Walnut Hull Dye

[Morgoroth]

I'm thinking of sanding and dying the handle of my Mora with walnut hulls and I was wondering if I had to have fresh green ones, or if slightly aged brown hulls will work.

Anyone tried this before?

[Ironwood]

I think you need them starting to turn brown and rot. Here is a link for doing it right.

Good luck

http://denevell_books.home.insightbb...walnut_ink.htm

[Scott Allen]

You can use either. Just boil the hulls down for awhile until the water is black and getting thicker. Let it cool and strain into jars. I like to mix a little rubbing alcohol in with it so it doesn't spoil and absorbs into the wood better when staining. It may take a coat or two, but it comes out very nice. I stained a poplar folding camp table and benches that I made with it and they came out great. I've also dyed leather canvas and linen items with it.

Scott

[Morgoroth]

You can use either. Just boil the hulls down for awhile until the water is black and getting thicker. Let it cool and strain into jars. I like to mix a little rubbing alcohol in with it so it doesn't spoil and absorbs into the wood better when staining. It may take a coat or two, but it comes out very nice. I stained a poplar folding camp table and benches that I made with it and they came out great. I've also dyed leather canvas and linen items with it.

Scott

Cool thanks!
Good idea about the alcohol.

[Gurthy]

Adding some alum (hydrated potassium aluminum) will help the dye set better for fibers. I found it in the spice section of my local grocery store (it's also used to keep pickles crispy I think). I'd like to credit the person from whom I learned to add alum (BCUSA or Paleo Planet or a similar place on the interwebz) but I cannot remember.

[wrbthe3rd]

i did that a few times years ago with my cousin for staining stocks,hang large bag full and wait for them to break down and turn to mush,poke hole in bag and add some linseed
oil and stain away.

[John, the baptist]

I'm boiling up another batch of walnut dye right this moment. I just strained 3 quart jars worth...have another garbage bag full to do...along with the large pot full on the stove.

I collected mine off the ground, brown, squishy, and half rotten (not the moldy ones). I just fill the pot halfway with the hulls/nuts/hull pieces, fill 3/4 full with water, boil with lid on all day, then let it sit for a day cool. I then strain through 2 t-shirts into a large pail, then through a milk filter into the jars.

If you want to make wood stain, here's what I do: I boil the dye down until its thick (use your judgement, don't burn it and you want to be able to get it out of the pot). I then put it in a jar with boiled linseed oil. Shake it well when you want to use it as it never really blends well. Then when I'm staining, I make sure to get alot of the brown particles on the closth, wipe it in good, then wipe it with an oily but not dark section of the cloth. I usually do about 5 coats for desired darkness.

I'm looking into making an alcohol based leather dye...not sure what type of alcohol to use.

I mix the other with a splash of vinegar and a few shakes of alum. Vinegar to keep it from molding, alum as a fixative.

[John, the baptist]

I think you need them starting to turn brown and rot. Here is a link for doing it right.

Good luck

http://denevell_books.home.insightbb...walnut_ink.htm

This link only gives me a DNS lookup error. Can't find it on google...

[Ironwood]

This link only gives me a DNS lookup error. Can't find it on google...

If you search walnut ink it should be the first or second hit. Incidentally the link worked for me from where you quoted my response. Problem might be at your end.

[Morgoroth]

If you search walnut ink it should be the first or second hit. Incidentally the link worked for me from where you quoted my response. Problem might be at your end.

Yeah, it works for me too, and mine hardly ever works.