Finishing curly maple

[Jaeger]

I've used an aqua Fortis solution I got from Jim Kibler, and followed instructions similar to what Lawrence posted.
Once wood was sanded to the desired grit, I applied the AF solution and let dry for an hour. I sanded again with 220 to remove the raised grains of the maple. I repeated this whole process two more times. After the third AF application, drying and whiskering, I took the heat gun to the wood. The maple turned a mustardy brownish yellow when anough heat was applied. I don't think a hair drier will get the solution hot enough. I used a heat gun. After the heat application, I applied three coats of Tried and True varnish over a few days.
Here's how my rifle turned out. It wasnt a perfect process, but a nice finish all the same. View attachment 37738View attachment 37739

Looks like you got past the mustardy brownish phase. Your stock looks perfect to me! Nice work!

 

[Lippy984]

Lippy984:
More than likely NOT! You may see SOME improvement, BUT you can't show off what ISN'T there. There are some great Tutorials on Faux striping however. You might consider trying that?
] Just an option.
God bless:
Two Feathers

Ehh, it’s not that big a deal. I was just curious. I may try it anyways, because why not

 

[Art Caputo]

I was actually going to ask this...I recently bought a stock from Pecatonica River to replace my Renegade stock. I got the lowest grade maple, that shows no stripe and little curl at all. Will this process bring out what’s not exactly visible with an unfinished stock?

It won’t create curl where there isn’t any, but an option to add some character to low figure, maple socks could be to shadow the low areas of the stock with Bone Black. I used this approach with the plain maple stock on a Hawken. Jim Kibler has an instructional video on how to apply the bone black.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Yes you need to neutralize the acid you have applied, or else it will keep darkening. Lye, household ammonia, or a baking soda paste rubbed on it several times and then washed off are the 3 most common neutralizers. lye will impart a somewhat orangish hue to the subject material, which I happen to like. You can enhance the stripes by rubbing it back some after it's neutralized before the varnish coat. Even apply stain over the AF/FN to change the color a bit. It's just important NOT to get steel wool near the piece before the AF/FN treatment, or else any iron flecks in there will turn black and freckle your piece. Afterwards, and it's neutralized, no problem then.

 

[Lippy984]

It won’t create curl where there isn’t any, but an option to add some character to low figure, maple socks could be to shadow the low areas of the stock with Bone Black. I used this approach with the plain maple stock on a Hawken. Jim Kibler has an instructional video on how to apply the bone black.
View attachment 37777

Interesting...I’m going to check that out. Thanks

 

[Kozmo]

Yes you need to neutralize the acid you have applied, or else it will keep darkening. Lye, household ammonia, or a baking soda paste rubbed on it several times and then washed off are the 3 most common neutralizers. lye will impart a somewhat orangish hue to the subject material, which I happen to like. You can enhance the stripes by rubbing it back some after it's neutralized before the varnish coat. Even apply stain over the AF/FN to change the color a bit. It's just important NOT to get steel wool near the piece before the AF/FN treatment, or else any iron flecks in there will turn black and freckle your piece. Afterwards, and it's neutralized, no problem then.

This is an important point regarding use of iron nitrate and similar solutions. I will add that the aqua Fortis solution sold by Jim Kibler states you don't need to neutralize.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Hmmm. Interesting. I've always neutralized just to be on the safe side with the baking soda or ammonia treatments (which goes for cold browning too). There certainly isn't any harm in it, and it only takes a few minutes or maybe a day to dry.

Once I discovered the lye treatment, I started doing that because I liked the color phase change. It seemed to make the stripes pop more too. You just have to be careful with that stuff, because lye burns can be every bit as nasty as acid burns. For Pete's sake, wear glasses when working with ANY of these nasty solutions though (which goes for AF/FN too)! And (if using lye) wash it down afterwards, or else the lye residue can leave a powdery mess behind, and that can be the dickens to get out of crevices like carving.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Guys,
I believe Jim Kibler's "aqua fortis" solution is made from ferric nitrate dissolved in water. As such it is a weak acid and after blushing with heat, the hydrogen ions (acid part) are theoretically driven out leaving iron oxide behind (the orangey red color). The acid serves to bond the iron oxide to the wood fibers, which is why the color never fades in UV light. Jim is theoretically correct that the stain should not need neutralizing, however, we don't have 100-200 years of data on the effects of not neutralizing the weak acid like we do for the historical acid stains that were neutralized. Therefore, I recommend wiping the stock with ammonia, water with baking soda, or lye water just in case. It cannot hurt and lye will also redden the color a little. FYI, aqua fortis means "loud water" and refers originally to nitric acid, not the stain we think of. Use of nitric acid "called aqua fortis" to color wood goes back to 1200 AD at least. The mixture of iron and nitric acid that we call aqua fortis is a much more recent terminology. Regardless, our "aqua fortis" is simply iron mixed in nitric acid, which is exactly the same chemical formula as ferric nitrate dissolved in water plus some extra hydrogen ions that get burned off.

dave

 

[Art Caputo]

I will be finishing a stock in the upcoming weeks and decided to test the Jim Kibler Aqua Fortis offering on a piece of scrap curly maple. It was sanded down to 330 grit, de-wiskered, and one coating of Jims solution. It was allowed to dry for about an hour, then heated using a heat gun, it was then finished with a couple of coats of Linspeed. I was quite happy with the appearance and will likely go with it. May consider neutralizing per comments above.

 

[Crow-Feather]

I've used an aqua Fortis solution I got from Jim Kibler, and followed instructions similar to what Lawrence posted.
Once wood was sanded to the desired grit, I applied the AF solution and let dry for an hour. I sanded again with 220 to remove the raised grains of the maple. I repeated this whole process two more times. After the third AF application, drying and whiskering, I took the heat gun to the wood. The maple turned a mustardy brownish yellow when anough heat was applied. I don't think a hair drier will get the solution hot enough. I used a heat gun. After the heat application, I applied three coats of Tried and True varnish over a few days.
Here's how my rifle turned out. It wasnt a perfect process, but a nice finish all the same. View attachment 37738View attachment 37739

Well, people build the rifle to be period correct. AF is period correct. If the rifle comes out looking like something better than AF, then it looks pretty, but it is not period correct. It's like the rifle trappers held when they had their pictures took.

 

[dave_person]

HI,
Ferric nitrate in water (aqua fortis) is a very good satin for maple not because it is historically correct, which it is, but because it does the best job bringing out figure in the maple, creates a variety of warm, pleasing colors, and never fades, even over 200 years. No other modern stain can claim all three.

dave

 

[Flintandsteel]

LawrenceA,
you should be able to get ferric nitrate crystals from a science supply down under.
Here, it’s the science co. This is what iron desolated in nitric acid produces.
Works exactly like Aqua Fortis , with no need to neutralize.

 

[LawrenceA]

LawrenceA,
you should be able to get ferric nitrate crystals from a science supply down under.
Here, it’s the science co. This is what iron desolated in nitric acid produces.
Works exactly like Aqua Fortis , with no need to neutralize.

Thanks Flintsteel
I did get Iron Nitrate off ebay.
Thought is what you used to make Aqua Fortis.

Worked well.

 

[Snotty54]

By the way Brazos, this process is the same for smaller wood such as handles (of course). I just did this with a curly maple knife handle that I decided to refinish on a fantastic knife made by a fellow board member.
Heated AF solution:
View attachment 37740
Varnish applied
View attachment 37741

What is the ideal temperature for pouring pewter??

 

[Two Feathers]

No worries mate.
I am lucky to get internet. Still use ADSL where I am.
Actually can't get Aqua Fortis persay. I can get Iron Nitrate and make Aqua Fortis though!
So I did and it was AWESOME.

Result
View attachment 37747
Not the best photo but a plain piece of straw coloured wood with no discernible curl just POPPED!
The wood is now a beautiful rusty red and has maybe 60% curl

LawrenceA:
BEAUTIFUL work!!! Now THAT'S a chunk of Curly!! I'd be proud of that!
Two Feathers

 

[Flintandsteel]

Art,
if you’ve already put finish on it, it’s too late to neutralize.

 

[Travler]

I used Jim Kiblers product on my long rifle and was very happy with the results. I did not use the bone black at I thought it would be too dark.

 

[Two Feathers]

What is the ideal temperature for pouring pewter??

I've found it to be about 350 degrees +or-, (pretty low actually), BUT that depends on the metallurgical mix of the tin, copper/antimony? Too much tin and you'll have to go hotter. Too little tin and you may "burn out" the pewter, it'll seize, just like Chocolate. This is just my opinion. I'm sure There will be disputes over this?
Good luck.
God bless:
Two Feathers

 

[Art Caputo]

Art,
if you’ve already put finish on it, it’s too late to neutralize.

Thanks. Yes, I understand. That stock shown was just a test sample using scrapped maple. If I neutralize I will be sure to do so before finishining

 

[Kozmo]

What is the ideal temperature for pouring pewter??

Snotty54, I didn't make this knife. Search for board member 'Tallpine' on this board. He made this beautiful knife including the cool pewter bolster.