stain advice

[jim m]

I,m ready to stain the stock, tried lmf nut brown on a scrap piece and on this stock it is very dark and very RED. would like to tone down the red and get a little more of a golden brown on this stock. anything I could mix with the nut brown or should I go with a different stain completely. suggestions please!

[George F.]

You can inter-mix the Laurel Mountain Stains, you can also thin them down with alcohol.  ...Geo.

[ehoff]

LMF's Honey maple stain has a golden color. I'd start with a 2:1 ratio (two parts nut brown and one part honey maple) thin this with 1 part alcohol. Make a small batch using a tablespoon (not the wife's good one!) Then stain a section of your scrap, too dark add another tablespoon of alcohol and try again adding color and or alochol till you get the right mixture. just make sure to write down what you did!

[t.caster]

I usually lay down one color over another instead of making a mix. EVERY piece of wood is different, so results are different. I like dark in the stripes with a Honey overtone. I probably use at least 3 different LMF colors or more on every stock.
Here is the Marshall I just did...it was stained w/ aquafortis first to get the faint stripes to stand out better. Then 4 diff. LMF colors. If you get it too dark for your tastes you can steel wool it back leaving some bare wood areas, then hit it with the golden or honey colors! You can even lay on some of Jim Kleins stains too! Like orange! EXPERIMENT on SCRAPS FIRST!

[Dave K]

I agree with T. Caster. I lay down a color that I like and then start laying down other colors on top to get the shades I am looking for. You will be amazed sometimes how this will highlight the grain and give you a very pleasant "glow" to the grain. If you want your already too red stock more brown, just start laying your brown color over the red of of course go the other way if it is the color you headed for. One thing I almost ALWAYS make a mistake in, is not getting the wood dark enough. Usually when I am all done, I will look back and wish I would have applied more of a darker color instead of stopping where I did. I am a slow learner in that respect.

[Roger Fisher]

I just keep laying it on til I get that dark with reddish undertone on  maple.  It appeals to my eye.   I then use the 4 0 wool to rub out the wear areas wrist - forearm - cheek.   I for one do not like that bland single colour from her butt to her muzzle/nose...        I then go with E.K's ol tyme boiled linseed oil and rub/rub/rub.  Did I say I fiddle around forever on a new lady?

[Ken G]

Here's another vote for layering the stain.  This is Danglers stain.  Forst orange, then med. brown and then dark brown.  Rubbed back with alchohol to get light places and leave it dark in others.  This was a nice piece of wood but it made a believer out of me on the orange stain first. 

[t.caster]

Ken, you really nailed the color on that one! Awsome eridessence!

[jim m]

thanks everyone for the advice. got to order more stain and try the layering thing. sometimes I get to anxious and there are times it definately pays to slow down and regroup

[smallpatch]

jim,

LMF's American Walnut is the brownest stain that they have.  It should take out some of the red.  If you go with the amber colored stains, it will knock of some, but not as much.

Hope this helps.

[Trkdriver99]

Boyeee, Ken I like that rifle. I love that color. That is what I want on my next one.
Ronnie

[Ken G]

Thanks.  I got to say I was scared to death to stain the stock orange and I mean orange.  Bright TN Volunteer color.  It's hard to argue with the results.  I haven't been able to find the orange stain anywhere but from Jim Klein though.
Ken

[Dave K]

I stained a gun using the technigue I got from and after seeing Ken's. It is awesome the way the colors and figure popped out. I am so excited the way it came out, I am going to redo some of my other guns.

[Cooner]

Ken Guy,
That is one beautiful rifle.
Hats off to ya,
Cooner (Don Secondine)

[JohnTyg]

Was looking for recommendations for stains and ran across this.
I was happy enough with the results to resurrect this old post and add my results.
Stained the stock bright ORANGE followed by couple of coats of American Walnut and a single wash of nut brown to add some red. As above it did take a little courage to apply the orange!

[WadePatton]

Wow,

now that is a cartoon carrot stage eh?  making order now for more colors.  Dark brown by itself doesn't give any other-than-cocoa hues in my current wood...but then i've not AF'd any yet either.  AF solution is in route as well.

[Dphariss]

I,m ready to stain the stock, tried lmf nut brown on a scrap piece and on this stock it is very dark and very RED. would like to tone down the red and get a little more of a golden brown on this stock. anything I could mix with the nut brown or should I go with a different stain completely. suggestions please!

I do not believe these stains are completely color fast. I might be wrong but doubt it.
Different stain?
It boggles my mind the hoops people will jump through to to use this stuff (3-4 coats or more) then not have it hold its color when ferric nitrate is easy to use and will remain the same color as long as anyone is likely to want to look at it. HOWEVER, the builder must then accept the natural color that is produced by the individual piece of wood rather than coloring it with this dye and that to get the color he thinks it should be.
Much the same thing can be said about stock finishes.
By buying into the "newer is better" mantra of the industrial revolution people have convinced themselves that hard is easy and easy is hard. One coat is harder than 4. 20 coats over the course of a month is easier than 2 over 3 days.
That elastic is not durable and brittle is. Or that stocks can be "waterproofed".  Just because the can says its fast and easy does not mean its the fastest or the easiest or the best for the purpose in the short or long term. In stock finish I have never seen a thin petroleum solvent based (usually 70%+) finish that was as easy to use as traditional oil based finishes and few look as good or are as durable in real life.

Dan

[JoeG]

I'm with you Dan

I'll stick with an  acid stain and oil finish

Aqua fortis leaves a nice reddish under tone with a dark stripe  

 a 10 % solution of straight nitric acid and a coat
of potassium permanganate  gives you a yellow undertone with dark brown stripe

neither one fades with age

add an oil finish and what more could you ask

[FL-Flintlock]

In stock finish I have never seen a thin petroleum solvent based (usually 70%+) finish that was as easy to use as traditional oil based finishes and few look as good or are as durable in real life.
Dan

That stuff is sold by Brownells with the statement, "resist scuffs and scratches but provide the look and feel of traditional, hand-rubbed oil finishes, without all the hard work."  C'mon Dan, it's from Brownells and every claim made by Brownells is taken on blind faith as absolute fact, science and physics be !@*%&@.  Why waste time with anything when you just spray this stuff on and not even have to rub?

[WadePatton]

hey who has time left for rubbing and buffing after all those hours of inletting and shaping and carving? 

spray and play!

 

[JohnTyg]

I do agree that tradition oil finishes are best and I'm using Chambers product on this rifle.  The last time I did this was 40 years ago and that was BLO.  As to the choice of acid vs stain, I chose the later because I've seen comments here about variable or inconsistent results with acids and for someone with my level of experience, or lack there of, stain seemed to offer more controllable results.  I'll worry about the color fastness 20 years from now.  Ok, maybe AF for my next rifle, I plan on sticking with this hobby and it's a constant learning experience.

[WadePatton]

Hey John, I don't see it as either/or on the staining.  I see too many fine examples of mixed product-where AF was used and then stain(s).  Won't know until the scrap pieces tell me what works...and as i unnerstand it, the next one will be different.