Thread: Anyone want some Potassium Dichromate?

Your not in Aus are you?

It's a very strong oxidising agent; do you think it's legal to send via mail?

A bit surprised you don't know it, TL. From memory, it's used in some ceramic glazes. (It's the source of the chrome that makes some glazes green.)

Originally Posted by tea lady

Your not in Aus are you?

Yeah he's in the US - don't think it would be feasible to get some shipped over here.

For anyone who is busting to get some Potassium Dichromate here in Australia, you can get small quantities from Auschems here. Order online, easy as pie. Be careful with that stuff though!

Cheers,

Will

Worried about the legality of posting this stuff myself. But it is such cool stuff - especially on birdseye maple.
I would package it most rigorously and feel that about a tablespoonful is enough for many small projects.
I'm on the Eastern Seabord of US
My sole request would be to pay mailing.
I thought this stuff would be hard to get, if not then you don't need me to provide it.

Real-world economics gets in the way, but the thought behind the offer is still appreciated.

Ol' newb here would like to know what it does to wood. I know in ceramics it makes glazes green. Crome is also a carsonigen or at least not that good for you. (What isn't. )

This extract is from http://www.woodfinishingenterprises.com/techinfo.html (I'm slowly working my way through some of the listed finish recipes. )

"Potassium dichromate is a reddish orange crystalline material. A good stock solution can be made by dissolving four ounces in one quart of water. Small amounts of this stock solution when diluted with water will produce lighter tones.

Potassium dichromate stains wood by reacting with the wood itself. Mahogany is one of the woods affected most strongly by potassium dichromate. When sponged with a solution the wood becomes a dark, rusty red and the contrast between the light and dark markings becomes more accentuated. The color produced depends in part on the type of mahogany used. On Cuban or Spanish mahogany the effect is more pronounced than on Honduras or Philippine Mahogany.

With potassium dichromate oak can be stained a dark rusty brown. Maple and birch are stained a soft yellow. Other colors can be achieved by applying a prestain before applying the potassium dichromate solution. Two prestains that can be tried are tannic acid and logwood extract.

Other effects can be achieved by adding potassium dichromate to a water soluble aniline dye and applying the resultant solution.

Generally, speaking, there isn’t a stain or dye that can be guaranteed to produce a certain color unless all the facts are known regarding the wood used. Even then the results are not certain. You should experiment with the stain or dye on scrap pieces until you achieve the color you are looking for."

And yes, it's carcinogenic: Hazard Sheet

Nice. I think I can live without it.

This is P.D. on Maple, without it one wouldn't see the grain in the large box and one would not see the eyes and undulations in the small box.

Mmmm... nice!

Yours, I take it?

This stuff sounds very much like Potassium pergomate?

Used it a few times to stain crapuspinus chairs or beds when SWMBO wanted them to look like walnut.

When I was at school they quite happily let us use it for developing blueprints in Tech. drawing. Should I sue?

Originally Posted by Waldo

This stuff sounds very much like Potassium pergomate?

I gather you mean Potassium Permanganate? Same sort of thing, but totally different chemical solutions.