How are Van Dyke crystals made from walnut husks?

I leave the container in full sun until all the moisture has evaporated and the walnut solids have dried and curled up. The solids are then ground up and stored for future use. I keep a jar of concentrated Van Dyke stain made up, from which I draw and dilute as necessary. read more

Making walnut stain is really very easy. If you have a place to work and don't have to worry about splashing the stain, boiling is the fastest way to get a good, dark stain. Place the walnuts into a pair of pantyhose, tie a knot at the top of the leg. Fill each leg if you like. read more

I got this from the Garret Wade site: "Van Dyke Crystals is a traditional, natural, water-based wood dye made from walnut husks with which different depths of brown can be achieved. It can be used to not only color but to shade or darken certain areas on the wood surface. Dissolve in warm water to the needed strength. read more

Van Dyke Crystals are made from walnut husks and depending on the ratio used, varying shades and depths of brown can be achieved. Preparation: Starting with a ratio of 10:1 (water:crystals) dissolve the crystals in warm - hot water before testing on a spare piece of wood. read more