ferric nitrate

[California Kid]

Here is a pic of a scrap of wood from my current build after the C. Hawken in the library. This is stained with ferric nitrate crystals mixed 50-50 (water), and a light coat of Chambers oil. I think it comes close. Just thought I would post it after all the discussion of the alternatives to nitric acid based ferric nitrate. What do you guys think?
The couple small burnt areas are from being overzealous with the heat gun!

[smallpatch]

Kid,

I've been using it for a couple of years now.  It's just awesome.  The greatest thing is that you don't have to go through all the neutralizing.

[Eric Krewson]

I use a heat gun a bunch bending wood as well as blushing aqufortis. The key is to keep it moving and never stopping. Go back over a place in a sweeping motion if it didn't blush rather than holding over the spot.

[California Kid]

Eric, this was only an experiment. Just wanted to see what would happen holding it in one place. Otherwise I thought the color came close to what I was looking for.
smallpatch so you are sure you don't have to neutralize? How many coats do you use, and your mixture proportions?

[smallpatch]

OK,

I don't remember the exact dilution, BUT, I think it was like this,  I bought a 125g bottle of the crystals.  With that bottle of crystals, I made two 125g bottles of the solution. 

I apply two wet coats of the solution, and let them dry.  The wood will be an ugly gray green.  Heat it with a heat gun, (moving constantly), it it blushes.  I will then usually, kind of knock down the whiskers again, and buff off the surface, and finish with your favorite.  (Chamber's oil for me).
I've never neutralized.  I think most of the acid is neutralized during the process.  I'm sure it would test acidic, but so does an orange.  I wouldn't bathe in it, but it doesn't burn your skin if you get a little on you either.

This was a pretty drab piece of Red Maple when I started.  Nothing brings out the curl better.

[Maalsral]

Where can one get ferric nitrate?

[California Kid]

smallpatch, sound like we mixed it about the same. This wood is sugar maple. I blushed between coats. Will try your method.

http://secure.sciencecompany.com/Ferric-Nitrate-125g-P6384C670.aspx

[Bill of the 45th]

That's all I use, and it's great to use.  But I have one warning, and that's to seal it well, whether diluted solution, or crystals.  The fumes that it gives off will rust every piece of iron in it's vicinity.  Also  I store the containers in a plastic shoe box incase of a spill or leak.  Don't ask how I know this, but it was because of a brain @$#%, and I know none of you have any of those!

Bill

[Larry Luck]

I've used ferric nitrate on the two rifles I've made (and other things, too).  I make mine more diluted than it sounds others do (1 part FeO3 to 5 parts water, by volume).  I liberally apply and then let dry for a while, maybe not completely, and then cook it off with a heat gun, moving it to prevent scorching.

When I get it to the color I want, I neutralize with baking soda and water slurry.  I figure if it foams, there is still residual acidiy that will effect the metal parts.

I've used Formby's tung oil varnish (gloss) as the finish and have been satisfied.

Larry Luck

[Mad Monk]

Something to consider here.

After I would apply the ferric nitrate solution to the wood I would hold the stock over the big heating coil on top of the wife's kitchen range.  High enough that the Calrod unit glows dull orange.  Keep the stock moving until you get the depth of color you want.

When Cal Hetrick explained this process in his book on Bedford County gunsmiths he watched one of the last of the traditional builders use the forge fire to heat the stock.  Just the glowing coals without any air being blown through.  The Calrod units on electric kitchen ranges can duplicate that forge heat somewhat.

Bill K.