Grain in Curly Ash?

[Ames]

Aside from taking out natural coloring, now I'm wondering what oxalic acid would do to curl. I keep that on hand to treat my bee hives.

 

[Two Feathers]

Oooooops!!!

1950DAVE I do that a LOT, Thanks. I didn't know Lye was still sold in hardware stores these days. I figured as PC and safety conscious as we've become, that someone would have put a stop to that?
I very much appreciate ALL the responses and knowledge from you fine folks. I may take the easy way out for now, just because I already have a ton of Fiebings leather dye laying around my shop. If I don't like the results, I'll go buy Lye and try everyone else's ideas. I have some scraps of the curly Ash left to "play" with so at least I can get a feel for what I'm blindly attempting?
Thank you again, one and all. I'll "show off" the knife once it's done. It's already spoken for, so I can't list it for sale. Here's the stage I'm at right now. I know it looks kinda' nasty, but it'll look better soon! Disregard all the odd ball pencil lines, just the musings of a fool.
God bless:
Two Feathers

 

[Billy Boy]

I use a crystal drain cleaner (95% pure lye) to make soap. Wear full coverage eye protection, gloves. Lye is quite the stuff, if you don’t let the soap air cure for a month before you use it it can make a hot shower warmer....

 

[McClura]

I have used the lye/water to make a paste to use on Osage and curly maple knife handles and I also use it on Osage-(Bodark,Hedge Apple self bows). I put it on the selfbow after sanding and raising the grain before true oil, let it set and wash it off. It turns the Osage a deep brown/purple after a week or so. I then put several coats of true oil on the bow. Great stuff. Make the osage bow look 100 years old. I get it a Ace Hardware. Use to get the Red Devil Lye but it is all gone now.
Mike

 

[Two Feathers]

Gentlemen:
Again, Thank you for your time and experience. I have to run errands today, so my local Ace TruValue hardware store may be on my stopping list?
God bless:
Two Feathers

 

[Pete G]

Pete G:
Do you mean something like Draino???
Two Feathers

Yes. I have used it on cherry with good results

 

[Two Feathers]

Thanks:
Two Feathers

 

[oldwood]

If your shy of lye , try black alcohol die.....Followed by whatever shade of color you desire. It's cheap to buy some Febing's and try it on a scrap of wood. Built two curly ash guns , the color sold them quickly. Both had termite channels and holes. One stock I cut tiny square patches and eliminated the holes and channels. The 2nd stock , I filled the holes w/black epoxie and sanded it off during the process. Was told by a customer , the black epoxie filled holes look like some one years ago , filled the holes/channels w/ tar. Alcohol dye is fast , easy , and ,controlable , Don't forget to dry the stain coats w/heat gun or hair dryer. That allows you to steel wool the dry wood immediately between coats. .............oldwood

 

[JeffG]

No. You are right to make a big deal out of it. The knife will look awesome.

This^^^

 

[RB POWELL]

Howdy Folks Two Feathers here:
I need some good input based on what you know works. I need to get the Pop and Curl to show in a piece of Curly Ash! I tried aqua Fortis and there isn't any sugar in Ash, so AF won't do squat!! I tried dying the wood Yellow then going over it with some Tobacco Brown Guitar stain. It looks OK, but nothing to write home about. I'm looking for some better opinions.
Thanks.
God bless:
Two Feathers

It looks good to me...

 

[Two Feathers]

If your shy of lye , try black alcohol die.....Followed by whatever shade of color you desire. It's cheap to buy some Febing's and try it on a scrap of wood. Built two curly ash guns , the color sold them quickly. Both had termite channels and holes. One stock I cut tiny square patches and eliminated the holes and channels. The 2nd stock , I filled the holes w/black epoxie and sanded it off during the process. Was told by a customer , the black epoxie filled holes look like some one years ago , filled the holes/channels w/ tar. Alcohol dye is fast , easy , and ,controlable , Don't forget to dry the stain coats w/heat gun or hair dryer. That allows you to steel wool the dry wood immediately between coats. .............oldwood

Howdy:
I have a lot of Black Fiebings pro oil dye. I tried that too, but it didn't work out for me?
Thank you for your input though.
God bless:
Two Feathers

 

[Cattman]

use leather dye and really soak it in, it will give you what you want

 

[Two Feathers]

Cattman:
Thanks, but after 7 hours I've tried everything and I'm about to call it quits
God bless:
Two Feathers

 

[tom mesa]

This is an older ash stocked 50cal by John Bergmann that has nice figure.

 

[sdilts]

This was spray painted black, rubbed back and then stained with LMF walnut stain.

 

[Two Feathers]

This is an older ash stocked 50cal by John Bergmann that has nice figure.

Beautiful work. Thanks for sharing.
God bless:
Two Feathers

 

[Two Feathers]

This was spray painted black, rubbed back and then stained with LMF walnut stain.

Gorgeous. Again, thanks for sharing. Now, is this Ash? It doesn't have a ton of curl, but it has nice grain patterns.
God bless:
Two Feathers

 

[sdilts]

Yep, it's ash.

 

[Two Feathers]

sdilts:
Thanks buddy it's NICE!!! I'll have to rethink my approach to this curly Ash knife handle finishing dilemma?
God bless:
Two Feathers

 

[oldwood]

Have had no luck w/ oil dyes. Alcohol is the better of Febings dyes. It's reversible , repairable , and has infinite color hues , and I've not seen it fade over time. ........oldwood