Author Topic: Vinegar stain again (Read 9866 times)

Paddlefoot · « **on:** February 22, 2011, 09:13:51 AM »

Woo hoo! I dug out a jar of vinegar stain I started with about three years ago and slopped some on a stock blank. It finally came out that nice reddish brown we all look for. Wife thought I was tryin' out for a part in Fiddler On The Roof.

greybeard · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2011, 10:32:28 AM »

Don't you just love it when a plan comet together.. Bob

Longknife · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2011, 06:08:17 PM »

WOW, good for you! I'm gonna have to open my 4 year old jar----but it looks so NASTY I'm scared!!!!!!!

greybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2011, 09:38:31 PM »

Is it made with just straight vinegar or cider vinegar??? Bob

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2011, 10:20:12 PM »

Cheap Albertson's white vinegar. Problem is I cant remember what I used for iron in it. The lable dried out and fell off when I moved. I think it's part cast iron dutch oven and part disc brake rotor. It's real dark and nasty lookin' but smells like weak vinegar. I made this up in a plastic jar from cashews I bought at Costco. The container is clear and just has a plastic screw top on it.

greybeard · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2011, 12:05:18 AM »

Thank you. Bob

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2011, 02:11:30 AM »

I was over at the metal supply house and saw some "cast iron" finials for wrought iron fencing. I'm thinking it's cast steel but they say no. I'm going to set up another couple jars of vinegar stain, one with that finial in it and the other with an old railroad spike I found. Hope I don't have to wait three years for them to get good too.

B. Hey · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2011, 03:54:30 AM »

HELP!!!

I've tried everything known to man .. at least to this man ... but I cannot get past the "dull gray" color phase.

FYI .. I used a quart of Heinz cider vinegar in a clean Coleman water bottle wherein I placed one foot of very old and rusted fence wire. I let the batch "cook" for several weeks. No matter how straight or diluted, the result is the same .. gray wood. Any thoughts/suggestions are dearly appreciated. Thanks ... Bill

omark · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2011, 04:03:52 AM »

i would suggest not using large objects like a spike. i use shavings from my metal lathe. others use degreased steel wool, or i would try disc brake shavings, clean wire, or other small pieces that will give more surface exposure. you also dont need large quantities of solution, a half pint would last for several stocks mark

RTDoug · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2011, 04:09:39 AM »

In the for what it's worth category....

1. Try diluting some of the solution about 50 percent with vinegar in a separate cup, then apply.

2. If the solution darkens quickly rub with a hydrogen peroxide soaked rag. This will stop the reaction.

3. Don't give up on the gray. Rub a little linseed oil into the test area and see what the results are.

4. I haven't finished any stocks with this salad dressing, but am playing around with it, and these steps definitely affect the results.

Regards

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2011, 08:39:08 AM »

I had the blue stock blues too. This is my first success with it. I do intend to syringe some out and add vinegar to it to see if I can redden it up some. I am going to have to re-read the earlier threads on this to see where I want to go on it but I do like the color I have at this point. I did put some over the previous blue test patches and it seems to be blending them too.

Rasch Chronicles · « **Reply #11 on:** February 27, 2011, 02:12:15 AM »

Hey fellows,

Go to the local brake shop with a clean plastic container, and ask them for a handful of the swarf from the rotor lathe. That ought to be good right?

Course, you might outta degrease it with some solvent, might have grease in it maybe.

It's supposed to be rusty too, right? Put it in an old sock, soak it, and hang it up somewhere to age!

Best Regards,
Albert “Afghanus” Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles: George Washington, President and Fisherman

Rolf · « **Reply #12 on:** February 27, 2011, 11:57:19 AM »

B.Hey, these pistols I made are stained with vinegar and iron.
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=14643.0

I made the stain by cooking degreased steel wool in 7% house hold vinegar until it was saturated. This took 6 months. and produce a deep ruby red fluid. When I tried it on wood the results where disappointing. The first coat turned the wood silver grey. Three more coats turned a dark blackish brown color.

I then took the stain and diluted it 1 part stain to 3 parts vinegar and let it stand for 4-6 weeks. The first coat turn the wood grey. The next coat gave some weak brown tones. 6 coats gave the color you see on the pistols.

Best regards

Rolf

trimegistus · « **Reply #13 on:** February 27, 2011, 12:03:24 PM »

Man I love the color on those pistols

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #14 on:** February 27, 2011, 04:52:26 PM »

The pistols look great. I'm pretty sure I'll be using this stain more once I play with it to the point where I have the materials and concentrations where I want them. Lots of people on the forum here have gotten good results and you don't see the guns going green or doing weird stuff later on.

B. Hey · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2011, 10:14:45 PM »

Hey Rolf ... I think you answered my question ... THANKS .. I'll follow your suggestion. Take care .. Bill

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #16 on:** March 07, 2011, 04:24:56 AM »

Just an update. I tested some of the stain solution I set up back on Feb. 22nd. This was the batch that had the cast iron ornamental finial in it. Works like a champ. The stuff had gotten a deep nasty brown and had foam filling the top half of the container. I thought it was another failure when I put it on the wood...thin and blue gray. I went off and cleaned some tools and when I got back it had turned about the color of Taylors new Hawken gun. You can't tell the finial is missing any material, it's just a sort of slimey charcoal color.

caliber45 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 07, 2011, 06:51:56 AM »

Question for roflkt: Did you apply heat to the wood after applying stain, as some of us do with aqua fortis? -- paulallen, tucson az

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #18 on:** March 07, 2011, 07:57:33 AM »

No heat. Once I saw that blue color when I first wiped it on I was diappointed and just walked away from it. I was quite surprised when I got back and saw the nice brown color on it with just a single light coat. I guess this is telling me that there is something in the old Lodge cast iron that doesn't work so well. I have another jar I set up with an old rusty railroad spike in it. That is looking pretty nasty too so I guess I'll test it next.

Rolf · « **Reply #19 on:** March 07, 2011, 10:43:27 PM »

No heat. I just let it dry out for a couple of days before oiling.

Best regards

Rolf

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #20 on:** March 13, 2011, 01:21:40 AM »

Had another thought for an iron source. I was at a veterinary supply house today and they had a bunch of horse shoes. Some were aluminum and others steel but they had some listed as "shapers" that appeared to be forged iron. I'm not sure if that 100% fact but thats what they appeared to be. Maybe someone with farrier experience could shed some light. I'm sure it would be easy to find horse shoes just about anywhere.

Bennypapa · « **Reply #21 on:** March 13, 2011, 01:29:26 AM »

There is a farriers supply house in town and they stock plain iron horse shoe nails.
Try them out.

FWIW,
Ben

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #22 on:** March 13, 2011, 09:34:44 AM »

I thought about that too but the nails cost twice what a shoe did. The ones they had here were really shiney too so I wasn't sure if they were plain iron.

News:

Author Topic: Vinegar stain again (Read 9866 times)

greybeard

greybeard

greybeard

omark

RTDoug

Rasch Chronicles

trimegistus

caliber45

Bennypapa