So for a post fathers day present for my dad, I decided I would finish a knife me and him tryed to make about a year ago. We got it ground, heat treated, and the handles glued, and I had showed him how to start the handle, which was curly maple. After that it has set in a corner for the past year, and I decided to finish it for him. I got the handle holes drilled, ground down the handle to the blade, and now waiting for the pins to set in the epoxy. My question is how do I finish this beutifull wood? I have had good results with a few coats of mineral oil, But most of the curly maple I see here is a dark color, mine is light.I dont think mineral oil can do that.
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finishing curly maple
- Thread starter nc527
- Start date
Fiebings medium brown leather dye will give it a nice redish brown color and bring out the stripes. Apply, wait a moment or two then wipe off with an alcohol rag. Then apply again. If too dark , wipe it back lighter. Then a few coats of gun stock finish, oil based spar varnish, or polyurethane even.
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I used tung oil on some maple burl, it was light and barely showing the pattern before but after it was dark and the pattern jumped
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You could also do it like they did in the old days using iron and vinegar solution. It works great. Type this into Google search.... "Acid recipe for curly maple" and it will take you to a thread on how it's done.
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I bought some ferric nitrate crystals, and I am going to try aqua fortis.
go to this link at look at 3:45 on the video timer. He is applying and heating aqua fortis to a maple gunstock. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR-cjymGt5w
I have used regular oil-based stain, sealed with tung oil, too.
see the attached photo of a recent seax and sheath with regular oil-based stain and tung oil.
this is fun wood to work with. Aqua fortis is supposed to be best, and it is good for the time period I am working with.
go to this link at look at 3:45 on the video timer. He is applying and heating aqua fortis to a maple gunstock. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR-cjymGt5w
I have used regular oil-based stain, sealed with tung oil, too.
see the attached photo of a recent seax and sheath with regular oil-based stain and tung oil.
this is fun wood to work with. Aqua fortis is supposed to be best, and it is good for the time period I am working with.
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That was a great video. Thanks for that.
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the entire making of the gun in on youtube in 6 parts. it is amazing. I watch it about once a month.
kc
kc