Mulberry as a stain medium

[John Saxton]

I was wondering if anybody has tried Mulberry as a stain medium? It takes some getting off your hands ,was wondering about the longevity of it on timber over time?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

What I know of it for woodwork is only anecdotal... although it's a relatively popular natural dye for some spinner/weavers I know.

But dying fabrics is a different process to staining wood in many ways. eg. The use of mordants, steeping for long periods @ high temps, etc., etc.

I've been told (by aforementioned spinners who've had... accidents) that on woodwork it quickly degrades in sunlight, becoming rather drab. This is true for many natural dyes and, along with difficulty in getting consistent colour between batches, is probably why aniline dyes are more commonly used instead.

[John Saxton]

Thanks Skew it was merely a rhetorical question in possibly thinking of applying it to turned material!Most turned material would not necessarily be in direct sunlight I would assume .I have some Purple Heart which does change its colored nature with light exposure .

I was thinking of doing some Finials for a decorative fence ,just weighing my options here.