On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 10:19:27 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:

Ammonia fuming is not really a practical proposition

It's dead easy !

unless you can construct some kind of airtight tent and place a bowl of it in there
overnight.

Exactly. This is UK DIY - we have binliners and gaffer tape.

Even ordinary household ammonia will blow your head off

Ammonia is one of the few workshop chemicals I have any sort of averse
reaction to. So _usually_, I wear a full face mask. But I'm only using
26% ammonia, not .880, and if I'm in a hurry to refill the box, I just
hold my breath.

brushing it on.

Don't brush it on - use the _vapour_, not the liquid. Any liquid
splashes will have a total ebonising effect, not just the attractive
darkening.

A mild solution of caustic soda or washing soda
achieves pretty much the same thing.

Nothing like the same effect. On oak you'll achieve a completely
different colour. Washing soda is a reasonable way to age pine, but it's
not the stuff to use on oak, unles you merely want it to look manky.



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