Magic Maple / Chromic Acid Stain

[sparrish321]

I purchased a longrifle made in 1997 from an estate sale. Stock had a darker brown color, with a greenish look depending on how it was held to the light. Finally got the finish removed and yes there was/is a definite greenish cast to the wood. It was suggested the color could be from Magic Maple Stain / Chromic Acid Stain, and after looking at photos and descriptions on the forum I feel this is correct. The barrel channel doesn't have a green tint, only a sealer; inside the patch box is green with no type of sealer/finish present. Sanding the stock has revealed a color-stain that had been applied.....it was below the greenish tint.

QUESTIONS: Is there any way to neutralize this stuff even though it was applied 30 years ago? Don't know if the stock can be heated/blushed like aqua fortis/iron nitrate? Can AF be applied and blushed over this stuff? Can a lye water wash be applied? Magic Maple Stain directions state to apply a red-hue stain to counteract any greening that may occur in the future. Any advice suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Shawn

 

[oldwood]

50+ yrs ago , the first couple longrifles I built , got the AF staining treatment just as some of theI smartened up quickly I "how to build it" manuals , said to do it. I still have one guy that moved to Colorado . He kills elk and or mule deer , and sends me color photo's of his kills , w/ his green stained rifle . Fortunately , I broke the coloring of maple wood code . Acids and strong base chemicals do one thing first , that being the soft end grain between the curl stripes turn black , and stay black over time , but the soft wood eventually goes green. This is where your rifle is now. If I wanted to try something with alcohol stains , redo the first coat of stai with black alcohol stain. Wipe it on , and dry it with a heat gun. Lightly steel wool 0000 grade will cut the whiskers off the wood and polish it. Next comes the premixed colors of alcohol stain colors to stain over the hard wood curl. Black stain first , then choose the color application tried on scrap wood , then applied the same as the black , dried w/ heat gun , polished w/steel wool . ( New steel wool can have oil to keep rust from ruine it. Wash the wool with acetone to remove remove the oil) After staining , and polishing , a coat of thin sealer would make a good first coat , then apply the finish of your choice. Some suggestions......oldwood

 

[sparrish321]

Oldwood: The process you outline is a very similar process luthiers use to stain banjos, mandolins, guitars etc. This may be the only way around the problem. Thanks!

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

AF will not turn your stock green. It will eventually turn it black, but not green.