Stain to bring out figure in really good wood.

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Runner

58 Cal.
Joined
Apr 29, 2005
Messages
2,071
Reaction score
7
I just bought a piece of wood to use rebuilding one of my guns. It has curl all the way thru it. What is the best stain to use to bring out the curl and end up with a medium brown stock that shows the curl well?
 
nitric-water-metal shavings [/quote]

won't an acid stain like this darken with age.
 
I think Donk may be right it may darken with age one day. Come to think of it I did a rifle back in the 80's and it is somewhat darker today so you may want to try something else. I just prefer to use the kinds of things that they did waaaaaaay back when. But you could always refinish it if you liked I guess one day and do the stain over after 15-20 years if it did get to dark for you. ( I like to try and get the guns to look like they are older than just finished but
first1006.jpg
that is my preference)

I know I like the stain I have used on my guns. The formula is like most everything I do I guess, by feel.

I use about a 4 part water to 1 part nitric acid making sure to pour the nitric in the water and not the other way around and pour it slowly and be certain to avoid the fumes. the fumes are fatal if breathed long enough and the short term effects are it will sear your lungs. So make sure you do this outside and not in a colsed environment.

Once you mix the two then start to add either metal shavings or some steel wool like I usually do. It won't take too much maybe one or two pads of the wool. Poke it down in the jar (I use a mason jar) with a stick so your not in contact with the mixture. The idea is to get enough metal in the mixture to where it finally stops working (melting down the steel) and then it is ready to use. I would try it on a similar piece of wood first to see how it goes and if this is what you are looking for in the color.

Get a wood stick and tie a bit of cloth around the end so you can dip it into the jar getting it saturated with the mix then swab the wood with liberal amounts making sure it has a good even coat. ( I usually use an old dishrag for this) Next you need to warm it up either over a forge (what no forge?) oh well then just use your propane torch making sure you don't get close enough to the wood to scorch it but you are trying to set the stain and make absorbe into the wood. After it has dried to a wonderfull ugly color of brown then card it off with steel wool and remember the harder you rub the more of the color you will take back off. Do it lightly your just tryng to take off the thick layer of gunk that did not sink into the wood. If the first coat is not as rich as you would like reaply another coat after carding the first one off and make sure to warm it up again. You can even card the first coat off with a 0000steel wool that has been saturated in your favorite preservitive. I use boiled and raw linseed oil for my rifles and usually spend lots of time hand rubbing it in.

Good luck in whatever you do. I know there are probably other easier ways out there and I m sure you can find them on the site here. Take care bud

rabbit03
 
You MUST neutralize after you're done staining. Most people use baking soda. I use lye (which was the "historical" way to do it...leached from wood ashes). Lime works, but tends to dull the color. Lye will make it more orangy, but has to be done. Just a mild solution. Slop it on, then wash it off with lots of water.

It will NOT darken if properly neutralized. Lots of old guns with just as bright a color as it was when built.
 
If you're using lye from the hardware, 1 to 2 teaspoons per gallon of water works well. Wear rubber gloves and don't let it contact your skin.
 
Rabbit, thanks for the informative post :master:, you made it sound easy and I'm going to give it a try, I like to do as many things period correct as I can and it's good to see others do the same, after all that's why we do this. Thanks again.


TheGunCellar
 
Hey FD

If I used the baking soda instead of the lye to make the stain (acid neutral) will it still turn it dull or orangey??


rabbit03
 
Your welcome GC and just do like me take what works for you from all these guys here and leave the rest. The great thing about the past is that it is the door to our future.

rabbit03
 
Thanks for the info guys. The curl in this one will be spectacular if it can be brought out. I took pictures, but it is hard to get it to show in the blonde wood. The forearm from the bottom shows it pretty well tho. It goes all the way around the forearm in solid stripes. Pecatonica sent me very nice wood. I considered not messing with this piece myself as far as the inletting and drilling the tang bolt. I need to get an account somewhere so I can post images here.
 
My brother made me a long rifle about 15 years ago using a piece of old growth birds eye maple and used an acid stain on it. It started out with a color much like you show in the picture and is now very dark but it is still very pretty. The grain and the eyes in the wood show just as nice as they did in the litter color but there are spots on the stock that are almost black.
I live 4 miles from the Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron NE (they have the largest collection of trade guns in the world) and if you look at most of the original rifles and trade guns you will notice the stocks are very dark, in some cases almost black. I understand that many of the trade guns were finished with linseed oil and lamp black to make a cheap durable finish but I am told that most of the rifles were finish with acid stains and have just darkend over the years.
 
Thanks for the info guys. The curl in this one will be spectacular if it can be brought out. I took pictures, but it is hard to get it to show in the blonde wood. The forearm from the bottom shows it pretty well tho. It goes all the way around the forearm in solid stripes. Pecatonica sent me very nice wood. I considered not messing with this piece myself as far as the inletting and drilling the tang bolt. I need to get an account somewhere so I can post images here.

http://photobucket.com/

Good as any .. and its free up to a point!

Davy
 
Hi Donk

I suppose your right abou that and the folks here on the site can probably attest to the fact that they do darken with time. And they may be able to tell you more about what to expect than I. I am a new builder and have not done lots of research in the area. I am more concerned with how they did things back then and not too concerned with the facts and figures of all of it. I enjoy shooting black powder mostly and love to compete and also do some hunting. I will most likely be hunting more and more as time goes on too :).

So the fact that the finish will eventually turn to a dark if that is what will eventually happen really has no affect on my decision to use the acid stain cause that is how they did it back then. And in 20 or a hundred years it turns black in color, oh well THEN THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED BACK THEN :):) I am a purist I guess, when I smoked it was filterless cigarettes, coffee is black no cream or sugar, LOLOLOL that is just me, Take care bud and good luck with what you finally decide, Hey like my daughter says (It's all good!)

rabbit03

ps and oh yeah for the rest of the group here I am also going to be building a flintlock this time! So can't no one say anything about my rifle being new fangled huh LOLOL Unless one of those Matchlock guys show up and start complaining. LOLOLOL
 
Ok, let's give this a try. This is a shot of the barrel channel because it shows the curl pretty well. Getting agood picture of curl in a blank seems hard to do!

165-6516_IMG.jpg
 
Hi Runner

that is just about the same as my wood was prior to staining with the nitric. Looks like a good piece, you should be very proud when it is done no matter what way you go.

rabbit03
 
hey rabbit
I didn't mean any offence I think the acid stains are great. My brother was a pro builder and used acid stains alot and I love the look even after they have darkend.
I just mentioned the part about the museum guns to drive home the fact the acid stain is authentic and it is the way it was done. If you ever get out this way be sure to check out the Museum of the Fur Trade. They have a very impresive collection of original guns and other artifacts from the fur trade era.
 
You know, I don't think I have EVER neutralized with baking soda! If I have, it was a long time ago. I THINK it pretty well leaves the color as it is before you neutralize...not sure. This is what most people do, however. Of course, I would suggest trying out all options on scrap wood before you start to make sure you're doing it right and which way you want to do it.
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top