Homemade Walnut Stain

9/17/01, 4:24 AM #1

Ed DeLauter
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Homemade Walnut Stain

I have walnut trees on my property and consequently several 5 gallon buckets of harvested walnuts.

I want to turn them into stain.

What substances should be used to create the liquid? I've heard ammonia but am not sure.

Do you pound the nuts beforehand to open them up?

How long do they need to "ferment" for lack of a better word?

Would cheesecloth be suitable for straining?

Thanks. Ed the Termite.

Re: Homemade Walnut Stain

9/17/01, 1:59 PM #2

Stephen Shepherd
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Registered: 11/19/00
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Re: Homemade Walnut Stain

Ed,

You want to use just the hulls of the walnut that surrounds the shell. It starts out green and turns black with age. You can use water to leach out the stain, you can add ammonia to the water or you can add vinegar or alcohol to help bring out the stain. Another material that will help extract the stain out is alum. The amount of time depends on how dark you want the stain, the longer the better. To keep the solution from going bad you can place a stick of fresh willow into the mix or you can use an aspirin to prevent mold growth. You can strain the mixture through cheescloth to remove the debris and store in an airtight container. But remember this and other vegetable stains are fugitive and will fade with exposure to sunlight. Good Luck

Stephen

- - -

Full Chisel Hi, I�m Stephen Shepherd, I have been doing woodwork for a living for over 40 years but my interest began at an early date. In first grade (1954) I won an art contest and first prize was a �Handy Andy� toolbox, I wonder what that would be worth today. While studying Philosophy at the University of Utah I got a job as an apprentice Cabinetmaker at a large cabinet shop in Salt Lake, all European craftsmen from Germany and England. A friend owned an antique shop and I started repairing furniture and collecting old tools. I also attended a vocational school in an apprenticeship cabinetmaking program, which they no longer offer. When I became a journeyman I started working for museums in the West and Midwest and opened my own shop in 1979 doing antique restoration and traditional woodwork. I have written several articles and books on woodworking and hope to have my first book Shepherds� Compleat Early Nineteenth Century Woodworker originally published in 1981, published in paperback in 2004. Hide Glue - Historical & Practical Applications was published in 2009, as was the reprint of the 1824 Universal Receipt Book. In 2011 I published Shellac, Linseed Oil, & Paint-Traditional 19th Century Woodwork Finishes. I found WoodCentral in 1999; I wish this had been around when I started. I enjoy the discussions and the chats and am fortunate enough to be able to host the Tuesday Night Hand Tool Chat. I have yet to meet personally anyone I have met on line, with the exception of Barb, Dan, Mike, Bruce and John P. but many of the people on WoodCentral I consider friends. Stephen Shepherd

Re: Homemade Walnut Stain

9/17/01, 11:55 PM #3

Clint Searl
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Registered: 9/17/01

Re: Homemade Walnut Stain

I made a batch last year by collecting about 75 pounds of nuts in a big plastic bin and just letting it sit for a couple months under cover. Had to contend with the squirrels who made the most they could of the opportunity. I added two gallons of grocery store ammonia to the decomposing mass and let the mess percolate till spring. Ammonia does not deter squirrels for very long. I finally squeezed out as much of the liquid as possible and strained it through fiberglass window screen. The final product is an inky brown foul smelling concoction that imparts a rich ebony brown to oak. I'll make up a sample and post a picture.

Have fun,

Clint

Homemade Walnut Stain

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