GPR Walnut stock stains?

[Ironhorse]

Hi Gang,
I am new to this Forum. I joined about a month ago and have been lurking and learning so to speak. I am a long range center fire match shooter and an avid muzzle loader shooter also. I have built a few of the T.O.W kits and am now doing, (helping) a GPR .50 kit for one of my younger sons. I have used my own mixture, ferric nitrate crystals for my own mixture of "Aqua fortis" to stain my other rifle stocks with ...But... was wondering if any of you had any idea how or if it works on the GPR European Walnut stocks, To dark all over, or just right? Our stock with the kit is really nice with just the right amount of dark streaks and light yellows and creams to match. Any ideas on how to finish with A.F. or any other finish would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you all in advance for your help!! ...Ironhorse...

 

[Zonie]

Just my opinion but before you think about staining it, take it outside in the sun and wet the wood with water.
That's the color it will have if you just apply a oil finish.
Some will find this color just right. Some will say it's too dark and some will say it's too light.
If it is too dark, you'll just have to live with it. If it's too light, then think about stain.

As dark as some Walnut is, a little stain goes a long way and is easily overdone.

I don't use AF or other chemicals except lye. I might suggest that you try using lye water and seeing what it does with your piece of wood.

Lye water brings the tannon in the wood to the surface and will darken the wood without further treatment (except to nutralize it with a mild acid like vinegar). It also seems to strengthen the contrast between the light and dark areas of the wood. Again, check the wet wood color in bright sunlight.

AF can really darken woods like Maple so I suspect it might turn Walnut a nice shade of black.
Wait for others will give their experiance with it.
I've been disagreed with before.

 

[cptleo1]

The walnut that came with mine had a lot of
black mineral streaks in it. (soft wood)

So instead of sanding it I used a scraper.

I am here to tell ya Walnut really responds to
the scraper.

Then used 3 coats of highly diluted 90% walnut
10% cherry stain mix. (Alcohol based LMF)

8 coats of Tru Oil and Ya got something pretty.

:imo:

 

[TENdriver]

FYSA, you can bleach Walnut if you feel it is too dark. In fact, walnut will become lighter with sun exposure unlike cherry which actually suntans.

KH

 

[Ironhorse]

I want to thank you all again for your help! This is really a Great forum!!
...Ironhorse...

 

[Zonie]

Thanks TENdriver. I suspected you could bleach the wood but isn't there a good chanch the bleach would remove the color indiscriminately? If it did, it seems what started as a dark piece of wood with some figure could turn into a piece with all of the interesting pattern figure of balsa?

 

would that be curly balsa ,,, :crackup:

i just re did one for a fella . He did some brass wire inlay work and and I hand rubbed 7 coats of tongue oil. we added no stain to the stock at all / she came our about half as dark as the factory finish

 

I don't know what Lyman is using for wood these days, but this is what I came out with from a kit I bought back in the early 1980's.

Recontoured the stock a bit, added the grease hole. The only stain applied is that which is on the ramrod. Used Dixie Gun Works browning solution and hot humid Louisiana nights to get most of the metal fininsh. I used a book by Hanson titled "The Plains Rifle" for my guide.

Just :m2c: