India Ink Stain?

Well... I do know that in my younger days alcohol certainly increased penetration rates, but I don't really know a thing about India ink.

I don't see how diluting the ink will help. Water based dyes are known for their superior penetrating quality.

David

' wrote:

For you, or the ink?

Barry

No.

For one thing, "Indian ink" isn't always what you expect these days. Secondly real Indian ink has shellac in it, specifically to make it work better as a surface ink and be less of a penetrating stain.

If you want to stain rosewood (although I have to ask why?), then use a dye or pigment stain in a suitable carrier. Don't take these same materials and use them in a form where someone else has already added things to it to make it _less_ effective. If you're trapped in a stationers with an urgent need to dye rosewood, then using Chinese block ink (just lampblack and gums) insted of Indian ink will work better. But Parker's Quink (or probably Waterman's) is probably even better, if that's a dark enough colour.

Personally I ebonise all my timber with an iron acetate or iron tannate mixture (acetate if the timber is like oak and already contains plenty of tannins). You can make this yourself from either steel wool and vinegar, or steel wool and a decoction of oak galls.