Following aqua fortis.......

[magyar]

So I tried AF last night with what seems like fabulous results. A little longer process than I imagined it to be, but man.... The stripes pop out.

I want to go darker and plan to apply a stain now. So my question is if I intend a Danish oil or beeswax finish (undecided as of yet) does my stain need to be oil based or alcohol? Does it matter? I just want to ensure I don't mess up things for the final application of beeswax or the Danish oil.

Thanks!

[Pete G.]

Make sure you neutralize with ammonia or some other base, otherwise the AF will continue to darken for a few months. You may end up with a finish darker than you wanted.

[smylee grouch]

You might not need another stain as the aqua fortis will likly darken with age as has been already said.

[PPatch]

Don't use an oil stain if you decide on beeswax, you want the wood pores open. Alcohol would be fine.

dave

[smallpatch]

Oil based stains tend to hide the figure you just worked so hard to bring out. They just don't penetrate like alcohol based stains. Because they do penetrate, alcohol based stains will absorb more into the softer wood in your woods figure. Keeps that figure poppin.
You also don't have to worry about it being compatible with what ever finish you decide to use.

[Mad Monk]

So I tried AF last night with what seems like fabulous results. A little longer process than I imagined it to be, but man.... The stripes pop out.

I want to go darker and plan to apply a stain now. So my question is if I intend a Danish oil or beeswax finish (undecided as of yet) does my stain need to be oil based or alcohol? Does it matter? I just want to ensure I don't mess up things for the final application of beeswax or the Danish oil.

Thanks!

The AF stain will normally darken with age.  If the AF was high in iron it will darken considerably.

The darkening process is the result of tannic acid in the wood.  Some cuts of maple are high in tannic acid.  The tannic acid is water-soluble.  After you put a finish over the AF stain you will have moisture moving in and out of the wood through t he finish.  The tannic acid in the wood will migrate to the surface of the wood when the stock gives up moisture.  Under the finish the tannic acid will concentrate and react with the iron stain to form what is known as an iron tannate.  This combination of an iron and tannic acid was long used as a writing ink up until steel pen points were introduced during the U.S. Civil War.  If you look at Rev War stuff you see their writing ink being bought in two packets which were mixed with water.  The solution formed an iron tannate and after about two weeks the solution would begin to form solid particles and coagulate.  At which point it was heaved out.  My 1984 built Schimmel was very light in colors at first.  Began to darken with age.  After 10 years it was very dark.  But then I used a stain solution with a high concentration of iron as I was still investigating the stain.


Mad Monk