Author Topic: 6% vinegar for stain (Read 10188 times)

Paddlefoot · « **on:** September 20, 2013, 10:13:30 AM »

I started a batch of vinegar iron stain about four days ago using Heinz 6% vinegar "for cleaning". I dropped in a wad of steel wool and set the stuff aside. It didn't seem to be doing much. No bubbling or turning rusty brown. Nothing seemed to be going on but the stuff still smelled strongly of vinegar. Not at all what I remembered from standard vinegar with steel wool. Im just starting to get some black wool dust spikes in the bottom of the jar but no color change. I thought I'd see if it was actually eating anything so I spread some of the solution on a maple blank. Dark blue gray almost right away.
Im thinking I may just filter this into another jar and add some more vinegar to it and see if it goes to a redder color. Seems like its got enough iron already. Any thoughts?

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #1 on:** September 20, 2013, 03:18:03 PM »

store-bought steel wool has oil on it. I usually wash the wool in HOT water and detergent. Rinse, then throw in the vinegar.

from what I recall, you may need to make several applications of the stain before there is enuff iron in the wood to turn brown. My problem is that I seldom have the patience to wait for the wood to dry between coats.

Dphariss · « **Reply #2 on:** September 20, 2013, 03:45:02 PM »

Why reinvent the wheel. Perfectly good stain can be made from ferric nitrate crystals or nitric acid if its available. Either stain is ready to use the day the mix is started.

Dan

Rolf · « **Reply #3 on:** September 20, 2013, 06:40:46 PM »

Here is a couple of pictures of one of the long barreled pistols I'm building. The pistol been given it's first coat of vinegaroon. The glass contains the vinegaroon I'm using. It was brewed with 6% vinegar and degreased steel wool for 6 weeks. I plan to give the pistols 6-8 coats to get a nice red/brown color.

Best regards
Rolf

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #4 on:** September 20, 2013, 10:45:53 PM »

OK so it just has to go longer or maybe not washing the wool first caused a problem . It seemed strange to have the 6% vinegar seem so inactive after seeing everyday cider vinegar get right to breaking down the steel wool. Its pretty much a diversion for me right now Dan. Im tinkering while Im stuck in CA and wondered how the 6% stuff would work.

Mark Elliott · « **Reply #5 on:** September 21, 2013, 12:36:57 AM »

Rusty bits of wrought iron work best for me, and I need to let it brew for months to get the best result.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #6 on:** September 21, 2013, 12:41:51 AM »

I save iron turnings from the lathe. Makes a nasty brew. Gun smells like salad dressing.

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2013, 03:24:09 AM »

I hit that dark blue with hydrogen peroxide and it went to a pretty nice walnut color with just two coats of the vinegar stain on it. Like I said, I'm just playing with it right now. Pretty sure it wont be ready to finish before we head south.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #8 on:** September 21, 2013, 09:27:43 PM »

This gun was vinegar stain, which became too dark for my liking. So I put Hydrogen peroxide on, and WOW! it turned a light orange...oh dear, oh dear.....four more apps of vinegar stain toned it down to where I could live with it. The Peroxide scared me to heck.

Best practice is to stain a scrap from the same gun for your finish. Note that vinegar stain results change over time, you may have to add more vinegar as the acid evaporates. It can be tricky business until you understand how to work it. I don't understand it, I just have been lucky.

eddillon · « **Reply #9 on:** September 21, 2013, 09:43:05 PM »

Won't the peppers turn the whole thing green?

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #10 on:** September 21, 2013, 10:03:59 PM »

Not if you put them in the sun!

By golly, I had a gun turn green on me, using chromium tri-oxide, or 'Magic Maple' stain. I had diluted it, and it made a nice warm brown color. Until it hit sunlight. WOW, was that ugly!

eddillon · « **Reply #11 on:** September 21, 2013, 10:19:35 PM »

Had the same experience w/chromic acid.. kept washing it w/water. Finally had to resand and use soluble stain from Brownells. It was no longer a sow's ear after the stain.

mikeyfirelock · « **Reply #12 on:** September 22, 2013, 03:01:48 AM »

I am re-doing a flintlock rifle I built about 40 years ago. It was originally finished with chromium trioxide. It too had turned a greenish color. The sanding dust that came off it had a decidedly green cast. I too used the vinegaroon (6% vinegar with washed steel wool) and now have a deep dark brown.
Mike

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #13 on:** September 22, 2013, 07:57:45 AM »

This is what I expected to happen when I added the steel wool. Going strong here with a cast iron finial in vinegar. This reaction was immediate.

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #14 on:** September 22, 2013, 11:30:01 PM »

About 18 hours later the vinegar is still actively working on the cast iron though the cascade of bubbles has decreased about 50%. Some flakes of rust scale are starting to deposit on the bottom of the jar but the vinegar is still basically clear. Just a little murky.

Rolf · « **Reply #15 on:** September 26, 2013, 05:12:43 PM »

Just a picture of the same pistol stock shown earlier in this thread, after 8 coats of vinegaroon + four coats of boiled linsead oil.

Best regards
Rolf

Bear62 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 26, 2013, 06:47:48 PM »

This may sound like a dumb question but do you need to "blush" the wood with a heatgun after you apply this vinegar/ acid stain?

Rolf · « **Reply #17 on:** September 26, 2013, 06:58:41 PM »

Quote from: Bear62 on September 26, 2013, 06:47:48 PM

This may sound like a dumb question but do you need to "blush" the wood with a heatgun after you apply this vinegar/ acid stain?

No, just wait 24 hours for the vinegar to evaporate.

Best regards
Rolf

Paddlefoot · « **Reply #18 on:** September 26, 2013, 07:39:38 PM »

Nice Rolf. I like pretty much all of the colors this stain produces.

anj4de · « **Reply #19 on:** November 02, 2013, 02:08:03 AM »

Hi

Here is my walnut Hawken stock after 4-5 layers of "salad vinegar" and steel wool soaked in it for a good week. It started smelling very strong after the first night so I guess the wool gets eaten by the vinegar...I am happy with the result so far, was looking for a very dark finish. No oils yet...

cheers
Uwe

WadePatton · « **Reply #20 on:** November 03, 2013, 12:42:38 AM »

Quote from: anj4de on November 02, 2013, 02:08:03 AM

Hi

Here is my walnut Hawken stock after 4-5 layers of "salad vinegar" and steel wool soaked in it for a good week. ...
Uwe

It took 3 weeks for 2 of my batches to start making red/brown stain, the 3rd batch never changed. Odd thing to me (until John essplains it for us) is how the one that looks like tea, stains gray-and the one that is blue/gray looking (in solution) turns the wood red/brown. Not a complaint just an observation.

carry on.

anj4de · « **Reply #21 on:** November 03, 2013, 03:45:48 PM »

Hi

Thanks for the reply...
I guess my stock is also re-acting differently since it is walnut which has a high degree on natural oli/accid (?) by itself. Maple I am sure will react differently and so would do cherry, etc...

cheers
Uwe

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #22 on:** November 03, 2013, 06:23:44 PM »

If you guys want to kill two birds with one stone, use the vinegar to clean your antique, or neglected modern, cast iron cookware. I have a friend that grabs up all the cast iron he can find, at yard, and estate, sales. The rustier the better (and cheaper) too. He cleans them up with a five gallon bucket of vinegar, reseasons them, and sells them, at antique shows. He has enough vinegaroon to stain Old Ironsides six coats inside and out.

Hungry Horse

WadePatton · « **Reply #23 on:** November 03, 2013, 08:13:36 PM »

Quote from: anj4de on November 03, 2013, 03:45:48 PM

Hi

Thanks for the reply...
I guess my stock is also re-acting differently since it is walnut which has a high degree on natural oli/accid (?) by itself. Maple I am sure will react differently and so would do cherry, etc...

cheers
Uwe

Yes yes, walnut-probably naturally higher in tannins as well. Iron Acetate turns oak _black_ instantly (huge tannins).

Lye is the trick for Cherry.

cheers!

aaronc · « **Reply #24 on:** November 04, 2013, 04:00:08 PM »

Quote from: Rolf on September 26, 2013, 05:12:43 PM

Just a picture of the same pistol stock shown earlier in this thread, after 8 coats of vinegaroon + four coats of boiled linsead oil.

Best regards
Rolf

Looks beautiful from here,...........would love to see pics when finished.

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Author Topic: 6% vinegar for stain (Read 10188 times)

eddillon

eddillon

Bear62

anj4de

anj4de