Chromic Acid Stain

[Arrowhead124]

Can someone tell me about chromic acid? A neighbor was telling me about it a little saying he used to just wipe it on the curly maple and it didn’t need to be heated? I saw some of his stuff that he made 20 plus years ago and it looked nice.. I was just confused because I thought all the acid stains needed heated to work?

 

[rich pierce]

Stay away from chromium trioxide. Stocks turn green over time. Marketed as Magic Maple. Should be outlawed.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Rich is absolutely correct. The stocks turn green unless always kept in a perfectly dark storage cabinet. They look good to begin with, but don't use it unless you want a green stock.

 

[olskool]

who, i learned today. a couple of years ago or so, i saw magic maple and was tempted to try it. glad i didn't!

 

[Metalshaper]

I must've done something wrong. This is my Miss Muley, stained with Magic maple 20+ years ago??
of course I put it on and then blushed it like aqua fortis.. ( Some other builders asked why I did that, frankly )
then I added a bit of walnut stain that enhanced the darker curls .. finished with the Old Durable finish..

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan

 

[rich pierce]

Some have gotten away with using Magic Maple but the odds are not good. It was used a lot in the 70s and 80s and there were green guns everywhere.

There’s really no need for people to try new things with staining. Use analine dyes or ferric nitrate, iron saturated aquafortis on maple.

 

[Metalshaper]

I agree, those green stocks are a bit unnerving! Like I said I must've done something wrong ( or lucky ?? )

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan

 

[okawbow]

I stained several hard maple stocks with CRO3. Never had one turn green. Might be something else that causes the green. I always used BLO. As a finish.

 

[Eric Krewson]

It is obvious what was used on my rifle made in the early 70s.

 

[sdilts]

The ONE time I used it, it turned green.

 

[J.D.]

What Rich said. I saw a LOT of those green guns in the late 70s and 80s. IMHO, they looked rather...alien.

 

[ekettenburg]

Look at it this way: it's ahead of it's time, camo gun!

 

[Flintandsteel]

With all the other GOOD choices out there, why use it?

 

[satwel]

Green stocks aside, Chromium trioxide is a powerful carcinogen. I used it to stain the first flintlock rifle I built many years ago. When I mentioned that to a chemist with whom I was friendly, he was shocked that I was able to buy it so easily. He warned me to stay far away from Chromium trioxide. I never opened the can again and turned it in on hazardous waste day.