STAINING WOOD. 315 



To stain Wood Purple. 



Brush the wood to be stained several times with 

 a strong decoction of logwood and Brazil, made 

 in the proportion of one pound of the logwood 

 and a quarter of a pound of the Brazil to a gallon 

 of water, and boiled for an hour or more. When 

 the wood has been brushed over till there be a 

 sufficient body of colour, let it dry, and then be 

 slightly passed over by a solution of one drachm 

 of pearl-ashes in a quart of water. This solution 

 must be carefully used, as it will gradually change 

 the colour from a brown red, which it will be 

 originally found to be, to a dark blue purple, and 

 therefore its effect must be restrained to the due 

 point for producing the colour desired. 



To stain Wood a Mahogany Colour. 



The substances used for staining mahogany 

 colour are madder, Brazil wood, and logwood ; 

 each of which produce reddish brown stains, and 

 they must be mixed together in such proportions 

 as will produce the tint required. 



To stain Wood Black. 



Brush the wood several times over with a hot 

 decoction of logwood. Then having prepared an 

 infusion of galls by putting a quarter of a pound of 

 powdered galls to two quarts of water, and setting 

 them in the sunshine, or any other gentle heat, 

 for three or four days, brush the wood over three 

 or four times with it, and it will be of a beautiful 

 black. It may be polished with a hard brush and 

 shoemakers' black wax. 



