Fiebings leather dye for stocks.

[redheart]

Gents'

Have any of you used Fiebings brown or dark brown leather dye for sugar maple and walnut
If so, does it work well or does it cover up the figure or do some other awful thing.
I realize it's not historically correct.
I'm also curious if Watco Danish finish is any good.
Thanks in advance for any comments.

[G_T]

I have had it bleed through an oil finish in the rain on a traditional bow once.

Gerald

[dogcatcher]

I have used both in the alcohol based version of Feibings.  First the dark brown dye, then sand back to lighten it up.  The softer wood grain will remain darker, not as dark as without sanding but still darker because the dye soaked in deeper,  Then gave it a coat of light brown, and another sanding, the softer parts of the grain will be darker according to the softness of each grain line. 

I don't use Watco Danish oil, I use Watco Teak oil finish, it is an outdoor finish that supposedly contains UV inhibitors,  I put on a lot of coats with 24 hour wait between coats.  First 2 coats are diluted 50 50 so that the finish can soak in as deep as possible. 

[rsells]

All I ever use for stain is Fiebings dark brown with a bit of black added.  Back in 1978 I was having a hard time getting the same color from one rifle to the next, and a friend who made beautiful rifles told me how he finished the rifles he built.  I tried the procedure and have never changed since that time.  I use it on walnut and maple.  I have tried other brand dye and did not get the same color, and have used Fiebings dark brown ever since then.
                                                                                            Roger Sells

[thecapgunkid]

You might try getting the range of browns and keeping several of them because you can mix and match to get the colors you want the way most of us shoemakers do.   Leather dye products almost always demand more whiskering, maybe because of the alcohol, but they embrace Permalyn well and seem to fare better with Tru Oil.   

You are also in for a lot of work around your carving edges.

The most thorough test of its durability came when I used it a lot on SAA and Navy Colt grips...because the ability to stand up against so much  contact, wear and the elements  is impressive IF the time is taken to avoid 100%oil finishes.

[elk killer]

I have used Fiebings for over 30 years now,
Lots say it will fade in sunlight and with use
but I have never had that experience, have a
pistol that was built over 25 year ago, it's same
color as the day I stained it

[Shovelbuck]

It's all I've used for a number of years. Easily duplicated from gun to gun.

[JBJ]

Another fan of the Fiebings dyes. Have used a variety of the brown tints over the years on maple and walnut (complete stocks and repairs) and have been pleased with the colors, their durability and the ease of blending repairs. As the "Kid" pointed out get a range of the browns. And keep some black on hand to mix as Roger Sells suggested.
J.B.

[Pukka Bundook]

Yes, I use it on some stocks of maple.

Let it dry properly before an oil finish.

It was the much missed Ron Ehlert that told me of it originally.   

[Eric Krewson]

I have used it on a lot of bamboo backed bows, all of which faded over the years. I still use it, i just put it on a little darker now so it ends up what I want years down the road. It could be the medium I put it on, bamboo is not stain friendly.

[oldtravler61]

  I use it. No I'm not a pro builder. But it holds up very well for me. My hunting guns get a lot of use. The color stays the same. One rifle is 35 years old lot of usage an still the same.   Oldtravler

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I've had mixed results from Fiebings dyes.  I used it exclusively back in the eighties when my shop was most prolific, and there are rifles out there that have not faded in the least, while others bleached out to near blonde - all with the same stain.  It is better than Laurel Mt. Forge's alcohol based stains, if that matters, but I still prefer the permanency of AF and tannic acid.  I do not shoot for a 'colour' when I stain.  My goal is to take advantage of the figure of the wood without muddying it.  The colour is secondary.  I use Fiebings by the quart for leather work though.

[dogcatcher]

I suggest you go to the pipemakers forum http://www.pipemakersforum.com/forum/index.php?sid=5b5cf5317ad48984867b3b8d4514cf85

Look at this forum "Finishing Techniques" http://www.pipemakersforum.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=35

These guys have been using leather dye for decades if not centuries and have all kinds of info and answers to questions that we have not even thought of the questions.   If you are not a member I am not sure f you can use the search feature, but try it. 

Another idea is to get a color chart of the Feibings's alcohol based dyes.  Not the oil based dye, the alcohol based version.  Then if you really get into this dye stuff, you can also learn how to mix the colors to create your own.  Using 5 bottles about $30 and you can create some beautiful special dyes.  If all fails, dye your shoes, boots and anything else.  Wear rubber gloves, this stuff doesn't wash off. 

Keep notes of your mixing experiments, you might need them a few years down the road...

[Herb]

I have used Fiebing's dark brown oil leather dye for at least 20 years.  I like it.  Here is a multi-answer photo of some rifles I built.  I like tung oil as a finish.  Here are some stains I've used over the years.  Photo also shows use of wear plates and patch boxes.  And a fish inlay.  This is copied from one of Thomas Oldham's Bedford rifles, shown in "Behold the Longrifle Again", page 154.  The picture is not sharp, but I think that is a fish inlay behind the muzzle.  And on the previous page, there is what may be a leaping dolphin under the cheekpiece.

[PPatch]

Nice collection of some very fine work Herb! Thanks for showing them.

RedHeart; Roger Sells (rsells) creates some beautiful SMR style rifles, their workmanship second to none, if you ever have the chance to view some of his work you will know what I am talking about.

dave

[Tim]

Have any of you fellas used the Minwax Antique Oil finish on a maple stock?
Not meaning to hi jack this topic. Thanks.

[redheart]

Thanks very much guys!
I didn't expect such a great response.
It looks like Fiebings is a literal shoe in (pun intended). 
So, nobody uses the Watco Danish Oil Finish?
 Like Timbo, I'm also curious about the Minwax Antique Oil Finish.

[Tim]

Thanks very much guys!
I didn't expect such a great response.
It looks like Fiebings is a literal shoe in (pun intended). 
So, nobody uses the Watco Danish Oil Finish?
 Like Timbo, I'm also curious about the Minwax Antique Oil Finish.

I’m on the waitlist for a SMR from Jim Kibler and I’m
Curious about all of this good stuff you guys are talking about.
I’ve got a lot to think about before I start building it.

Tim

[Davemuzz]

Thanks very much guys!
I didn't expect such a great response.
It looks like Fiebings is a literal shoe in (pun intended). 
So, nobody uses the Watco Danish Oil Finish?
 Like Timbo, I'm also curious about the Minwax Antique Oil Finish.

When I finished my Leman build, I was thinking of the various types of wood finishing. I was going to first apply (and heat) Aquafortis Regent (which I did), followed by an application of the Feblings medium brown in order to obtain a reddish cast to the wood, and compare that to an application of Chambers #FK-S.  I tried this on a scrap piece of wood first. I liked the Chambers stain the best.

Then I tried using Jim Chambers Antique stain (#FK-S) followed by #1-True Oil, #2-Minwax Antique Oil Finish, and #3, Jim Chambers Stock Finish (#FK_F). In all of my test samples I liked the Chambers Antique stain with the finish being the Chambers Stock Finish.

The True-oil doesn't make the wood "POP" like the Chambers product. I did not like the Minwax Antique Oil Finish as it seemed to give to dull of a finish (for my taste) and did not make the wood grain "POP" as much as the Chambers.

This is just my opinion on the piece of maple I was using. Your milage may very.

[dogcatcher]

Have any of you fellas used the Minwax Antique Oil finish on a maple stock?
Not meaning to hi jack this topic. Thanks.

The Minwax Antique Oil is another of the commercial oil finishes that contain a lot of thinner with a little oil and finish.  It is like a thinned down Danish or Teak oil from Watco.  Do I like it?  Yes, but it is a love hate relationship, it takes almost twice as many coats of finish as the teak or Danish oil, but it is so thin it soaks in deep on the first couple of coats.

Read this link about commercial wipe on oil finishes.  http://www.woodcentral.com/russ/finish7.shtml  The "good stuff" starts at the Commercial Oil/Varnish Products paragraph, from there it gets better.  The homebrewed mix can save you money.

[dogcatcher]

The True-oil doesn't make the wood "POP" like the Chambers product. I did not like the Minwax Antique Oil Finish as it seemed to give to dull of a finish (for my taste) and did not make the wood grain "POP" as much as the Chambers.

To get any kind of shine out of Minwax Antique Oil you have to apply a lot of coats, the mixture has very little finish in it, it is mostly thinner.  Here is an article by Frank Whiton called "Classic Gunstock Finish", he explains it better than I can.  https://www.firearmsforum.com/firearms/article/3037

[BOB HILL]

I’ve used  Watco Danish oil finish before with good results. I’ve also used thinned down Fiebings #124 dark brown to add a little yellow tint after AF. You can thin it with alcohol and get many shades. The way I look at it if the dye fades my stock still has a permanent stain that’s not going to fade. That’s just what I do.
Bob

[Herb]

I do not like to stain walnut with anything.  I recently restocked a shotgun in walnut and thought it needed staining.  I think it was Nut brown stain, not Fiebings, and is darker than I like. 

[T*O*F]

I do not like to stain walnut with anything.  I recently restocked a shotgun in walnut and thought it needed staining.  I think it was Nut brown stain, not Fiebings, and is darker than I like.

You need only to soak a rag with denatured or isopropyl alcohol and draw the color back out of the wood with it.  After all, these products are only a dye in an alcohol solution to start with.

[JCKelly]

Fiebrng has a beautiful yellow tan I have used on horns.

It faded, ejust by house lighting. Horn was for my father in his last year.

Be selective.

I think the firsdt time I used Fieb it worked fine. Then they must have Improved it.

Personally I think I'd only use something proven to be light-fast