Best practices with Ferric Nitrate stain ?

[Jerry V Lape]

I have purchased ferric nitrate crystals from which to make stain.  It would be useful to hear from those who have successfully used this material about how they actually used it.  Did you mix with water or alcohol?  How much of each did you mix to make up the solution?  Is it necessary to neutralize afterwards? 

[smallpatch]

Jerry,

I mix mine with distilled water.  Probably will try alcohol on the next batch. As far as solution, I don't really remember.  I got a small jar of crystals, (assume about a pint size) it was only about 1/4 full of crystals, so I just filled the jar to the top with distilled water.  That is the solution I've been using, and it works like a charm.  I've built several guns with it to date, and have not neutralized , with no ill effects.

I usually slop on 2 coats, then blush with a heat gun.  Every piece of wood will give slightly different results, but it REALLY brings out the curl better than anything I've ever used.

[Black Hand]

From what I remember reading, people mixed it with water until it was the color of serum (yellowish-tan).

[AmBraCol]

There's a tutorial here that details some of the process.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=17315.0

[Meteorman]

just yesterday used the FeNO3 crystals mixed with denatured alcohol - my third effort with this brew and I like it.

I use 10ml crystals dissolved in 25 ml denatured alcohol, or 1 part FENO3 -to- 2.5 parts EtOH, by volume.

1st coat, let dry, then blush with heat gun, 2nd coat. dry, repeat blush.

after its dry, I do rub the wood down lightly with a rag dipped in ammonia to neutralize - don't really know it helps or not. 

gave a nice rich brown on this particular piece of wood - if one wanted more red tones, might have to overlay with a favorite stain.

For the second coat, I applied as per a Jim Kibler tip on this forum http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=17969.msg168720#msg168720: with a scotchbrite pad ( I used green, Jim suggested maroon), scrubbed fairly firmly. 
I had not raised the grain or whiskered previously, and this gave a nice smooth result. 
Will seal and burnish soon, as per Jim's narrative.
/Mike M