Dyeing Wood in Brilliant Colors

Popular Mechanics, toukokuu 1935

Wood may be dyed by treating it with water solutions of chemicals which cause the development of the dye in the wood. If several colors are to be produced in the same piece, the design is laid out carefully with a pencil and the lines gone over with a sharp knife or chisel to produce slight cuts which prevent the solutions from running together. Two preliminary treating solutions are made as follows: The colorbase solution is made by stirring yellow primuline, 1 oz., into boiling water, 6¼ pints. The sensitizing solution is made by dissolving sodium nitrite, .4oz., and ozalix acid (poison), .6oz., in water, 6¼ pints. Immediately before use, equal parts of the above solutions are mized together and applied to the entire surface of the wood to be colored with a brush, and allowed to soak in thoroughly in a dark place. If the wood is quite porous, tow or three applications will increase the intensity and depth of the colors. The colors are developed by painting over the dried sensitized surface with developers made as follows: For red, dissolve beta napthol, .6oz., and sodium hydroxide, .8 oz., in water, 6¼ pints. For yellow, a 10-per-cent solution of carolic acid is used, while orange can be had by dissolving resorcin, .6oz., and sodium hydroxide, .9 oz., in water, 6¼ pints. For puprle, alpha naphthylamine, 3/4 oz., and oxalic acid, 3/4 oz., are dissolved in water, 6¼ pints; for blue eikonogen, 3/4 oz., is dissolved in water, 6¼ pints; and for brown, pyrogallic acid, 3/4 oz., is dissolved in water, 6¼ pints. Distilled water should be used. After the colors have developed, the excess developing solution is washed away and the wood allowed to dry.