Thru the years I have discovered some nice natural stain recipes but I am always searching for more.
Black or dark Vinegar and Steel wool
Get a jar fill it 3/4 with white vinegar add about 1/3 of a 0000 steel wool pad- more darker less lighter darkening Let it sit about 1 week and voila no more steel wool it has melted into th e vinegar. Test it out on a test piece of your project wood too dark add m ore vinegar. too light apply more coats after drying.
Black walnut hulls in the fall I gather Black Walnuts from my favorite tree haunts in the area If You like this stain Yo may want to gather a lot because you will have to wait another nut bearing year for more. Use Leather or latex gloves when harvesting This stuff will really blacke n your fingers. When you get home and are ready put Your gloves on then tak e a hammer or some channel lock pliers and begin to take off the outer laye r the black walnut hull. let them sit around a couple of days in a pan can or bucket, Anything other than stainless steel will be permanently stained so use a ve ssel you won't care about that staining. when they get mushy get an old 2x
3 about 16" long and pound them into fragments. then put them in jars fill ed half way with the mush. type #1= I fill the jar with water = nice soft Brown color Dump it out in a stainless steel pan and heat until near boil let cool and replace into the jars. Let it sit for a couple of weeks shake up time to t ime. then strain and discard the solids Now it's ready to use always with l atex gloves.type #2= I fill the jar with Household Ammonia = darker rich brown colo r Let it sit for a couple of weeks shake up time to time. then strain and dis card the solids Now it's ready to use always with latex gloves.
Turmeric Stain Golden Yellow Turmeric and warm water , that's it in a jar about 1 tblspn. to a Skippy p eanut butter Jar let sit 24 hrs. The more turmeric , the yellower thin with warm water to go lighter gold Ready to use. With latex gloves
Welches Grape juice stain as is = Nice Burgundy stain
Red wine Stain depending on the wine nice burgundy colors
Beet juice and Ammonia = rich cherry reds and burgundy colors Cook your beets discard water or use it for a lighter stain color. Smash the beets fill Your jar 3/4 and add Household ammonia. let sit for a week then strain. Ready to use. With latex gloves
Beet juice and water = same as above except save the boiling water and s mash up the beets let stand 1 week then strain Ready to use. With latex glo ves.
Saffron=beautiful orangey and gold?s Tablespoon of saffron to 8 oz. boiling water , let stand 2 days and strain. More color more saffron, it?s expensive. Lighter color just add water.
Tobacco and ammonia = rich tan browns Tobacco and water = mild tan browns Basically the same as Walnut hulls prep. More tobacco richer darker.
With all of these stains You will have to wait 24-48 hours of drying time b efore oiling, sealing or finishing always test color by oiling ,sealing a nd finishing on your projects scrap wood. You can also get creative and mix some water to water stains or water to am monia stains or water to vinegar is o.k. DO NOT MIX Vinegar and Ammonia mixes it?s a chemical reaction they neutralize each other.
I invite folks here to share their recipes Rick B.