After ferric nitrate stain??? (First coat of finish pics added)

[James]

I bought the darker gray, to use following electrolysis on tools, off of Amazon.  Most types are available.

[davec2]

I buy the Scotchbrite abrasive pads on Amazon.....any grit you want....they come right to my front door.

[newknapper]

I actually found the light gray pads (7448) at a local auto parts store that is also a DuPont automotive paint dealer. I went over the whole stock yesterday and it brought out more of the curl that's was hidden in the stain. The wood now without the finish is a nice chocolate brown. I think after I put the chambers finish on the wood it will turn out nice. Hope so anyway. If I were the this my first coat of finish would it be ok to do it with some denatured alcohol I have or do I need an actual paint thinner?

[fm tim]

Jim Kibler recommends rubbing back his ferric nitrate solution after it has dried and has been treated with heat.

[newknapper]

Just put on first coat of chambers. I applied it real heavy and wiped it is the off before it got too tacked up. It not as not nice of pics as you guys post but this is all I have to work with. I did go back over here he ferric nitrate once more with heat just to be sure.

[greybeard]

That looks very pleasing to my eye!
Bob

[Mark Elliott]

Jim Kibler recommends rubbing back his ferric nitrate solution after it has dried and has been treated with heat.

Jim also likes to pretreat the wood with  tannic acid to cause a darker reaction with the ferric nitrate.   Once you rub back the lighter bands that didn't absorb so much ferric nitrate, you get a greater contrast between light and dark bands.   

[rich pierce]

Looks really good to me.  Color is very pleasing.  Curl is not invented, just accentuated by any stain, and some better than others.  And some stocks are going to be more contrasty than others.  I'd be very happy if I were you.

[pushboater]

I think it's a beautiful color and the contrast of the curl is good. I'm like rich, I'd be pleased with the results you've obtained.

Capt. David

[Mad Monk]

Looking at the colors and curl.

Do not panic!!!

The ferric nitrate (nitrate of iron) stain will darken with age.  The "curl" has picked up a good deal more stain than the grain nearly parallel to the surface.

The overall color will become a bit darker and the curl should turn nearly jet-black within 10 years of aging.

The wood has some tannic acid in it that is "natural" to the wood.  Then you put a finish on the wood.  The finish "breathes" allowing moisture to enter or leave the stock.  Finishes are not 100% vapor barriers.  Their function is to simply moderate or control the rate and amount of moisture change in the wood.

The tannic acid, in the wood, is water soluble.  As water migrates out of the wood it runs into the finish on the surface.  Leaving the tannic acid behind as it enters the finish and then evaporates off the surface.  That tannic acid reacts with the iron oxide created by the stain.  The curl will begin to darken and then turn black because of the high iron content in that portion of the wood.  In addition.  Moisture (water) travels with the grain in the wood.  The so-called wood fibers are actually tubes.  What the tree had used to transport water from the roots to the leaves.  S9o you get a higher concentration of iron and tannic acid in the curl which is really end grain.

The color change takes time and how long has a lot to do with where you live and what you see in day to day changes in relative humidity.

This reaction between iron and tannic acid had long been seen in writing inks before the introduction of steel pen points.  The reaction between iron and tannic acid had long been used to dye fabrics.