|
|
Register | All Photos | FAQ | Members List | Calendar | ShopStream (Radio/TV) | Search | Today's Posts | Mark Forums Read |
Ed Caffrey's Workshop Talk to Ed Caffrey ... The Montana Bladesmith! Tips, tricks and more from an ABS Mastersmith. |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
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:
Quote:
|
#3
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
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. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Ed, Is the acid diluted any or used full strength? Thanks, Mike K |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
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. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
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. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
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 ) |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
Neutralize acid?
gotta ask guys - after you use acid to color the wood do you then neutralize it somehow - or just forget about it? |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
Tags |
forge |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
(View-All) Members who have read this thread : 71 | |
allen n, Art Swyhart, BCROB, bgmills, BladePatriot, boatbuilder, Brad Johnson, Brok, Cal Ganshorn, CE Brooks, cnccutter, corek, Corkery, crotalus, Dennis Paish, Dezmond, dmiller, Doug Adams, DwaneOliver, dwc34205, easy bleeder, ekremer, fizban, GARob, Ironmen77, Ironwood Nut, Jeremy, jim hamer, Jim T, JJ Roberts, Julie Coffey, Kostoglotov, kwikemart, Lee B, Logan Pearce, Martin Brandt, Medicated, merzb, migolito, mikeysw, MTBound, Naboyle, ohdanm, PappyRay, Patfinder, Pilotbe40, plain ol Bill, qvad00, RandyScott, Ravenshurst, Reed Edwards, Rider82, rockhound, shoprat, SHostetler, simo, simrun, stevesoftail, timekeeper, troglodyte, tuskbuster, viking-sword, Walt2, Wild Bill, wineland, Zeev |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|