On oak and chestnut the process of fuming may be substituted for that of staining. This process of fuming may be described as follows:

1. Dissolve some tannic acid in an equal amount of water.

Commercial tannic acid is the pulverized inner bark of the white oak tree.

2. Paint the surfaces of the wood with the solution of tannic acid.

Chestnut and some kinds of white oak can be fumed without painting the surfaces with tannic acid. The results are, however, seldom as satisfactory when this work is omitted. You might try some experiments to satisfy yourself upon this point.

3. Place the articles to be fumed, together with a sufficient amount of concentrated ammonia to saturate the air with the ammonia fumes, into a closed box or room.

The ammonia should be placed in shallow dishes. Be careful to expose all surfaces that you wish darkened, to the action of the ammonia fumes.

A large packing box may be lined with paper for this purpose, or the door of a closet may be fitted with weather strips. A glass window somewhere in the box or the door of the room will permit one to observe the changes as they take place. It usually requires from ten to twenty-four hours to darken the wood properly.

4. The fuming will raise the grain of the wood. It must, therefore, be sanded down well before filling and finishing.

Sometimes, when the fuming has, been a little irregular, it is wise to even up the color with some brown stain after the fuming and sanding have been completed.

5. Fill and finish as already explained.