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Ed Caffrey's Workshop Talk to Ed Caffrey ... The Montana Bladesmith! Tips, tricks and more from an ABS Mastersmith.

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  #1  
Old 08-05-2001, 04:06 PM
ScottWiley
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Curly Maple Staining Methods


This is for the curly maple guys...

I am looking for a way to stain curly maple to get maximum contrast in the wood figure. I have been sanding to 400 grit and using a light or medium brown water based stain follwed by a light 600 grit sanding with a linseed oil finish. The wood turns out very nice but I would like more contrast showing.
Thanks
Scott

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  #2  
Old 08-05-2001, 08:49 PM
primos
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Well Scott, you aren't getting a whole lot of nibbles on this one. I have been using a Fiebing's Dark Brown leather dye and linseed oil (multiple coats) for several years. I finish it off with 0000 steel wool.

However, I plan to try something suggested by Jerry Fisk. I've been waiting to see if he was going to post it here, but I'll go ahead post it.

Regarding stain, Jerry said...
Quote:
You can also get Maple Magic stain, which is chromium trioxide that he mixes himself, from R.W. Wilson. Phone: 304-723-2771. I used the leather dye until I got this. It has been used for years to stain the old muzzleloaders. Once I get what I want, I use Richards oil finish.
Regarding the oil finish, Jerry said...
Quote:
I had mentioned an oil finish for wood a while back. I have used Richards Classic Oil Finish for years now. I have found nothing I like better. It is made by John Richards from Kentucky in his back yard. His phone number is 502-255-7222. Ask for instructions and you will be very pleased. there is no surface coat for the client to wear off and the wood is 25% harder when you are finished.
Also, I looked at some of Mike Williams curly maple handles. They looked great. Maybe he'll see this and post how he does his. Actually he told me during the spring Hammer-In at Old Washington, Arkansas. But I was picking up so many tips, tricks, and hints, I must have gone into information overload, because I've forgotten how he does it.

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  #3  
Old 08-05-2001, 09:47 PM
ScottWiley
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Terry
Thanks for the info. I have some of Wilsons maple stain on order and it should be in this week. I use alot of curly maple and have always thought the finish looked nice with the leather dye and linseed oil but I noticed that some guys were getting serious contrast and it really blew me away.

I have been soaking my handles in linseed oil from 2 to 4 hours then wiping off the excess and letting it dry and finishing with steel wool. The oil seems to get in really deep. I forgot once and left it soaking for 9 hours and it turned the wood black.

I am anxious to try the new stain and will get some of the Richards Classic Oil and try it too.

Thanks
Scott
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  #4  
Old 08-05-2001, 10:13 PM
Ed Caffrey
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I like to acid etch maple. Ever heard of that one? Well, what I do is to sand the handle a bit oversized, to a 220 grit finish. I then brush on a good coat of muratic acid and let it sit for a few minutes. I then take a heat gun and VERY CAREFULLY heat the wood. Between the heat and the acid, the remaining sugars in the wood carmalize, and with a bit of practice, you can make the grain turn several different colors, depending on the amount of heat you apply. (from browns to reds, yellows and greens) Of course the exterior will burn slightly, but that's why you leave it a bit oversized. Once finished with the heat, simply sand it by hand with 400-600 grit, then finish out with a good coat of caranuba wax.
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  #5  
Old 08-05-2001, 11:38 PM
MIKE KOLLER
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Ed,
Is the acid diluted any or used full strength?


Thanks,
Mike K
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  #6  
Old 08-06-2001, 06:26 AM
Ed Caffrey
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Straight out of the bottle/jug. I apply it with an acid brush. Until you apply the heat it will turn the wood yellow. Just remember to take it nice and easy with the heat. A little burning is expected, just don't want to char the wood too badly.
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  #7  
Old 08-06-2001, 10:20 AM
Fox Creek
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Wood torture


Eds' right on, and there are lots of woods that respond well to the acid/heat routine. Nitric acid is traditional for maple too. one variation I have found on this, is too dunk the handle in raw linseed oil, and then play the torch over it. the wet oil burns and smokes and buffers the charring effect a little and really gets in there. Rub it off with a rag and steel wool (#000or finer) while it is still wet and hot and lay it aside for futhere oil finishing when cool and dry.
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  #8  
Old 08-06-2001, 11:42 AM
Don Cowles
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Re: Wood torture


A gunsmith friend of mine uses chromic acid for bringing out the figure in curly maple. It does a superb job (or, maybe I should say *he* does a superb job )
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  #9  
Old 08-06-2001, 12:12 PM
m l williams
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Re: Wood torture


Sometimes curly maple makes you crazy. One board will color great with no trouble. The next makes you want to bite off the caits tail. I usually use maple magic that has been diluted with a little distilled water. I warm up the stain and the wood. By applying a weak solution my color eases up as I raise the grain and sand off the whiskers. Work the wood with a heat gun or blow dryer, causes the acid to set up much faster. Once I have the color I want I give it a coat of tru-oil or richards. I think the key is changing tactics on different pieces of wood. Gonna try that acid trick though. mike
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  #10  
Old 08-10-2001, 02:23 PM
ScottWiley
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Re: Wood torture


Well I got the Majestic Maple Stain in the mail today and tried it out. It seems to work great but I think I will have to dillute it a little as it turns the wood a dark walnut color in a flash. I like curly maple colored a little lighter so tonight after work it will be experiment time. Thanks to everybody for all the info.
Scott
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  #11  
Old 08-10-2001, 05:09 PM
robertwashburn
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stain


Scott, Rw told me that you should use about half the mixture in the bottle to make it.Save the other for the next bottle. Robert Washburn Abs Journeyman Smith
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  #12  
Old 08-10-2001, 11:36 PM
ScottWiley
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Re: stain


Thanks Robert
I'll locate a bottle and mix some up half & half. Its really wild that the stain is orange color in the bottle but when it gets on the wood and dries it goes to a full dark walnut.
Scott
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  #13  
Old 09-15-2001, 03:00 AM
kvistads
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Re: stain


Scott:
The long rifle I built a few years ago which I stocked in curley maple, I used the nitric acid stuff with good results. You can find it on a website called "trackofthewolf.com" along with several other solutions rifle makers use. Hope this will help.
Good luck,
Russell
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  #14  
Old 09-16-2001, 06:16 PM
Plain ol Bill
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Neutralize acid?


gotta ask guys - after you use acid to color the wood do you then neutralize it somehow - or just forget about it?
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  #15  
Old 09-23-2001, 07:19 PM
kvistads
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Re: Neutralize acid?


Bill:
On the rifle I built I don't remember neutralizing it. I can tell you that I wet the stock down with water several times to check the final color. The stuff I used is called Aquafortis regent. The instructions tell you to wet the wood in order to reveal what the true color it would be as if it were finished. I then finished it with 0000 steel wool followed by many hours of hand rubbing with boiled linseed oil. Once you apply the oil to it you can't change it. If you want to darken it some more before applying the oil, just wave it over the eye on your electric stove until the desired color appears. I got my first gun stock a little too dark at first but was able to easily lighten it up by mearly sanding it some more. Hope this will help.
Sincerely,
Russell
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