I’m in need on some suggestions or guidance when it comes to coloring cherry stocks… well, cherry. Looking for a rich dark red look. Not too worried about mottling. Any tips, tricks or tactics? Pictures are always helpful 
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Cherry stocks
- Thread starter Zutt-man
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Oven cleaner will give you the look you want.
This stock was stained that way, the picture is from the Kibler photo gallery of customer finished guns.
This stock was stained that way, the picture is from the Kibler photo gallery of customer finished guns.
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That’s from oven cleaner?? It’s beautiful!!!
Lye is what stains cherry reddish through a chemical stain, and some oven cleaners have lye in them. There are now oven cleaners with no lye in them. They do nothing.
You can buy household lye in powdered form for next to nothing. Mix it with water in various strengths and try it on scraps of cherry, if you have any. Kiblers included several scraps in my kit at my request. It didn't seem to take a very strong solution to turn the wood really red. I kept diluting it until I got what I wanted.
Do you have some pictures?
I’ve seen you post this before. I’ve seen oven cleaner as a common use for coloring cherry, but must admit I was a little apprehensive. Did you use actual oven cleaner or lye? Do you go over it with oil or just your sealing finish? I’m curious on the process
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I've used red devil lye solutions on cherry for well over 20+ years now, but I've always neutralized it with a light vinegar wash before going directly to oil finish. Lye can saponify oil finishes and if you have a strong enough lye concentration in the wood, and go directly to oil, you may begin to notice white cloudy patches in the finish as soon as it gets humid. As I understand it, this is the lye in the wood basically turning the oil to soap. Believe me, it can happen - I've seen it first hand. So when I use lye on cherry, after I feel that the color is consistent and I've let he stock dry, I give it a wash with plain old cider vinegar and let dry well once more. It does not seem to affect the color at all, and I've not had any problem with white patches in a linseed oil based finish by doing this. Anyone here with a chemistry background can surely offer a better explanation of what's happening. Humidity seems to drastically accelerate the process of 'white blotching' if you just go right over the lye stain with an oil based finish.
By drying, are you meaning letting sit for a few hours or a few days?
Cherry from heart wood will naturally darken on its own.
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Usually I stain stuff near the end of the work day and then let it dry overnight, sometimes into the next afternoon for a full 24 hours and move on to other tasks in the meantime. I don't like to hit the stocks with too much moisture all at once like a tidal wave! I also let the stocks hang and dry for *at least* 24 hours if not longer (usually longer) before I begin to seal and finish with whatever I'm going to use as a finish. Others may work differently but this is what I've settled upon that seems to work for me.
Pete G
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Drain cleaner also contains lye.
Henry Miles
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Ashes from the woodstove are a good source of lye
I’m in need on some suggestions or guidance when it comes to coloring cherry stocks… well, cherry. Looking for a rich dark red look. Not too worried about mottling. Any tips, tricks or tactics? Pictures are always helpful
put it in a box large enough to hold it with at least several inches clearance all 'round.
Put ammonia in there with it. Maybe a long pan or a few. Close the box and let it sit in any warm room or in the sun (speeds up the action). Check every few hours to monitor progress. Let it air out when you're satisfied. Note: when you add finish, it will darken, same as with any stain. Don't put any liquid (incl ammonia) on the wood.
Here's a couple of photos of cherry treated with lye. On the left of the test piece is 1 tsp/cup of water. The darker side on the right is 2 tsp/cup. I flooded the wood with solution and let it dry in the sun for 20 minutes. There is no other finish on the wood. This was done about 15 minutes ago. The piece on top is freshly planed wood. Hope this helps.
excess650
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Be sure to wear rubber gloves, and keep some vinegar nearby to neutralize the lye in case you are splashed.
Lye reacts with the tannic acid in the wood and causes the wood to change color. I've used 1 tablespoon of lye in a pint of water. Brush the lye solution on and keep applying it until you get the color you want. In reality, it will be lighter in color when dry. If the color dry isn't dark enough, repeat the process. I've allowed it to dry, rinse with water, and allowed it to dry again before using a tung oil finish and had no issue. If you do rinse with vinegar, be sure to rinse the vinegar off with water.
It would be a good idea to experiment with a scrap piece of the same wood to give you and idea rather than going directly to the stock. An oil finish on the darkened cherry will make it darker yet.
Lye reacts with the tannic acid in the wood and causes the wood to change color. I've used 1 tablespoon of lye in a pint of water. Brush the lye solution on and keep applying it until you get the color you want. In reality, it will be lighter in color when dry. If the color dry isn't dark enough, repeat the process. I've allowed it to dry, rinse with water, and allowed it to dry again before using a tung oil finish and had no issue. If you do rinse with vinegar, be sure to rinse the vinegar off with water.
It would be a good idea to experiment with a scrap piece of the same wood to give you and idea rather than going directly to the stock. An oil finish on the darkened cherry will make it darker yet.
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There are stains specifically for ML stocks, that are that color you want. Dixon's has 'em, believe alcohol based, can't recall off hand the brand name! I've used 'em, am at library computer, but sure to be several guys to tip you off.I’m in need on some suggestions or guidance when it comes to coloring cherry stocks… well, cherry. Looking for a rich dark red look. Not too worried about mottling. Any tips, tricks or tactics? Pictures are always helpful
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Not to knock anyone's comments, but the stain you want is available as is, without all the chemistry lab ingredients and equipment. Do your research, yes, the tip on "testing" is very valid.
This cherry stocked SMR was finished using Fiebing's alcohol based, medium light brown leather dye w/ tung oil...
May not be dark enough for you - but would caution that grain character has a tendency to get lost if the stain is too dark.
This post has been edited.
May not be dark enough for you - but would caution that grain character has a tendency to get lost if the stain is too dark.
This post has been edited.
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Can the same Lye work equally well on Curly Maple without the Acid ?
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