Tannins naturally present in wood cause wood to darken over time. While oak contains a lot of tannins, pine does not. Tannins, in the form of tea can be applied to darken wood. Iron acetate will react with natural tannins and greatly darken wood. With some woods tea alone will give you a desirable color, with other woods you apply iron acetate which reacts with the tannis giving a much darker coloration. These methods are somewhat unpredictable and some experimentation is required before you commit a finish to your project.

To add tannins:

• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup (25g) black tea

For iron acetate:

• Large balls of fine steel wool
• Malt vinegar

For the iron acetate place the steel wool in a jar and add vinegar. Close the jar and let sit at least overnight. For a darker color let it sit longer and/or use more steel wool.

Apply the tannin mixture with a brush or lint free cloth and leave it for several minutes before wiping any excess with a lint free cloth. This will impart a golden color to a light wood and may be all you want. To get a considerably darker color apply the iron acetate mixture - the wood will darken immediately and continue to darken for at least an houer. Because of the water the wood will swell slightly - a light sanding when compltely dry will fix this. You can preserve the color with an oil or a wax finish.