About 20 yrs ago a freind of mine discovered how the Mexicans stained furniture. He was into buying this rustic furniture and beleived he could get better prices by going into the interior of Mexico. There he saw firsthand how they made their stains.
Take a chunk of tar, the kind they melt down for roofing, and soak it in gasoline. It will melt down pretty fast. Just adjust the amount of gasoline until you get the desired tone.
You use it as you would any stain, wipe it on and let it dry. The gasoline evaporates and then you can varnish or shellac as you need.
Tar is cheap. I've managed to bum a small piece from roofers whenever I needed some. A tube costs about $15 and will last a very long time.
