Best Stain for Figured Black Walnut?

[54ball]

Some walnut can really benefit from staining and adjusting the color. On the other hand, a really piece of walnut doesn't necessarily need staining. The coloration varies widely within the species and how it is dried. Some can be very pale and weak looking if just finished with oil.

If you choose to stain, subtle is usually best. You can use aniline dyes or you can also tint the finish with aniline dyes. I generally adjust things as I build a finish to get the color I like.

Jim

Yep, it varies per piece of wood.
I have seen black walnut so dark it was purple. That stock was so dark it was difficult for the builder to see the inlet black. I have also seen it very light, almost like oak. Most will fall somewhere in the middle.
There are many ways to adjust color with walnut, paint as mentioned, tinted fillers, tinted oil, amber shellac, tinted shellac, stains, There's many, many options with walnut.
It all depends on the piece of wood and the end goal.

 

[Rob M.]

Stain walnut ?!! Ok .......

I’ve never worked with Black Walnut before, only Maple and use Aquafortis on it. I have a real nice plank of Black Walnut with some nice figure I will be using for a half stock I’m putting together. For those of you who work with Walnut, what type of stain have you been most impressed with?

 

[Secesh]

Hard to argue against it considering the context of this thread…
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/highlighting-figured-walnut.167416/

 

[ppb]

Sanding slurry filler; Tung oil finish...

 

[Reno]

You have to be very careful trying to stain walnut. I’ve seen one that come out almost black. It did not look good at all.
The comments using just oil are spot on.
I used this, the following, method twice and it worked well but I was very careful. I thinned some red maple to very thin. I applied it and it did exactly what I wanted. It highlighted the walnut very nice.
Walnut is a tough wood to figure out sometimes. What works on one piece might not work on another.
Using oil, tung oil, is safe.

 

[Steve Lupcho]

I have used a very thin down ebony stain. It worked wonderfully on Walnut.

 

[Art Caputo]

I rarely apply a stain to a nice walnut stock. The appearance and figure of the stock can be influenced by the degree that the grain is filled, how the grain is filled(added filler or oil), and most importantly, the amount of luster(rubbed/dull-shiny) that is created with the particular oil finish. The coloration(if any) of the type of oil used can also impart a color tone.…While personal preference can play a role in the choices, I tend to match up the finish with the type/style of the particular rifle or shotgun. IMO.

 

[LME]

Walnut is rather porous. The grain needs to be filled usually with a dark filler. Depending on the wood it may need a little color. Think of the Winchester Red stocks.
Filling the grain is really important with walnut. Just finished without filling the grain with a dark filler.....
It can look rather dead and boring.

Some species of walnut may be somewhat porus but Black Walnut isn't very porus.

 

[oldwood]

In reference to staining figured walnut.......Looking at the figure itself , the figure is a light and dark contrast. I once had a British butt stock for a #1 MK 3 rifle made from a nondescript piece of highly figured European walnut. The figure coloration went from yellow / orange to redish black. It was spectacular. What a waste of nice wood on a WW 1 military rifle. However , looking at the coloration of the figure , I obtained the brainstorm of using orange and yellow Febings alcohol stain on Amrican black walnut to make it colored , similar to the European wood. Tried it , and it works. Some Pa. walnut wood is hopelessly black , like that from south west counties like Greene , and Fayette , while wood from Union Co. is very redish. This wood with the redish tone alrady in it , can be stained with straight yellow for an appealing contrast.......Sorry for this elongated diatribe , just sharing info from a lifetime of pi$$ing around w/this BS...................oldwood

 

[wiscoaster]

If you add Transtint to an oil finish, the dyed oil soaks into the wood, coloring it and also partially sealing it, and then you can tease out the figuring and modify the color by selective steel wooling, and you can also further modify the color with subsequent applications of tinted oil, before your final application of clear oil.

 

[Old-Duckman]

I hope the number of posts suggesting that you don’t stain the walnut have convinced you not to do so.

IMO staining a nice piece of walnut is akin to painting your new BMW with spray cans from Walmart because you don’t like the color.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Many pieces of black are just plain nauseating without some help IMO. I have used dilute aquafortis(thisbis nitric without iron added) successfully but it requires care.
The easiest method I have found if one doesn't want to play at it is to use some yellow transtint to subdue the purple (thanks Dave Person) and then some diluted nut brown Laurel Mtn Forge, creeping up on what suits you.

 

[Snooterpup]

And I agree with 54ball. I've used fillers and I've also sanded the stock when applying the first coat of finish. I just wet sand with 400 grit with tung oil on it. It makes a slurry and fills the grain nicely. Let it dry and buff off gently with red scotchbrite....then apply finish as usual.

Yes! This technique works very well.

 

[LME]

I hope the number of posts suggesting that you don’t stain the walnut have convinced you not to do so.

IMO staining a nice piece of walnut is akin to painting your new BMW with spray cans from Walmart because you don’t like the color.

If you do stain it would have to e the worst piece of Walnut in the world! LOL!

 

[Secesh]

LOL!

 

[ZUG]

Each piece of wood is calling for its own finish to bring out it's best. Some woods will never give you that miracle look that you think is hiding in the wood. This is why you try different oils/stains to bring out its best look. Most of us look to the master's for help on this. Some of us do our own experimentation. I once saw a video on how Holand & Holand builds their guns and in it, they showed how they finished their walnut stocks. It was very interesting. <> here are some other stock finish you might be interested in seeing

Wax Protection For Your Hand Rubbed Oil Stock: Caesar Guerini shotguns - YouTube

Oil finish for gun stocks – Buehler Custom Sporting Arms LLC (buehlercsa.com)

 

[Secesh]

@ZUG : Many thanks to you for posting these! Very interesting and helpful!

Each piece of wood is calling for its own finish to bring out its best. Some woods will never give you that miracle look that you think is hiding in the wood. This is why you try different oils/stains to bring out its best look. Most of us look to the master's for help on this. Some of us do our own experimentation. I once saw a video on how Holand & Holand builds their guns and in it, they showed how they finished their walnut stocks. It was very interesting. <> here are some other stock finish you might be interested in seeing

Wax Protection For Your Hand Rubbed Oil Stock: Caesar Guerini shotguns - YouTube

Oil finish for gun stocks – Buehler Custom Sporting Arms LLC (buehlercsa.com)

 

[shorthair]

Just oil the stock, no need to stain it, especially with figure

Hand rub a few hundred thin coats of oil and have a BEAUTIFUL piece of truly fine wood.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I have several moderns in walnut, and the flinter in black walnut.
They all get the same treatment.
5-7 layers of hand rubbed tung oil.
Makes it look like furniture and water proofs it also.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I have seen some great color with an application of potassium permanganate on walnut.