MAPLE WOOD TO PRACTICE FINISHING

[KILTED COWBOY]

I would like to practice different types of stain and AF of scrap maple wood before I commit to doing it for real on a Kibler build I have on order. But can't find any locally. That stuff doesn't grow on trees down here in Texas. Pun intended. Stuff I am seeing on line seems to be either too small like for turning pens or large stock pieces. Any idea where I can locate some? Got the extra fancy maple so do not want to experiment on that.
Thanks for any help   

[JSperry]

Hello,
I am a Forester in WV and have access to plenty of scrap maple pieces.  Im guessing you want sugar maple (hard) maple.  I also have red (soft) maple.   PM me with you address and I’ll get some samples out to you.
Jeff 

[Mike Brooks]

Unless it's a piece from the stock the end results will be different. Each stock takes stain differently so you need to have a piece of wood from the stock.

[Mauser06]

Mike is right.  Especially with chemical stains like AF.  About the best you can do is test in a hidden spot like the barrel channel.   Just going to be tricky to heat the AF in the barrel channel without scorching the edges of the forearm.   


You can certainly experiment on different pieces of wood and see what certain stains do and how different finishes turn out etc.  But what happens on THAT piece of wood may be different than another. 

[P.W.Berkuta]

I would like to practice different types of stain and AF of scrap maple wood before I commit to doing it for real on a Kibler build I have on order. But can't find any locally. That stuff doesn't grow on trees down here in Texas. Pun intended. Stuff I am seeing on line seems to be either too small like for turning pens or large stock pieces. Any idea where I can locate some? Got the extra fancy maple so do not want to experiment on that.
Thanks for any help   

You could stain the inside of the barrel channel on that kit you are getting and get a true idea of what it will look like

[KILTED COWBOY]

I understand different wood samples will react differently. Just want to get the technique down before doing it on that expensive hunk of wood. Want to see how it works and practice

[KILTED COWBOY]

Thank you Jeff for yuour kind offer. Will try do do that when I get home tonight if I can figure out how to PM.
You guys are awesome! So much help for rookies even old rookies.

[gusd]

In our area(Northeast) I 1" maple from Lowes or Home D.  Most is straight grain ,But I get many pieces that are curly. Just look at the board edges and you will usually find some.
Gus

[Daryl]

Unless it's a piece from the stock the end results will be different. Each stock takes stain differently so you need to have a piece of wood from the stock.

for example, these two Hawken rifles were finished with exactly the same process.

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... I have heard that Jim includes some trimmings from each stock with each kit,....

[KILTED COWBOY]

I talked to Katherine a week ago and she said that they can throw a few scraps in but they will not be from the same stock.

[Sandy]

When I got my Kibler kit I wanted to play with the stain before I used it on the stock. I got some highly figured maple turning stock from Woodcraft and Rockler (both have several stores in Texas), turned several things and then played with the tannic acid and AF. Gave me a good idea of how to use the stains.

[fm tim]

Recognizing differences in wood, knife making sites sell maple handle scales that are abou 2" by 6".

[AsMs]

Ask Jim to send you some of the scrape pieces off of your stock.  Same wood, so test results will show what you will get if you do the same to you stock.

AsMs

[dogcatcher]

Do you have a custom cabinet shop in your area?  If you have one, go beg some scrap pieces of maple.  In the DFW area there are couple of hardwood dealers, Wood World of Texas and McKinney Hardwoods,  I am sure there are more, but those are 2 that I dealt with.  In San Antonio and Austin there is a place called Alamo Hardwoods, they had every kind of wood imaginable.  Even a good home based lumberyard will have some maple.  I used buy maple at City Lumber in Abilene.