Nitric acid.

[R.J.]

Howdy all. Has anyone here used Nitric acid to stain a Maple stock? I was reading that coating a plain Maple stock with it, then holding it near a heat source will give the stock a nice redish brown color. If anyone here has a pic or two of a finished firearm done in this fashion, I would love to see it. Thanks a bunch,Marshal.

 

[rabjr]

This is a gun I built in a fancy red maple stained with Nitrate of Iron.
http://www.nimrodsplace.com/lewisandclark28.html

This is harder sugar maple built by Roy.
http://www.nimrodsplace.com/nefowler23.html

 

[cutshurt]

WOW you do nice work :bow:

Darrel

 

[bioprof]

You have to dissolve iron in nitric acid (the resulting solution is called aquafortis) to get the reddish brown color on maple or dissolve ferric nitrate crytals in water which is basically the same thing.

Here is a Bedford rifle I stained with homemade aquafortis.

 

[R.J.]

Hey,those are some nice shootin' irons. The process I was refering to was in an article by Jack Brooks. He mentioned applying Nitric acid to a Leman stock and holding it infront of an electric heater element. Moving the stock along the element turned it a nice shade of red/brown like the rifles you all posted. The Aquafortis sounds like it will do the trick also. I am wanting to try the applied tiger striping found on the Leman rifles, so the stock will be of the plain maple variety. Thanks for posting up the nice pics fellas. You can never have too many rifle pics to enjoy,Marshal.

 

[longcruise]

This is not the way you are supposed to do it, but based on a recommendation from a local builder I did this. 4 parts water 1 part nitric acid, nothing disolved in it, just spread it on, heated with a heat gun and then neutralized with baking soda and water.

I was not thrilled with the results but it was ok, I guess.

Any more I just use ferric nitrate crystals mixed with water. Don't have any pics of results but it was ok too.