Your "Go To" stain ?

[Nessmuck56]

Hi , getting ready to stain my curly maple full stock. Am looking for a dark brown and want to get black stripes out of the wood,maybe not black ,but real dark...Is this possible ?? And what's you "Go To" brand of stain,and sealer and finish ?? thanks

 

[rich pierce]

I have used nitric acid most of the time on maple. It is not the easiest for a beginner, though, and results can be less predictable than dye-based stains. On this one I wanted dark and so used a strong batch and several treatments.

 

[sleeperNY]

I used nitric acid on this rifle. I don't remember the mix ratio as it was my 3rd rifle made back in 1978.

 

[Fauquierfarmer]

See if you can locate Zonie's post on using lye with a vinegar wash prior to staining.Really gives a nice dark stripe effect in my experience.

 

[Black Hand]

Aqua-fortis (to "stain") and Chambers Oil Finish.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Feibing's leather dye.

 

[Black Hand]

Feibing's leather dye.

I've heard Fiebings IS NOT light-fast and will fade over time.

 

[tallbear]

The only stain I use is aqua-fortis.It is traditional and light fast.For a top coat I start with a seal coat of seed-lac and finish with several different top coats.I use Jim Chambers,Real Spar varnish or Linnseed oil thats been boiled with lead.

Maple stained with aqua-fortis sealed with seed lac and finished with Jim Chambers oil.

Walnut stained with aqua fortis sealed with seed lac and finished with Spar varnish.

Mitch Yates

 

[rabjr]

Hands down, Nitrate of Iron..

 

[Zonie]

Various water based or alcohol based stains ranging from Maple, Colonial Brown (no longer made) thru Walnut, all with a lye water treatment before applying the stains.

All of these had multiple coats of stain with the darkest having as many as 5 coats of Birchwood Casey Walnut.

The stains are either Birchwood Casey or Behlen Solar-Lux.

While the Aqua-Fortis or Nitrate of Iron stains are traditional, the end result is unpridictable.
One never knows how a piece of wood will respond or what color will result from the process.

Of course, if it isn't as dark as the builder wants, he/she can always add a coating of stain in their choice of colors.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Feibing's leather dye.

I've heard Fiebings IS NOT light-fast and will fade over time.

That may be the case, but I'll just re-stain.

 

[jdkerstetter]

Feibing's leather dye.

I've heard Fiebings IS NOT light-fast and will fade over time.

That may be the case, but I'll just re-stain.

Not a criticism just an obervation....your methodology is fine if you are building for yourself but if you are building for resale or someone else then it's a problem. These guns will outlast us and hopefully be cherished by our friends and loved-ones.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[hoochiepapa]

I'm not sure that it has been proven that Feibing's will fade. The argument is an old one on this forum, and at least one builder uses it exclusively. Can't remember who that is....

 

[Vaino]

Formerly used LMF's stains...now use Dangler's stains purchased from Jim Klein. 2 or 3 stains are used w/ a dry in between applications. The more LRs I build, the less important the curl becomes...prefer a "subdued" curl so it's not the main feature to the neglect of the rest of the LR. Just my preference....Fred

 

[TinStar]

I think you can still get Homer Danglers from Muzzleloaders Builders Supply too. I got mine from there.

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

 

[jdkerstetter]

I'm not sure that it has been proven that Feibing's will fade. The argument is an old one on this forum, and at least one builder uses it exclusively. Can't remember who that is....

Yea, I am familiar with the debate that's why I phrased it the way I did. I was posting more about the logic of your restaining in the future but I see your plan is more about "if" than "when" and that may prove true of most stains.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[Vaino]

This recently completed LHed LR was stained w/ Dangler's orange and then the reddish brown....I call it a "subdued" curl treatment....Fred

 

[tallbear]

I want to preface my post with a disclaimer that these are my thoughts and not meant to be critical of others methods as we all approach gunbuilding from different directions.

The simple fact is that all the anniline dyes,alcohol stains and leather dyes available today will fade over time.They also don't look like the original rifles that we all cherish and look to recreate.If you walk down the isles at a show like the CLA show in KY it is pretty obvious the gunbuilders that use aqua-fortis and those that use modern stains.That is not to say that good results can not be achieved by using modern methods as some of my favorite builders don't use aqua fortis but their finish work doesn't look the same as the originals.One of my all time favorite builders uses nothing but modern dyes and finishes.While I love his work it is obvious what he uses.As his rifles age the colors fade thats just a reality.
My approach to gunbuilding is that 200 years from now if one of my rifles survives I want it to have the look that matches the original rifles that I cherish today.That is my reason for using as many traditional techniques and finishes nas I possibly can.The other reason and one that I think is lost particularly with new builders is to enjoy the journey as much as the final product.For me expermenting with different mixes of aqua fortis to achive differnt results is FUN!!!It also assures that over time my rifles will look more like the originals which is what I personally am pursueing in my gunbuilding.

Mitch Yates

 

[Stophel]

Can I "Like" your post, Mitch? :wink:

 

[hoochiepapa]

Mitch
I had a very bad experience with aqua fortis, I am color blind to the changes that happen with each coat. I built a rifle along the lines of George Schreyer, it was red maple(probably the reason for the bad experience), I am pretty color blind, and could not see that the result, according to my wife was "green", and I panicked and flooded it with more stain. Now it won't stop reacting, even after many coats of baking soda, turns the brass black, and is ugly. I have decided to try and refinish it, it's a dream to shoot and would be a shame to put in the closet and forget.
That's my reasoning that I use Feibing's.