The Best Maple Stain

[peterbh]

I'll give you my choice.

First, properly prepare the wood with finish sanding.

Now brew 5 teabags in one cup for extremely strong tea (tannic acid).

Prepare an enclosed wooden or cardboard box with plastic or glass viewing window. Wipe the stock down profusely with the strong tea.

Put commercial grade ammonia (about 28%) in an open tin (like a tuna fish tin) in the box and allow the ammonia to fume. Observe the color change and remove stock when desired color is reached. This will likely take about 4 hours. Note that this is commercial grade ammonia and not household ammonia.

Remove stock, allow to dry, and start to apply finish.

A friend took a stock so finished to the American Gunmaker's Guild and had to tell everyone how he did it as the color was so magnificent.

 

[jimmy82]

Would love to see some pics if possible. My only snag would be all my kids, I wouldn't want them messing with it while that ammonia is fuming. I love that they are so interested when I start working on a gun, but half the time they get a lil to liberal with what they think they can touch.

 

[Rogue River]

What type of wood are you refering to?

 

[peterbh]

It works with any wood but something like black walnut will turn BLACK almost immediately. The color is very thin and cannot be sanded. I have used it on maple, myrtle, and light colored Bastogne and English. In Black walnut, light wood is sap wood. However, in English and Bastogne (English crossed with Claro or black), the light wood is NOT sap wood. I am making a plains rifle now out of a feather/fiddle piece of light colored Bastogne.
Pete

 

[Robert58]

Pic's, we want Pic's.

Robert

 

[peterbh]

The better they look, the faster they sell. Got none left. Guess I should photo b4 I take em to a show.

By the way, never open that commercial stuff indoors. Not only will it set cha free, so will the wife.

 

[rabjr]

What type of wood are you refering to?

Pssst Ron, read the heading of the thread. :wink:

 

[Rogue River]

Pssst Swampy, he didn't say if he was refering to the color or the type of wood ! :grin:

 

[Pasquinel]

New to gun building so pardon my weak mind. I'm able to follow instructions down to part where we are instructed to apply stain now!! What were we doing with tea etc.? I've superior grade curly maple stock, don't wish to ruin it, what is best stain to use?

 

[Robert58]

I think it reads "then apply finish". But for us amatures. the best advice is to read this post. Scroll down to Zonies post and do what he says. We don't know what color is acheved with the Tea. Some people like Honey Maple, some like Lancaster maple, and (me) like Maple with a little Walnut over it to darken the color. Go to Track Of the Wolf and look at the different colors of the LMF stains.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/222530/

Robert

 

[rabjr]

Pssst Swampy, he didn't say if he was refering to the color or the type of wood ! :grin:

:surrender: No fair! I'm to easily confused atm. :haha:

 

[Zonie]

Most of the organic stains are very susceptible to fading when exposed to sunlight.

This includes coffee and tea.

If I wanted to use a stain I would use one of the alcohol based stains made by a number of makers specifically for staining wood.

I've had good luck with Birchwood Casey Walnut, Colonial Brown and Maple. The last two are no longer in production but sometimes can be found in gun shops or at gun shows.

I've also had very good luck with Solar-Lux stains.

Laurel Mountain and several other places make stains specifically for Maple (but IMO do not use Magic Maple).

Aqua Fortis which is basically iron dissolved in Nitric Acid is the traditional way to go and it can turn out beautiful colors.
It can also be somewhat unpredictable as it doesn't stain at all until heat is applied. Then, you take what you get remembering that too much heat will burn the woods surface and too little will not bring out the real color.

 

[Vaino]

The choice of my "best maple stain" has radically changed in the 31 yrs that I've been making Mlers. Started off using potassium permanganate and didn't like it, so called up John Bivins as to what he used and promptly bought 2 gals of "Super Stain", one each of the walnut and mahogany which will penetrate right through LMF varnish sealer and allows wet sanding and restaining. Then used AF alone on a couple of guns and then the AF/spirit stain combinations. Next were the various LMF stains which were used for a fair amount of LRs, alone and in combination. Presently use Jim Klein's {Dangler's} stain in combination and SO FAR see no need to change to some other stains. So what's my "favorite maple stain{s}"? Evidently the ones being used at the time w/ some exceptions....Fred

 

[peterbh]

"Most of the organic stains are very susceptible to fading when exposed to sunlight."

I must heartily disagree with this statement, not only have I NEVER seen any change, but this method has been used on violins for centuries and cane fishing rods for well over 150 years.

On the other hand, it is difficult to know what colors the old flinters originally were since grime and BP stain has darkened guns over the years and the most common finishes, linseed oil and walnut oil are photo sensitive and significantly darken over the years.

 

[Mulebrain]

I would be getting some stain from Laurel Mountain Forge! Tried and true long lasting products that are surely to please!

I don't like messing with nasty stuff if I can help it!

 

[MSW]

Zonie's stuff is truly amazing... wish i were half as good...

by way of 'heads up,' though, if you use aqua fortis, try a bit on a test sample and see if you want to cut it back a bit. also, if you've done any wood inlay (especially with exotic, non PC woods- bloodwood or ebony come to mind) aqua fortis will make the inlay bleed into the wood of the stock.

haven't figured out how to fix this... probably in the realm of 'it hurts when i go like this... don't go like that.'

 

[ricklandes]

Where do you get commercial grade ammonia?
Also beware! Ammonia can be dangerous in some forms, so be careful when using it. Commercial-grade 28-percent ammonia can cause permanent lung damage.

 

[peterbh]

You can get it at a chemical supply company. You might have to get the minimum of a gallon, but it isn't too expensive. Use it outside.

 

[Frank/Pa]

Where do you get commercial grade ammonia?
Also beware! Ammonia can be dangerous in some forms, so be careful when using it. Commercial-grade 28-percent ammonia can cause permanent lung damage.

Ace Hardware Store.

 

[ricklandes]

I see the ace stuff is 10%...is that strong enough to get the effect or is the full 28% needed???