Cherry Stock finishing with Easy-Off

[stoneke]

I will be receiving a Kibler SMR with a nice quarter sawn cherry wood stock. Pictured on his site is a similar rifle with a cherry stock that was stained with Easy-Off oven cleaner. Is anyone familiar with this process? I am looking for that warm reddish-brown hue, that is so handsome with cherry wood. Thanks for the help.

[PPatch]

I will be receiving a Kibler SMR with a nice quarter sawn cherry wood stock. Pictured on his site is a similar rifle with a cherry stock that was stained with Easy-Off oven cleaner. Is anyone familiar with this process? I am looking for that warm reddish-brown hue, that is so handsome with cherry wood. Thanks for the help.

Cherry will, in time, naturally age to that warm red/brown tone you seek. It will take two-three years, sunlight quickens the process. Lye gives something like the natural finish but it is not the same as a naturally aged look. Your choice of course, just saying, I've never used lye on cherry.

dp

[Robert Wolfe]

I've used Easy Off. Worked great. After whiskering the stock several times I sprayed it down with Easy Off and waited about 5 minutes and then hosed it off. Didn't think it looked dark enough so gave it another coat for 5 minutes and it looked great. It finished to a very nice reddish brown cherry color. I have heard of some people neutralizing lye with vinegar but I didn't. Perhaps because Easy Off is not as strong as straight lye.

[Tim Crosby]

 Try a Search using "easy off", I found 31 entries on the subject. May be of some help.

  Tim C.

[Tim Crosby]

   Easier yet...just click on the mess below.


http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?action=search2;params=eJwtlctuHDcQRX8l0CYbLrqKxWbzawR51IZtKJ5gpCQwoI_POQ0DQ7BJ1uPeW0XOy-u_Lz9v5-vnn5_x-fT55eHXqGg1NoZzMnqLarNl663aaGxPjierWQzXo-0t-GWL1QZT1Wo9GXtvfU7GzvdovQczow6-q_WDb9x7ubcxSNNZ75zv-JOiT2042xnTeNjsxOzasjeI3VmLNp3xKQe2oO_FOWx6J94QA7EHdmIs1sNc4jMX32Xs3jJabFsb22i5sRVHq77DdrKHWbrGfRIG8gP4QcrYVgts-xbYoRgxSqgbYxFWikiUQEzsK9AW-JH4mzNRERhJ7Dw2cuODfGn-A_3X3tZsSwSgSk6GgyhDCzyWyERMBohEIEJs7aCMrhZWzJaCrQVrQgawYGYiSMYF6MCYsNMwhh2QhyzkwVeUMSldImvwbTOgZkErlAvqPQQIVaSIhRkJYimTMzQveqyRJYgeVCqmM-PAjw6JiEZhYmpuK9Jvm6qhLkRAje6JCnaCSNi0wLiXfmwXjVOpBjIXEorSjEnRa1ghmpbq1ME63IOdkHfnSZKt2eYb2tgMyhrMQ8bsIWIeFgvJyKigh_pwBKALFLxQLcMIWNO9RYR-JbbTolGCsvK6WOWpG3zFpESa0R1Xz7cBw0SN9JTdEZ4gPgzRsuOQCJWiEz_WSE5IrlsSQjHFQZgAfcEqEKUOewHdF2YI2GXhEWFSVgSYbceAALa6qgxvun4LRfAbtjmxUasslnW8uIPJtrcZgVy2H42aFgxwdekiHq8PLY6g6iEGL6MPgC1CbUL5vC2ELCQswoeNSw3T_a4fkDalQObDfjlQSR8qhCZBm9bVXkqh_d5Aktys8k0SffdCCqM3KuJ76LUseZoYJ8QpNRIfx-AK-wbn6-W0ldg63CbO9IriTTuml-dQPdKYVk1Fi-kuGvLR0qTty-emkfV6iHG1M5auozEhFzeqULXSx8GbBSRphnLZYVxOTcwhAaAYhwKkLsAILm8YH9gB0RheUvJcnWORKM7ynfMWgZmCV9p7pEoLSHpwD5nDwZeelkzfFVKHFxHWMUwDQrjFUDtcRb-cCSEtpChfGnqoZOLFWCrXkHmEgyTwG_7XUO5xXQBUol0GtRqAG2nBKHlaCs_8VkPsIT5okQGRcV0m7BWcFhh98k_4_u3-3_Pt_tffb-fHyX-iW_98-XHePp7vP99-_d65Pz6eX78_WL2e77ffO6we59t5_bG6db48bt_YfDpf3n_9cf_69el_0SKK-g..

[WadePatton]

Lye has been used to enhance the colors of Cherry for a great long time.

Easy Off is simply a aerosol version of lye (at some fixed strength). If you mix your own, you can experiment with various strengths of solution.

I'll be mixing my own and trying on scrap pieces of wood, probably using sodium hydroxide purchased at the local hardware.  One could also make potassium hydroxide from wood ashes.

Lye is also used for drains, cleaning, descaling, soap making, paint stripper, water softening, and processing corn into hominy.  I've used it quite a bit to recondition iron skillets.  So I keep some handy nearly all the time.

Red Crown is the current brand available in this area.

[tallbear]

stoneke

I'm fixin to do a cherry gun with lye in a few days if everything goes well I'll post my results and method.Haven't done it before so can't tell you how I do it until I actually do it    .Wish me luck...................

Mitch

[Eric Kettenburg]

If you are planning to use any kind of true oil finish over the lye-stained stock, after staining the stock it will be highly advantageous to go over it with a diluted vinegar wash to neutralize the alkalinity of the lye.  Many people have had lots of problems - especially when the gun gets wet or is in high humidity - with the alkaline stock (lye) reacting with the oil and taking on a blotchy, white cloudy appearance.  Essentially the lye is saponifying the residual fats in the oil, making soap.  Not a preferred look.

[Dave R]

Tallbear,

How did your Easy Off stain work out?

[tallbear]

Dave R

I did'nt use oven cleaner but rather mixed plumbers lye with water.Here is the rifle finished.You can click on the photo's for a high resolution photo..... http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=45036.msg441719#msg441719

Mitch

[Turtle]

 A caution that may save others a problem. I used diluted easy off in a bowl and daubered it on. I diluted it because i didn't want a dark red. Particles of left-over inlet black were carried onto the surface and stained it dark and deep-to deep to sand out. I ended up re-treating it full strength to cover up the dots. I always dauber on my stain and have never had this happen before. in hindsight, I should have sprayed it on.

[Sawfiler]

Something else to keep in mind is to be sure to read the label of the easy off you buy. The regular strength contains no lye and will only wet your wood and turn it a weird greenish color. The heavy duty contains actual lye and will stain the cherry the red color you are after.

[Pete G.]

I used drain cleaner dissolved in water. It resulted in a nice medium chestnut brown color.

[Dave R]

Thanks to all for the tips!!

[Tim Crosby]

 Waiting is no fun but if you have some scraps of the stock wood you are using, you will have well spent time if you try easy-off/lye on them. Start with about 5 minutes and go to 20, even if you only do 3 or 4. Treat them just as you would a stock, neutralize, Vinegar, don't neutralize, letting them dry, sanding, put a finish on, etc...see what you get.
Keep notes.

  Tim C.

[SingleMalt]

I've never tried Easy Off, but on maple with AF, I neutralize with a weak lye solution.  My fear is that the acid in AF or the lye in Easy Off would corrode pins and furniture weakening them or making them impossible to remove.  The lye in Easy Off would in all likelihood, do the same.