Aqua Fortis

[Red Owl]

I know this is usually used on maple but will it work on other light colored wood like birch or beech? As I understand it, you brush it on and let dry, then heat the wood. If it is an acid, do you need to neutral the wood with baking soda, etc.? Will the color stay? I think there is some other chemical that eventually turns green.
What about checkering? Can you use it with checkering?

 

[MountainSmoke]

I was thinking of staining my hickory ramrod with it but was not happy with the test piece that I did. It stained it fine but was a rather unappealing orange color that didn't go well with the rifle at all.

 

[rich pierce]

It works on many white woods giving warm brown to reddish brown tones. On cherry and walnut, iron-saturated aquafortis turns the wood black in my experience. It even stains pine to a nice warm brown color.

 

[Fifty Four]

Works great on beech. Turns a warm dark brown.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

Potassium permangenate is said to turn green over time. One of my rifles stained with it has gone 50 years without changing. Feric nitrate is the fallback stain for maple. Vinegar and iron works well, as does feric chloride. Both of these can color without heat. They may work differently on light colored wood other than maple.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Potassium permangenate is said to turn green over time. One of my rifles stained with it has gone 50 years without changing. Feric nitrate is the fallback stain for maple. Vinegar and iron works well, as does feric chloride. Both of these can color without heat. They may work differently on light colored wood other than maple.

PP doesn't go green. It's the product sold as "Magic Maple" that you want to stay away from if you don't care for green guns.

 

[rich pierce]

PP doesn't go green. It's the product sold as "Magic Maple" that you want to stay away from if you don't care for green guns.

I think Magic Maple is chromium trioxide. Potassium permanganate gives a purplish color on some woods but is commonly used to age bone or antler.

 

[user 34300]

It reacts with tannins in the wood. Some woods have more than others. IT is not acid. Nothing needs to be neutralized. Ferric Nitrate it the active ingredient. IT can be reacted with nitric acid and iron. Don't bother. Get ferric nitrate crystal and dissolve it in water. Or buy it prepared.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Even English walnut can turn out well with aqua fortis without iron added.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Chromium trioxide is the chemical in magic maple that eventually turns green.

 

[Red Owl]

That's it, Chromium trioxide. Okay, on the aqua fortis, does that bring out the grain? What I am thinking is maybe a 2 step processes, do something to bring out the grain BUT if the surrounding wood is still too light, then a little stain.
What about carved or checkered areas? I don't want those areas to soak up stain and turn too dark. I've read on lne about de-waxed shellac but I have never used it. Thanks for any help.

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

I used Kibler's Iron Nitrate on this old CVA pistol with a beech stock.

 

[Red Owl]

Take the blank wood. What I am trying to do it darken the grain. Maybe aqua fortis and then a light sanding which leaves the grain dark. Then maybe a water dye to darn the whole thing but with the grain still standing out- if that makes sense.
BTW- I have that same pistol but it came with a belt hook and adjustable rear sight and a "too tall" front sight. I'm going to replace the belt hook with a side plate and the sights with smaller sizes.