Maple Stock Finishing

[youngtrout]

Hello, I've been reading all the posts but thought I would pose a question of my own........I have a semi-fancy maple stock on a .308 turk project.

 

I'm getting down to the finish, this stock is light, (light in color, I like my blondes but bleach blondes?) but has some really great figure.

 

Usually I've just worked with walnut, and tung oiled them, or a similar product.

 

I have seen great looking maple stocks but they usually have a darker finish,,,,,,,What I'm looking to do is to really bring out the figure that is here and darken the stock a bit. Some of the black powder rifle I've seem come to mind.

 

I remember the old post, somebody posted a pic of a stock that actually used a type of acid to finish????

I guess I'm just looking for opinions, I'm somewhat set on darkening the stock but just want a product that will really pop the figure that is there but still be compatiable with oil finishes.

 

Love to see any and all recipies for maple,,,,,,,would also love to see some pics.

 

thanks for any feedback!!!

Added a photo, not mine just something to look at.

 

 

[Doble Troble]

Aqua fortis is the old-fashioned stain for maple. It really "pops" the tiger stripes. I mix my own, but there's got to be some outfit selling the stuff.

 

It's a little tricky to use as you have to heat the wood before it darkens. I use a propane torch and it takes a bit of experimentation to figure out what the right amount of cooking is.

 

I used this approach for Sparky: link to pix of Sparky.

[youngtrout]

sparky, that was it, the link was no good on the old post, you talk about heating it, you are just heating it enough to get it hot??? Or do you actually see the thing smoke.

 

I'll do a google search, but if you don't mind me asking what your recipie is?

[z1r]

Here's a neat site.. http://members.aol.com/illinewek/faqs/stock.htm

 

But another way to make the stripes pop is with heat. A propane torch carefully plyed on the stock without scorching really brings out the fiddleback.

 

The old-time stockers and furniture makers used a technique called "Sugi" to high-light fiddleback. Cehck the spelling on Sugi cuz it's wrong. Don;t have my book in front of me so it'll have to do for now.

 

Think of fiddle back being like a stack of roofing tin. If you cut the top off the ripples to flatten it, there are alternating end grains and side grain exposed. End grain absorbs stains differently and will scorch differently if slightly burnt.

 

Either one makes a Sugi finish. If you add a little dark walnut stain to your soaker coats it highlights the grain

 

 

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/...win70custom.jsp

 

I like this type of finish in a maple stock. The sugi would bring out the tiger striping if there were more.

[Doble Troble]

When you apply aqua fortis to maple it will turn the wood a sort of yellow-green. I think this is probably iron, which is a component of aqua fortis in a particular oxidation state. Heating with the propane torch changes the yellow-green stain to a reddish-brown - probably through changing the iron to a different oxidation state - I think Jimro is up on this chemistry (I'm not) so maybe he can explain better.

 

So you want to heat the wood only until the color change occurs. This really isn't too hard, you just have to keep the torch moving and be patient. I did manage to scorch a patch on Sparky, but it wasn't too bad and its hard to tell. I can see how a little scortching will produce an interesting effect like Z is referring to, and there's probably some of that involved in the aqua fortis finish, but I think its mostly a chemical change in color of the iron in the stain.

[youngtrout]

thanks guys, I need to do a bit more research

I have not found anyplace to actually purchase the stuff

 

brownells sells a stain made by pinkleton (spelling) that

is made for maple but I'm sure its not the same

 

Tonight I will post a "before" pic,

thanks again for the feedback

[Doble Troble]

It looks like the Dept of Homeland Security considers Aqua fortis a potential bomb-making chemical.

 

Track of the Wolf no longer carries it.

 

If you want to try some email me your address and I'll send you a bottle (you may have to be patient with me though, sometimes it takes me a while to get to the post office).

 

Alternatively you could prepare your own nitric acid.

 

After preparing the concentrated acid, dilute it in half with distilled water, add a few nails or some other source of iron, and you're in business.

[z1r]

[youngtrout]

thanks for the offer doble troble, I'm certainly not going to make my own, and

most likely red flagged for looking at site,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I think I need to stay with

a more pedestrian approach or find a commercial product.

 

Thanks z1r, thats some good reading, maybe I just need to find a place to buy some

acid.

 

When would a person heat the stock, before or after the stain went on, I know

doble troble using the one solution heated after,,using the acid would it be better

to flame first?

 

man, did I open a can of rusty nails,,,,,,I'll post a pic of what I'm starting out with

tonight!

[z1r]

YT,

 

I'd have to consult my books about when to apply the heat. To my recollection it can be done with or without stain. I like the looks sans stain since the contrast is very striking. Stain mutes the effect somewhat. The NRA gunsmithing guide has a couple of articles on maple.

[BobDole]

You heat after you apply the solution, torch or heat gun will work. You can also used vinegar and rusty nails it gives similar results to aqua fortis and is safer.

[Doble Troble]

most likely red flagged for looking at site

 

If free Americans trying in good faith to educate themselves to do something worthwhile have to worry about government reprisals based on the source of their information then our country is lost. Our country's greatness came about because Americans tend NOT TO BE PEDESTRIAN. We can do anything, and if we can't we'll figure-out how to, and if you try to stop us, we'll kick your ass. We need to maintain this can-do attitude today more than any other time in our history.

 

Do what is right and follow your interests and don't let the perceptions of others dissuade you.

 

Regarding the home preparation of nitric acid, its a very doable thing, but it can be dangerous and I don't necessarily recommnend it unless you really need it to do something worthwhile, and then you pretty-much have no choice in this day and age. And you'll probably learn a lot by doing it - but be careful and not stupid.

 

I wish Congress would pass laws against stupidity, but this would probably negatively impact a large percentage of its members, so that ain't gonna happen.

 

There are lots of legitimate reasons why Americans should have access to nitric acid. Bombs have been around a long time, and they're easy to make - that cat is out of the bag. The solution isn't to make it impossible for free people to have access to resources to do interesting things. The logical outcome of that is that we should all stay home and never get out of bed unless absolutely necessary. If we don't do anything and don't interact and arrest those that do, then nothing will ever go wrong. This isn't the right course of action. The right course of action is to be social, know the others in your community, be active and alert to things that aren't right, and prepared to defend yourself, your family and friends. We should also support killing terrorists where they live and not where we live until there are no more left.

 

Sorry for another inappropriate rant, but I'm trying to do what's right, and I'm really pissed-off that it's impossible to obtain an aqua fortis stain in America in 2006.

[youngtrout]

no problem doble troble! I completely agree!

 

It was more of a issue of time for me, we close on a house in the morning and the honey-does couldn't be longer, its a real fix-er-upper!!

 

I ended up ordering a pinkleton product from brownells, the one that is supposed to mimic the acid finish, we will see how it looks, I'll also do the flame tech. ,,,,,,but first testing on a piece of scrap.

 

well as promised, this is where I'm at with the stock, not really finish sanded,,,,hopefully I can take some hints from z1r and get something that looks even somewhat like his, not likely,,,,,,,,I'll post with progress.

 

 

[FC]

stains

I like to use a water or alcohol stain, then an oil-based stain. Why? The first will darken the wood, the second will enhance the figure.

Before applying, wet the surface, then lightly sand off the whiskers.

[Doble Troble]

Nice looking stock YT (except you put the cheek piece on the wrong side). It's going to have great tiger stripes when stained and finished. I really like maple and I think I'll use it for my next project. Its much easier to work with than the claro walnut I've used for other projects.