Copper Sulphate, Potassium Chlorate, Sulphate & Chloride of Iron

¶ Copper Sulphate. When dissolved in water makes a stain which colors some woods jet black and some gray. The color penetrates deeply and is permanent to strong light.

¶ Potassium Chlorate. Dissolved in, water makes a stain which colors some woods jet black and some gray, or weathered effect. The color is permanent to strong-light and it penetrates deeply into wood.

¶ Sulphate of Iron and Chloride of Iron. Sulphate of iron is, perhaps, better known among finishers as green copperas or green vitriol. In the dry crystal form this chemical is unstable unless used when fresh. When fresh the crystals are glossy and when they are covered with a dry, white powder they are not good. It is better to use a dried sulphate of iron which is stable. The U. S. P. solution of sulphate of iron and also the U. S. P. solution of chloride of iron are easy to secure and are entirely satisfactory for stains which are to be mixed and used immediately. Both of these chemicals are dissolved in water to produce silver gray colors and black. Weak solutions make a bluish-black color. The color produced is permanent and penetrates deeply into the wood. The coloring effect is really a chemical change in the wood, since the iron salts act on the tannic acid in the wood.

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