; strain it., and add half an ounce of cochineal; boil it again gently for half an hour, and it will be lit for use.

If you will have it more of a scarlet tint, boil half an ounce of saffron in a quart of water for an hour, and pass over the work previous to the red stain.

Purple Stain

To a pound of good chip logwood, put three quarts of water; boil it well for an hour; then add four ounces of pearlash, and two ounces of indigo pounded.

Fine Blue Stain

Into a pound of oil of vitriol (sulphuric acid) in a clean glass phial, put four ounces of indigo, and proceed as above directed in dyeing purple.

Fine Green Stain

To two pints of the strongest vinegar, add four ounces of the best verdigris pounded fine, half an ounce of sap green, and half an ounce of indigo.

Distilled vinegar, or verjuice, improves the color.

Yellow Stain

Dissolve ¼ lb. turmeric in one pint alcohol; let it stand until the turmeric settles to the bottom.

Yellow Stain

A small piece of aloes added to the varnish will have all the effect of a bright yellow stain.

How To Brighten Stains

Any of the stains named (except the surface stains) will be rendered much more brilliant by an application of the following: 1 ounce nitric acid, ½ teaspoonful muriatic acid, ¼ ounce grain tin, two ounces rain water. Mix in a bottle, at least two days before using, and keep the bottle well corked.