Finishing SMR Extra Fancy Curly Maple Stock

[canadianml1]

I've used AF and Truoil on two rifles in the past with good results but would like to try something different. I have bone black and tannic acid but I am unsure if I want a black and yellow look. What other options will make the grain pop  and add some natural color? Any suggestions from your experience would be appreciated. Thanks

[WadePatton]

You need to experiment with scrap wood (or in a hidden place on that very stick of wood) to see what makes what happen. They're all a bit different. I used cheap wine to add tannins once (it was handy).  I also tried about five different colors and many combinations of dyes as some routinely do.  None of that was better than two coats of wine and some AF. I may have blacked it with diesel soot (also handy)-but I did that over the top and not under.  You just cannot predict a color with any accuracy unless testing on the actual wood from the tree your stock was cut. We have one or two thousand threads on the subject in these halls.

[LilysDad]

200 years ago, did they put that much effort into color adjustments?

[Mike Brooks]

200 years ago, did they put that much effort into color adjustments?

Probably. Nobody likes an ugly color, then or now.

[Scota4570]

I just finished one.  https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=66727.0

I normally use AF I make from ferric nitrate crystals.  I then usually add some tannic acid to the wood.  I whisker now.  I then go back with AF.  At that point I assess. I lightly cut it back with maroon scotchbrite.  I want to see a small parentage of black and a small percentage of yellow.  That gives all the colors in between.  At that point the color is often not red enough for me.  I use dye stains to adjust the overall hue.  I dilute the stains with solvent, easy to add more, not so if you badly overshoot.   I would not normally use bone black or soot on premium wood.  In short, there is no formula.  You have to play around with it until you get what you want. 

[TommyG]

Try neutralizing using lye powder dissolved in water.  Of course you will need some scraps from the wood you are working with.  It seems to give more of a reddish/orange tone.  Darker when the ferrric is dissolved in water, a bit lighter when the ferric is dissolved in denatured alcohol.  You have to experiment to get the recipe.

[TWM]

The last long rifle I built was many (50 years) ago.  At that time I finished several highly figured maple stocks using the following method.  Once the stock was finished and sanded, I added 1 part sulfuric acid to 4 parts water and brushed the solution onto the stock and let it dry.  I then made up a solution of baking soda and water and brushed it on the stock to neutralize the acid and let it completely dry. I then brushed off any baking soda left on the wood and taking a propane torch heated the wood until it changed to a light chestnut colour.  Be careful, too much heat can char the thin areas or sharp corners.  If I were doing this today, I would use a heat gun.  I then made up a saturated solution of potassium permanganate and water and brushed it onto the wood until it looked almost charred and let it dry completely.  Once dry, using boiled linseed oil and steel wool I began rubbing until the stock became lighter in colour and the colour I wanted. The longer I rubbed the lighter the stock became. I have no recollection of where I heard about or got the or got this method of finishing but it has stood the test of time. It is hard to explain but the acid solution adds life and depth to the wood and almost reflects light like amber. I have used the acid solution on several pieces of furniture I have made before applying a more modern finish and there is a remarkable difference between areas that have been treated with the acid and those that I have missed.  If I ever build another muzzle loader I would use this finish again.

[canadianml1]

Thanks for your thoughtful responses!! Food for thought.

[WadePatton]

The last long rifle I built was many (50 years) ago...  I then made up a saturated solution of potassium permanganate and water ...

Isn't that the solution that can turn a stock green? John has one that he built in the 70's, a really nice gun--but for the fact that it's "green as a gourd". I asked him why he didn't refinish it and his reply was something about it was a good lesson what not to do.

Perhaps the acid treatment outlined in the above post eliminates the potential of a green result, because every time I hear "permanganate" I think of Mr. Anderson's by gosh green gun. Therefore I've never even considered using such a solution.  If indeed that's the same stuff, maybe there's a surefire way to avoid the greening-and I simply haven't learned of it yet.  Also I was never quite clear on why anyone would risk such a result, but do see here that one can achieve a good-looking, long-lived finish using potassium permanganate. Perhaps the acid pre-treatment is part of that equation.

[heinz]

The stain I know of that may turn green is chromic acid. If I recall correctly it was an ingredient in "Magic Maple".  It did not always turn greenish, but it could.  I think the Mad Monk explained why.  Chromic acid is very easy to use, really brings out the curl, is highly carcinogenic, and is an explosion hazard with some organic solvents. What is not to like.

[Dennis Glazener]

I have often thought of using potassium permanganate on a stock but I have always been concerned about longevity. I understand that potassium permanganate tends to fade out over time. How has your finish stood the test of time?
Dennis

[Mikeh]

   
Chromic acid will not turn a stock green if you use distilled water in your crystals. I have yet to have a stock turn green.
Try it on a piece of scrap. Guess it's the impurities in the regular water.
                                                                                                        Respectfully, Mike Hamilton

[bluenoser]

I built my second longrifle in the 1980's and finished the curly maple stock with AF, potassium permanganate and BLO in an attempt to imply aging.  The resulting appearance was pretty much exactly what I was after.  That became my primary longrifle, and has spent countless hours on the trail and on the range.  In short order, the potassium permanganate began to wear away and there is now no trace of it.
I have not used potassium permanganate since that build and would not consider doing so.  There are more durable options.

[Hutch]

The underside of the patchbox is a good place to test.  Cheap to replace if you don't like it.  I got lucky and liked the combo so didn't have to lol!

[L. Akers]

I have often thought of using potassium permanganate on a stock but I have always been concerned about longevity. I understand that potassium permanganate tends to fade out over time. How has your finish stood the test of time?
Dennis

I stained 2-3 rifles with KMN03 back in the 80s and had to do them over several years later.  The color completely faded away.
I did one stock using a chunk of road tar dissolved in mineral spirits.  The color was dark brown with yellowish highlights.  The color has lasted 40+ years.

[smallpatch]

Canadianml1,
The ferric nitrate, tannic acid are far and away the most authentic, and as far as I’m concerned the best way to bring out figure in maple. Any of the LMF stains can change the base tone to what ever you like.
 I personally don’t care for Tru-oil, but there are many other great finishes to use over your stain.
Here are a few examples. Sorry, the last one is ash, but it works there as well..