Hello,
I'm curious about what methods y'all have used for finishing curly maple scales. I've finished several handles and a long rifle using aquafortis (i.e. nitric acid) and I love the way it looks, almost three-dimensional. The only problem comes when I heat the handle to cure the aquafortis. I use the burner on the stove turned to high heat and hold the handle 6-8 inches away from it. On my last few knives the wood has swollen and pulled away from the tang leaving a gap. It's very small, but it's enough to allow moisture into the handle. Anybody else have this problem? I've tried a few stains, but they didn't bring out the contrast like the aquafortis. What else do you all do?


Josh Blount

Josh
Check on page 6 in Ed's Workshop for "Curly Maple Staining Methods". I posted the same type question awhile back and got alot of good information. After trying several methods I finally settled on Majestic Maple Stain with a boiled linseed oil finish or Majestic Maple Stain and Richards Classic Oil Finish. Either way will give Curly Maple the three-dimensional effect you speak of. Check out the post and see if it helps.


Scott

Scott,
Thanks for the tip. I thought I remembered a post about this, but wasn't sure. Where did you end up buying the Majestic Maple? Was it from the phone number Terry listed? I'd like to try some. Thanks!

Josh

On knifehandles I have had excellent success getting high contrast using Tandy Chocolate brown leather dye after it was suggested to me years ago.

Recently, I stained a guitar amplifier cabinet I had made of curly maple by using multiple coats of powdered aniline dyes (Woodworkers of New Mexico) heavily diluted in rubbing alcohol and water. This raises the grain and requires a fine-grit resanding but presents a very nicely differentiated staining.

If you can find some Tandy leather dye you will be surprised at their effectiveness.

One point about nitric acid: keep it away from acetone, it forms an explosive mixture!!!

mikefitz

Josh
The Majestic Maple Stain is made and sold by R.W.Wilson.
Wilson's website is www.rwwilsonknives.com. I ordered a bottle and using advice from the earlier post dilluted the stain half and half with distilled water. It gives me the exact color I'm looking for and works great. I have tried leather dye and it worked ok for me but did not make the figure in the wood jump out like the Majestic did. Everyone has a method that works well for them and you may want to experiment with the leather stain also.

Scott