Ferrous Sulphate HELP!

I posted back in jan about trying to enhance the grain on a maple marking knife handle. The reponse was to use ferrous sulphate. I found some and diluted some in water and put it on some maple samples. It turned the maple a sort of grey colour, and that is all it did. I was thinking it would do something else. I thought it would provide more contrast to the grain. :(
It did the sam thing as useing vinegar that has steel wool soaking in it, I guess it may be much the same iron and weak acid, home made is cheaper though.
Does anyone know anything about this, or have tried it, or something else along the same lines?:confused:
I am at a bit of a loss and would still like to use something that would bring out the figure of the wood. The maple is very light/white with lits of figure to the grain but because it is so white, I am use to yellowish maple, it does not show that much. I do not know what type of maple it is but it is also very very hard.
I am still working on trying to post a photo, my last try said said it was too big, I will try to get it smaller.
Cheers Ron.

What happens when you lightly sand it back? Does the colour change penetrate deeply into the wood? If so, can you try a diluted solution on a piece of scrap until you only get a darkening of the figure?

Greg

And here's another thing to try first:

Brew a cup of very strong tea, stain the sample with it as much as possible. When dry, sand back very lightly, so that any colour remaining is in the grain lines only, then wipe with a dilute solution of the ferrous sulphate.

Greg

Thank you I will try both in the next day or two and get back to you.
Cheers Ron.