Author Topic: Dark stain for walnut stock (Read 13655 times)

steg49 · « **on:** December 01, 2009, 05:05:02 AM »

Some time ago I made a stan out of vinegar and steel wool and if I remember correctly it made walnut turn nearly black, but it been long enough that I don't remember the exact procedures, is it just plain white vinegar with steel wool then let it sit for a day or two and it ready? or do I need to add something more? steg49

Scott Semmel · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2009, 04:52:38 PM »

Aqua fortes turns walnut black too. I'm not experienced with vinegar stain but if you search for vinegar you will find a bunch of threads descibing recipes results etc.

bigsky · « **Reply #2 on:** December 01, 2009, 10:06:02 PM »

You can also turn walnut black (ebonizing) by applying a lye wash like you would apply to cherry. Be sure to neutralize with vinegar.

Feltwad · « **Reply #3 on:** December 01, 2009, 11:00:37 PM »

I prefere alkernite root mixed with boiled linseed oil ,this brings out the pattern in walnut and darkens the stock ,it will need several applications.
Feltwad

Beaverman · « **Reply #4 on:** December 02, 2009, 12:23:16 AM »

OK , I'll bite, whats alkernite root, where do you get it, and whats the proportion ratio to mix with the oil?

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #5 on:** December 02, 2009, 01:14:56 AM »

I have had some experience with the vinegar and iron stains. The acetic acid functions the same as the nitric in aqua fortis.

Wash your steel wool out in hot water and detergent first! It's got oil in it from manufacture.

Give a few days to brew, and test every so often. Use it once it works to your liking.

Tom

Feltwad · « **Reply #6 on:** December 02, 2009, 01:56:47 AM »

Beaverman surprised you have never heard of Alkinite root for oiling and staining a walnut stock.Here in the UK I purchase mine from a company that sell vegetable dyes for dying cloth and wool For mixing take two fl oz of boiled linseed and mix one teaspoon of alkinite root the oil will change to a dark red colour after it has stood for a few days place two or three drops on the stock and rub it well in leave to stand for a day then repeat until the required depth of colour is reached. Finish with a oil finish not forgetting that a good oil finish takes months to achieve.
Feltwad

Joe S · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2009, 02:11:57 AM »

I have tried aqua fortis on one piece of walnut. It turned the walnut a very unattractive gray color. I stained a walnut stock with an extract of black walnut hulls, and got a very nice, very dark brown. The extract is made by simmering walnut husks (not the shells) for about 24 hours in water.

steg49 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 02, 2009, 02:47:27 AM »

Thanks for the imput so far, I realy like the walnut husk color on your stock Joe (very nice) and thanks to Tom, I wouldn't have thought to wash the steel wool first. If I can find the black walnuts I'll try both methods on a trial piece to see the difference. steg49

Joe S · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2009, 03:45:10 AM »

If you can’t find any black walnuts, let me know and I’ll send you some.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2009, 05:20:08 AM »

Brown finger!

That's what you get INSTANTLY when playing around with walnut hulls. Also makes an olde timey dye for cloth.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #11 on:** December 02, 2009, 05:21:54 AM »

Oh, I used Dragon's Blood to give walnut a red cast. Mix with shellac to seal the walnut, it gives a fantastic warm glow to the wood. Then oil finish over top.

Joe S · « **Reply #12 on:** December 02, 2009, 06:18:35 AM »

I got a recipe for making walnut hull extract off the net. The recipe warned “there is no known way to remove the stain from human skin”. Being a curious sort, I ran the experiment myself, and I concur, there is no known way to remove the brown stuff from your fingers. It wears off. Eventually.

LynnC · « **Reply #13 on:** December 06, 2009, 06:42:59 PM »

I accidently spilled some BC gun bluing solution on a bare walnut stock - Very Black! Fortunatly I had much more wood removal cause it wasn't commin off!

frogwalking · « **Reply #14 on:** December 09, 2009, 05:46:35 AM »

Doesn't Black Powder Barbie sell a black filler for walnut? How does it change the color of unstained walnut? That was what I have been thinking of using on my one of these days to build fowler.

rich pierce · « **Reply #15 on:** December 09, 2009, 06:48:16 PM »

It just fills the grain and does not stain the wood.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #16 on:** December 10, 2009, 10:42:01 PM »

Quote from: frogwalking on December 09, 2009, 05:46:35 AM

Doesn't Black Powder Barbie sell a black filler for walnut? How does it change the color of unstained walnut? That was what I have been thinking of using on my one of these days to build fowler.

I bought some from her and will do some tests on the waste from my Black Walnut blank and post some b4 and after pics.

Greg S Day · « **Reply #17 on:** December 10, 2009, 11:54:41 PM »

Please do post some pics. I've been following this post and would like to see how it looks.

I've just picked up my walnut from the kiln. Going to see Fred Miller next week.

I've got the parts ready for a PA Fowler. It's a nice piece of walnut and I want to do it right. I want to try a dark grain filler.

Greg

California Kid · « **Reply #18 on:** December 11, 2009, 01:14:26 AM »

Here is a pic of an English Fowler, stocked in English walnut, filled with black filler and finished with Chambers oil. No stain.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #19 on:** December 11, 2009, 05:30:38 PM »

Oh that is pretty wood!!... Nice gun too!!

Greg S Day · « **Reply #20 on:** December 11, 2009, 06:45:58 PM »

Whooo ! ! That is pretty.

We've got a piece from a log that goes from curly at the stump cut to wavy at a crotch. The plank is about 10' long.

Can you give me the run down on application for the Chambers grain filler?

Thanks

Greg

California Kid · « **Reply #21 on:** December 12, 2009, 12:48:17 AM »

Thanks for the compliments. I finished this gun in August, and posted it here then. Search under English Fowler just finished for more pics.
I bought a pint container of oil based black filler from Constantines, which is the same stuff Barbie sells. She repackages it in smaller quantities.
I thin it with mineral spirits to the consistency of heavy cream.Rub into the pores in a circular motion to get it into the pores and wipe it off across the grain just before it sets. Do a small area at a time. If you let it set up too long it is harder to wipe off and the wood will get a muddy appearance. I filled twice on this gun.
I would experiment on some scrap to get an idea of how long to let it set up before wiping off. Don't make it too thick either, as this makes it harder to push into the pores. hope this helps. I put it on the carving as well. Old tooth brush helps here to get it out of the details.

steg49 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 12, 2009, 01:25:56 AM »

Cal Kid, very nice rifle, nice wood, the wood that I have is very plain thus I thought if I stained it dark (with walnut hull or iron/vin. mix) it will make any silver wire inlay stand out. Still haven't look for the walnut hulls, need to walk an old creek bed in our area to see if the squirrels left any. I'll also try the filler, the last walnut stock I did took about 10 coats of finish and sanding to make the dimples disappear. Thanks to all for your post on this subject.

Blacktail · « **Reply #23 on:** December 12, 2009, 12:27:27 PM »

Well I guess that settles my pondering over what to use to finish my english walnut stock sporting rifle when the time comes! Beautiful!

Darrin McDonal · « **Reply #24 on:** December 13, 2009, 08:59:42 PM »

Here is an English Walnut stock that I used Chambers black woodm filler and their oil stock finish.

Darrin

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Author Topic: Dark stain for walnut stock (Read 13655 times)

Scott Semmel

bigsky

Joe S

Joe S

Joe S

California Kid

California Kid

Blacktail