nutralizing nitric acid??

[Ric27]

I'm wondering does everyone neutralize Nitric Acid stain with bicarb soda of something else or nothing at all. What's you experience. 

[tallbear]

I use household ammonia.

Mitch Yates

[P.W.Berkuta]

Depends on what effect I'm to achieve -- most of the time I use baking soda in water.

[James Rogers]

When I have neutralized I also used ammonia. This is a rifle that Jim Hash built over twenty years ago.  He used a nitric solution at 5:1 with no iron in it and it was not neutralized.

 

[Ric27]

Depends on what effect I'm to achieve -- most of the time I use baking soda in water.

P W, thanks
What are the effects of the different methods you have used? how much backing soda in say a pint of water?

[Ric27]

When I have neutralized I also used ammonia. This is a rifle that Jim Hash built over twenty years ago.  He used a nitric solution at 5:1 with no iron in it and it was not neutralized.

 

that is a dramatic finish. thanks for the photo

[nchunter]

I've tried both on a curly maple board. Baking soda leaves a residue, which you then have to rinse off, while ammonia evaporates off cleanly.  I liked the ammonia better, although I noticed the ammonia slightly shifts the color to the greenish side (very slightly, some may not even notice). Someone on the forum mentioned using a diluted lye solution, which they said shifts it slightly to the red. I haven't tried it yet though.

[Sawatis]

I've never neutralized my staining...when I make up my ferrous nitrate (or nitrite...can never remember) O feed the mix iron till it can't consume any more...seems pretty neutral to me at that point.  maybe it is maybe not...need to bring some in and test the pH one of these days...color looks nice and rich, never had ay clouding of the oil or blackening (oldest ones are in their 20's)
John

[P.W.Berkuta]

Depends on what effect I'm to achieve -- most of the time I use baking soda in water.

P W, thanks
What are the effects of the different methods you have used? how much backing soda in say a pint of water?

I bought some (6 pints) of AF from Erik Kettenburg some 7 or 8 years ago and it was in a ratio of 6:1. If the maple sample turns out light in color without neutralizing after applying heat then I do not use anything except a water wash and may do a second application of AF. Try a baking soda to water ratio of 6 Tb of soda to 8 oz of water dissolve thoroughly. You need to take a scrap piece of the stock wood and test it because each piece of maple reacts differently. What works good for my stock wood might not work good for you that is why you need to do a sample test on your wood. Good luck.

[moleeyes36]

I used Wahkon Bay AF on the last gun I stained with AF and didn't neutralize it.  BIG mistake!  In about 4 months the color had changed from a rich medium brown with the curl standing out nicely to a VERY dark brown where the curl only stands out in the bright sunlight.  So after I sand the gun down and redo it with AF, I'll use a strong baking soda solution on it.  I don't know the pH of Wahkon Bay AF is, but it must be very acidic.

[Stophel]

I neutralize with lye.  If you really want to go historical, you can easily make your own lye solution with wood ashes.  My lye came in a white plastic container...   

[Pete G.]

I neutralize with lye.  If you really want to go historical, you can easily make your own lye solution with wood ashes.  My lye came in a white plastic container...   

Just be patient. In a hundred years the white plastic container will be HC.

[E.vonAschwege]

There's a mixed bag of opinions about whether it's necessary to neutralize Aquafortis on maple - I'm of the opinion that it is a good idea, and I use either Ammonia or Baking Soda/Water - whatever I have on hand.  I sometimes lose some of the red tones when neutralizing, but I'm still always happy with the outcome of the stain.  My first experience with Aquafortis involved a figured maple jewelry box for a now ex girlfriend... stained it, finished it, delivered it, and broke up with her about 2 weeks later.  I got a call a couple months after saying she'd lost the key (I had a duplicate lock), so I went over to open it up for her and found that most of her jewelry had tarnished, all the silver plated stuff had flaked off - no other explanation than the nitric acid that was never neutralized.  Oops  !!!  I always neutralize now, and I still sometimes have stocks that get significantly darker after a period of time. 
-Eric

[Mark Elliott]

Eric,

It is a good thing she was already an ex.