Dark (black?) stain for maple

[Dennis Glazener]

Try medium brown shoe dye

I think you will find the color as dark as you want it.

Maybe for me but not the person paying for the rifle, he wants NO brown or red's in the color
Dennis

[David R. Pennington]

I was working on a hunting bag and had a pint of apple cider vinegar that I had loaded about 3/4 full with rusty nails etc..,. I had put it on the shelf several months ago and all but forgot about it. The lid was rusted on so I had to open it with a can opener. It stained the bark tanned leather a blue / black. The next day I looked at the scrap of cherry wood that I stirred it with and it is almost black. I sanded it some to see how deep the stain penetrated and it was very deep. I didn't try it on maple but it sure turned the cherry black.

[heinz]

Dennis, I use lamp black in  linseed oil and turpentine. When I want to shortcut i use artist oil paint in black, the good grades will be lampblack (or carbon black) in linseed oil and thin it 1 part paint to 4 parts artist grade turpentine.  A very authentic finish.  You can go wth more oil if you want to stain and finish at the same time.

[T*O*F]

Dennis,
I don't understand your problem.     I use Waukon Bay and almost every stock I do turns out almost black and sanding it back doesn't lighten it up any, it just removes it.  However, only if you take the guns out into the bright sunlight can you see the figure in the wood.

[Hungry Horse]

 Dennis;

  Google ebonizing, and you will find what you are looking for. It an old process, used on furniture and other wood products for centuries.

               Hungry Horse

[Dennis Glazener]

Dennis,
I don't understand your problem.   Smiley  I use Waukon Bay and almost every stock I do turns out almost black and sanding it back doesn't lighten it up any, it just removes it.  However, only if you take the guns out into the bright sunlight can you see the figure in the wood.

I had one bottle of Waukon Bay a good while back. I used it all up and I can never remember it giving a totally black look, dark yes but not without brown or reddish tints. Possibly it was the wood I used it on. I liked it, just started using my own or friends home brewed AquaFortis.
Dennis

[PPatch]

Dennis;

What you need is India Ink from an art store. But not just any brand will do, you need Speedball brand from an art store or calligraphy supply store. Dick Blick art supply also sells a high quality India Ink. India Ink will turn any wood dead black and it doesn't take a lot either. India ink has shellac in it (to make it dry quicker) so be warned of that. Those two brands of India Ink are also an archival black, they aren't going to fade like other wood dyes or shoe polishes.

Try it, experiment with it, I think you'll find it makes a quite acceptable black as midnight black.

dave

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

5:1 Ferric Nitrate.... coat let dry, blush...do it again...... it will be nearly black......when you apply Chambers oil finish.  You can always add black spray paint between coats of finish 

[oldtravler61]

Am no expert. But used black an deep dark brown leather dye. From shoe repair shops. It has not faded after useing the gun for over 20 years.Am very satisfied with how it's held up. But it also is not a historical correct method. But it is very dark but it still shows the curl in the maple. Just a thought.

[JCKelly]

old -What Brand of shoe dye??

[dogcatcher]

Fiebing's Leather Dye

[Hungry Horse]

 Feibing's tends to fade if exposed to sun light. Lincoln's is more consentrated, and usually cheaper. The problem is, you almost have to find a shoe repair shop to get it.

   Hungry Horse

[T*O*F]

If you want to take the easy way out, go to the hardware store and get a 1/2 pint of Minwax, oil-based ebony stain.
It'll soak into the wood well and is compatible with whatever oil finish you plan to use.

[PPatch]

So Dennis; What did you end up using to obtain your black black (no reds or browns showing)?

dave

[Dennis Glazener]

I had to quit working on this rifle to get some other pressing issues completed! Hopefully I will get back on it soon. I plan on first using Ferric Nitrate (because I have some and have not tried it) and it that's not dark enough (doubt it will be) I will use black Fieberling leather dye.
Dennis

[PPatch]

Thanks for the update, I was interested in how she came out, guess I'll have to wait... 

The Ferric Nitrate will act just like AQ, I mix mine with alcohol (dries faster). You are right though, you will need the shoe dye because even getting the stock as dark as it will go you'll still see brown under everything once the finish goes on. She will look pretty dark in the shop but once you take it out in daylight you'll readily see the brown tones lurking underneath.

dave

[dogcatcher]

A trick a leatherworker taught me to get deep black with leather dye is to dye it first with Fiebing's dark blue dye.  Let it dry and then dye with Fiebings USMC Black.  I made a belt years ago, he looked at it and said, you did not use the dark blue, he was correct. 

Jim Kibler used a tannin powder with the ferric nitrate to get a darker look.  I remember I could not find the same tannin powder he used so I picked up some wine tannin powder from a local winemaker.  I mixed the powder with DNA and tried it on some maple, darker but I did not get black.