Staining

Sometimes it is desirable to colour the wood's surface dark. A lot of ancient recorders, especially such made from boxwood, are stained therefore.

Since European boxwood does not accept any trade usual stain, I use for colouring the wood a very old and large-scale procedure. The wood's surface here is spreaded with nitric acid, until the wood has changed to the desired dark colour. Afterwards the acid is neutralized completely by oil.

In that way a very resistant and also very decorative and expressive colouring develops which shows the characteristical structure of the wood to advantage.

Often I stain instruments made from boxwood, sometimes also instruments from maple.

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