How to Stain and Finish Curly Ash

[PAFlinter]

I've got a pretty nice stick of curly ash I'm going to TRY and make a SMR with....

How would I finish it??  Nitric acid, Aqua-fortis, lye???  I want to highlight the curl obviously.

Thoughts on filling the grain like walnut with a slurry??

Any help and pictures would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[martin9]

I just finished a curly ash southern rifle. I used tannic acid then a couple applications of iron nitrate....heated with a heat gun with both applications. turned out nice...a little darker than I see most ash finished out. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow so you can see what kind of color that'll get you.

 I have to say though to always test some scraps. I've been making a few things from the scraps from this blank. I had one project  turn really dark and another more of a dark honey color. that color difference also shows up in the finished rifle on the lock side of the buttstock.

[PAFlinter]

Tanic acid...huh.  ok, can't wait to see!

[Dale Halterman]

I built a rifle using curly ash a few years ago. The technique I used I got from Keith Castiel at Dixon's. First, use a dark colored stain like brown on the stock. Go over it with steel wool until the color only remains in the curl. Then stain the stock again with a light stain, I think I used maple. Then use an clear oil finish over the stain. The dark stain that remains in the curl really makes it stand out.

Dale H

[Clark Badgett]

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=52927.msg528507#msg528507

[sdilts]

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=56433.msg564577#msg564577

[PAFlinter]

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=56433.msg564577#msg564577

so black paint first like walnut to fill the pours....got it, I think

[Clark Badgett]

I think I would go the tannic acid route, but that is just me.

[Jim Kibler]

Just use iron nitrate (ferric nitrate, aqua fortis).  It will turn a beautiful color.  I didn't start the use of tannic acid, but certainly popularized it with posts on finishing burl maple stocked guns, the videos on youtube and the fact we sell it.  It's use has taken off and in my view is a little excessive.  Nine times out of ten I use straight up iron nitrate without any tannic acid.  All the ash I've seen stained with iron nitrate looked great.

Jim

[martin9]

Here's a few quick pics. I took some in the shade and in full sun pics for you.

[PAFlinter]

Just use iron nitrate (ferric nitrate, aqua fortis).  It will turn a beautiful color.  I didn't start the use of tannic acid, but certainly popularized it with posts on finishing burl maple stocked guns, the videos on youtube and the fact we sell it.  It's use has taken off and in my view is a little excessive.  Nine times out of ten I use straight up iron nitrate without any tannic acid.  All the ash I've seen stained with iron nitrate looked great.

Jim

Got it. Thank you

[PAFlinter]

Martin9....did you fill the grain??  The curl looks amazing!

[martin9]

I used circa 1850 tung oil on a grey scotchbrite pad for the first coat of finish. I just rub the stain out with the oil soaked pad. I let it dry about  20 minutes then buffed with a shop towel.All the subsequent coats of finish I applied with my finger.  I whiskered this stock 3 times before I applied the tannic acid and iron nitrate.

[PAFlinter]

thanks for everything!!!

[tlallijr]

Here is the link to another beauty.
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=43811.msg428399;topicseen#msg428399

[sdilts]

Here's another one I did.  The grain was filled with Constantine's Filler and then stained with LMF Lancaster Maple. The finish is Permalyn. Constantine's filler is no longer available but there is a product called GoodFilla (available from Woodcraft) that I like even better.

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=53120.msg530528#msg530528

[pjmcdonald]

I also used the flat black paint method, though I went about it the hard way.

First, I tried tannic acid and aqua fortis. The finish got dark and muddy, obscuring the grain and curl. So I sanded and scraped all that back to bare wood. On the good side, ended up really smooth and completely whiskered.

Then I sprayed two coats of el cheapo flat black paint. This kind of freaked me out at first. However, after sanding and scraping again, the grain really popped.

Finally, one coat of LMF honey maple followed by two coats of LMF lancaster maple, thinned about 50%.

Finish is Tried & True oil varnish, 5 or 6 coats. Rubbed back with 0000 steel wool in between.

[Not English]

Hey All, the above mentioned discussion brings to mind of some sort of acid stain that used to be used back in the late 80's -early 90"s at the latest. The acid stain looked really nice at first, but later faded (?) to a green. Jim's comments about using tannic acid and aqua fortis made me think about it. I'm assuming with the current popularity of tannic acid, that that's probably not it. Any thoughts?

Dave

[rich pierce]

That was chromium trioxide marketed as Magic Maple. It was magic. Looked great then looked green. But vendors still sold it. Ridiculous.

[Not English]

Thanks Rich. It was truly ugly in it's final color.

Dave