Curly Maple Highlighting

[Fullstock58]

How about some opinions on what is a good way to bring out the curls in curly maple, by bring out the curls I mean making them highlighted (darker)vs the surrounding wood.................Thanks

 

[Black Hand]

Aqua fortis.

 

[pegesus59]

You can use Chromium Trioxide. You can get it from Dixie Gun Works. Small bottle will do three to four Stocks. Make sure to follow the directions, or your stock will be really dark.

 

[Zonie]

Apply a coat of lyewater to the wood and then neutralize it with vinegar after it has dried.
The lyewater extracts the tannin (the brown coloring) from the wood and it's effects are greater on the exposed end grain of the stripes than it is on the area in between them.

Lye water will not affect the metal parts, but it will eat any living tissue so wear protective gloves and glasses when using it.

zonie

 

[Fullstock58]

Lye water? Something you can buy or do you have to make it?

 

[F.G. Ford]

You can get Lye in the plumbing section at your local hardwhare store.
Take a cup of hot water dissolve three tablespoons of the lye in the water...then you're ready. Simple as that. Careful with your eyes, skin and clothes.
It is not explosive, just wath out for splashes.
Best Regards
Old Ford

 

I've only used three different colouring agents on maple. In my experience, aqua fortis is wonderful (and is the ONLY colouring agent I will use now), chomium trioxide turns olive green and leather dye (fiebings) fades. Others have had good colour fastness from fiebings and have had CRO3 not turn green . I don't recall anyone haveing an issue with AF :thumbsup:

Cody

 

[Bon Sauvage]

I have had excellent results using lampblack to highlight the curl.

 

[hhughh]

I thought aqua fortis was what turned the stocks green. I'm new to this, and obviously, it seems I'm wrong.

Has anybody got any pics of a gun done with AF that they can post on here?

Hugh

 

Stained with AF. Bear in mind that not all stocks stain the same.

 

[faw3]

On mine one spot about 3X4" was green, very green, fixed it, but still wonder why that did that. Fred :hatsoff:

 

[hhughh]

Ok, so, yes, that is what I'm looking for. Where do I find it? How do I apply it? etc. etc. etc.

Thanks so much. I love this board.

Hugh

 

[Fullstock58]

Come on guys there must be other ways other then AF to highlight maple, how about some ways that don't raise the grain, so the carvings will not suffer. I tried a combo of roofing tar and acetone once that worked real well on a test pc ( I read it in a old book )

 

[Fullstock58]

Thats AF and a stain right? Nice work!

 

[rabjr]

Hands down, AF or Nitrate of Iron is where it's at!

This red maple stock stained with Nitrate of Iron,

The gun Roy just built me using hard sugar maple changes just like a hologram in the light, beautiful!
[url] http://www.nimrodsplace.com/nefowler23.html[/url]

 

Ok, so, yes, that is what I'm looking for. Where do I find it? How do I apply it? etc. etc. etc.

Thanks so much. I love this board.

Hugh

I got mine years ago. I know there's someone selling it but don't recall who. You can make your own by disolving iron in nitric acid. I got some nitric acid a few years ago from a water treatment plant. To apply it you just wipe it on then heat over a stove element or with a heat gun being carefull not to scortch the wood. If it tunrns green you haven't applied enough heat. Pretty simple stuff to use.

 

[greg zechman]

do a search for.. mike lea.. he sells it aqf bugsy

 

[hhughh]

On mine one spot about 3X4" was green, very green, fixed it, but still wonder why that did that. Fred :hatsoff:

How did you fix it?

Hugh

 

[bioprof]

You can make a vinegar stain that will do just about the same thing as AF by dissolving iron in cider vinegar for about 2 months. It's a little less corrosive than AF.

 

[Dickert54cal]

Before using AF

After using AF