aqua fortis / ferric nitrate

[SingleMalt]

I've gotten green with AF BEFORE blushing. Usually, after the initial blush, it's still too early to say with any certainty what the shade will be. After neutralizing, with the first coat of finish you'll see what you've got.

Every tree is a bit different, the controlled, yet uncontrollable is part of the fun.

[Kingsburyarms]

I thinned the stain with Just store bought Denatured Alcohol - Still penetrates the wood well... 

[moleeyes36]

The colour and its depth into the wood will partially be determined by the amount of polish you have done prior to staining.  I just used tannic acid and ferric nitrate (first time for that combo) on a piece of sugar maple that has been sanded very very smooth, carving included.  When I blused the ferric nitrate after applying over tannic acid, the stock was almost jet black, certainly in the curl.  But a green ScotchBrite took off the 'too much' and four ought steel wool burnished the surface perfectly.  The result was curl that leaps out of the wood, and a lovely red/brown underlying colour.

Taylor,

In the thread http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=42988.0 you said you achieved the beautiful finish on the rifle shown by applying tannic acid and ferric nitrate then burnishing the stock with ScotchBrite and steel wool before blushing the stock. 

In this thread, if I read it correctly, you applied the tannic acid and ferric nitrate then blushed the stock.  After that you burnished the wood with the ScotchBrite and steel wool. 

I'm about to try the tannic acid and ferric nitrate combo on my current project and want to make sure I get results similar to what you got in the earlier thread.  Did you use two different processes in these threads or am I just reading it incorrectly?  I'm old and easily confused.  Thanks.

Mole Eyes

[scottmc]

I'll give you my experience with the ferric nitrate.  I used it the other night on a very nice piece of maple that I'm making a Beck from.  I put the Fe nitrate on first and let dry overnight.  The stock turned completely green.  I heated the next night over the stove and turned a very nice reddish brownish color.  I took 600 grit paper to it lightly and took it back to a light brown while the curl remained darker.  I was getting a greenish dust though.  I then mixed a little ditchburn stain with LMF lancaster maple not knowing what it was going to look like and it came out beautiful to me.  I did again the next night with the LMF/ditch and am going to apply LMF Permalyn sealer in the next few minutes.  If I can figure out how to do pictures on this site, I'll post it.  The green disappeared but I did have the greenish wood dust after lightly sanding.

[moleeyes36]

Scott,

Thanks, but I use ferric nitrate a lot and am quite familiar with the process and results.  It's the combination of tannic acid and ferric nitrate I want to try.  That's why I asked Taylor about his posts on using it because I'd like to get results similar to what he showed in this thread http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=42988.0

Mole Eyes

[WKevinD]

I'm a fan of the tannic acid & ferric nitrate I have done a few pistols and two rifles with predictable results.
The rifle on the bottom is an example. Tannic first, let dry, ferric next, let dry, blush with heat gun buff back with green scrubby then more with finish.