Walnut Staining

[Dave K]

I am getting closer to putting the finish on my British style fowler, that is stocked in American walnut. I am thinking about staining it and wanted to ask opinions on stains. I can use what I have here which is BC walnut stain or Fiebing's leather dye that I have in #200 light brown. Are these good choices? I assume being walnut, it would be wise to use the BC wood sealer after staining. I have just not really worked with walnut stocks as such before.

[smart dog]

Hi Dave,
I give you the universal answer - it depends (actually according to Douglas Adams the universal answer is 42).  If you want to make the black walnut stock look like the original British guns stocked in English or European walnut I have a prescription that really works.  Keep in mind all wood varies so there are always exceptions to any rule, but generally black walnut has a purple-brown undertone very different from the more orangy brown of English walnut.  It reminds me of a thin watery soup compared with a full-bodied stew.  Anyway, the trick is to get rid of the purple by painting the stock with yellow water-based aniline dye.  That will completely neutralize the purple brown and bring out an orangy, sometimes even marble-cake tone.  You can stay with that color or tint it with a reddish brown stain of your choice to achieve a very close match to original English guns.  Black walnut is more porous than English walnut so you have to work harder to fill the grain and achieve a smooth satiny gloss.  The pistols in my thread on Hector and Achilles were stained that way.

dave

[M.D.H.]

The way I see it, you need to decide if you want to finish it like a British Fowler or an American Fowler?  Most English guns were stocked in English Walnut which looks totally different from Black Walnut.  The pictures I've seen of English Fowler's show a soft red color too them or almost no stain at all with the Marble of the English walnut coming through.
If you want a more American Fowler, then go with a deep brown almost black with a red hue to it.  This can be accomplished by fuming the stock with ammonia, Ferris nitrate and heat, or commercial stains.  However, go dark if this is the direction you choose.
Just my thoughts and experience.
M  

[Dave K]

It is an American fowler in what is called by the book British style. If that makes sense. I did  choose American walnut, as I just like it's grain pattern better. Just a personal taste thing. Of course as American, there were many more made with maple than walnut, but again,I liked the walnut. Thanks for the tips.