Fuming with ammonia

[Dennis Glazener]

I once read about soaking pine wood with a strong tea solution (to get tannic acid in the wood) then placing the wood in a closed box with a saucer of 28% ammonia to age the wood. I tried it out on a picture frame that I had made out of some heart pine that I got out of an old house. I had planned it down and it just looked too new for me. I tried the tea/ammonia trick and it looked great, just like aged wood should look. 

I have one of Jim's SMR kits with pear wood stock. I am seriously thinking of trying to fume it then finish with Chambers Oil. Anyone every tried this?
Dennis

[Daryl]

Sounds quite interesting, Dennis - any curl?

[smylee grouch]

Maybe Jim could send you asmall sample to try it on.

[Dennis Glazener]

Sounds quite interesting, Dennis - any curl?

Yes it has a little figure, not so sure curl is the proper description for it.

I have no problems going ahead and fuming it, if I don't like it I can sand it off and use a traditional finish on it.
Dennis

[Daryl]

tks - figure in the grain structure of any sort that will stand out, is good.

[okieboy]

 I have fumed quite a bit of white oak, which has a naturally high tannic acid content. I was building mission furniture. You can buy tannic acid powder, make tannic acid solutions for wood that needs additional tannic acid. I was also using anhydrous ammonia, which some people find dangerous, but with a proper respirator and handling procedures is, I think, not as dangerous as a table saw.
 But...The reason that ammonia fuming was used on mission furniture was because (unlike stains or dyes) it changed the color of both hard and soft areas of the wood more evenly. It did not emphasize grain pattern, which in quarter-sawn oak is referred to as rays. In best 1910 furniture they wanted subtlety, not boldness. So if you are wanting to emphasize the figure in the stock, fuming may not be a technique of choice.
 I do like the idea myself as I think that very curly wood finished "to pop" is sometimes distracting and detracts from the best overall aesthetics of a well made piece. I know that I may be holding the minority opinion in this.

[Mr. Bubbles]

I fumed a white oak naval gun carriage some years ago.  I did it in January, and the carriage took on a somewhat greenish tint.  I understand that in the summer time, you get a bit more orange.  One thing to be aware of is to NOT put your little dishes of ammonia directly below your target piece.  The ammonia fumes will be more concentrated there and turn that part black, while the rest of the piece colors more slowly.

I found the process educational, but also to be more hassle than it was worth.  I think you have better control over final color with stains and dyes, but I also defer to those with more experience than I do withthe process.

[JCKelly]

Ammonia fumes will crack brass. Also bronze, just takes a little longer.
Ammonia will crack brass castings as well as brass sheet metal hardware

I have no personal experience using ammonia on wood.
I'd be concerned that, over the years, ammonia coming out of the wood may crack your brass hardware.

Back in the early '70's I recall a brass patchbox with zinc leached out of the edges, from the acid stock stain. Made by one of the Legendary Maryland makers of that time.



Bronze revolver stored in a horse barn, post-hostilities. A few cracks in the grip frame have been braze welded.

[Bob Roller]

My wife uses ammonia in the trash bags to keep critters of all descriptions out of it.

Bob Roller

[Eric Krewson]

Fuming wood is real common in the bow building community especially after a German bow builder introduced it to the Primitive Archer crowd.

Here is fumed yew alongside untouched yew. Every wood that I have seen fumed on the PA site takes on the same color hue. Some let the wood fume for up to 10 days. There are instructions from the German guy on how he does  it but I haven't found them yet.