man, i must be really bad at this

S

SkaerE

Joined
Sep 9, 2001
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428
i got some curly maple and DAMN it looks nice. unfortunetly, as i sanded into a handle i lost almost all of the "curliness" to it. i can see the grain going different ways but its not as reflective as it was before. now its just ok.

anyway to bring out the grain in maple like this? maybe hardener or stabilization, stain, oil?

im only sanding it to about 220, should i be doing less than that? more than that?

i tried staining it a little darker and that helped some, but its still not nearly as nice.

what a pain in the butt. ;) especially since i have a lot of it left :) something better make it look better :)
 
Soaking in water usually brings out the grain. Did you buff the handle after you sanded? That'll give it the ol' shiny-smooth look.
 
Potassium Permanganate is one way, but it can be a mess to work with (I always seem to turn EVERYTHING brwon with it).

I like to sand it down to at least 400 and then flame it LIGHTLY with a torch and then rub it down with 4/O steel wool. Afterwards stain it with Fiebings leather dye. Light brown mixed with British tan looks great on maple. Rub it down with some worn out out 400/600 grit and finish with Watco Danish Oil (neutral) or Tung Oil. Just sop it to it until it won't take anymore and let it dry. If it dries tacky wipe it down with a cloth dampedned with the finish of your choice and then rub it briskly with a dry LINT FREE rag. To end it all rub some wax into it. I like a wax with carnuba in it as it dries the hardest. Turtle Wax will work fine.

There was a thread on finishing maple a while back either here or on CKD (think it was there, but..... Try doing a search.)
 
Isn't Potassium Pemaganate extremely flammable? For some reason I remember that from the S.A.S. book.
 
I don't think so...but I have never flamed wood after using it or anything else for that matter. I only flame the bare wood. There is an acid/heat combo (mentioned in that other thread on maple) that is supposed to be the cat's meow for bringing out the grain in maple.

PP is used as a water conditioner and is sold at Sears even. It's soluble in either water of acetone, so I suppose if dissolved in acetone it would be flammable. Lots of guys use it to "age" antler and bone as well.
 
I'd say to try some oil. If you can find it, some clear Danish oil or tung oil (make sure it doesn't have any stain in it) should probably do the job.

Sand at LEAST to 220, then wipe on as much oil as it will hold, wait 15 minutes, and wipe off any oil that's still on the surface. Let dry, buff lightly with fine steel wool if you want, and apply another coat.

You can also wet-sand with oil, which gives a good sheen to the figured woods. I'd use some wet-dry sandpaper, probably 600 grit or so, and sand while the wood is wet with oil.

SAFETY WARNING - when you're using tung or danish oil, make sure you follow the instructions on the container regarding disposing of rags, etc. This stuff is EXTREMELY exothermic (i.e., it gives off a lot of heat) when it dries, and if you don't put it underwater until what's on the rags cures, it can catch the rags etc. on fire. Doesn't seem to have this problem on the wood, but I almost had a bad time of it the first time. Thought I knew more than the guy who wrote the warnings... ;)

DON'T soak the wood in water. It will only raise the grain - i.e., make it more 3-D, and you'll just have to sand it again to get it smooth.
 
put your stain on and them use a blow dryer or a heat gun on it
and then use 00 steetl wool and repeat this several time
every time you stain it and heat it up it raises the grain
My father makes custom muzzloaders and it works:)
 
Nathan is your dad, Herschel? Or kin? How does Michael fit in?

For those who may not know, Herschel is world renowned as an early American muzzleloading gunsmith/authority and has probably forgotten more about working with maple than I'll ever learn. He's also quite a blacksmith! Michael is also very well known in the muzzleloading world as a master in various crafts.

Never thought about using a heat gun, always used a low torch. Heat gun should be more controllable with less fire danger.

Kahuna I've always hung my rags individually on a line (opened wide not bundled) with lots of air flow and that seems to work fine with no fire danger. Worked in a cabinetshop years ago and they reused rags and that's where I learned that one.
 
Potassium chlorate is the fun stuff that goes boom when mixed with other common items:D

Mark
 
this is one I just finished the other day
I take it right down to a 9 or 15 micron then buff with white..
it's not curly but birds eye rock maple.
r-day-ni.JPG
 
Originally posted by Wild Rose
Kahuna I've always hung my rags individually on a line (opened wide not bundled) with lots of air flow and that seems to work fine with no fire danger. Worked in a cabinetshop years ago and they reused rags and that's where I learned that one.
Click to expand...

Thanx for the tip. I'll keep it in mind - i really hate the other process... ;)
 
Wild Rose
Yes Herschel is kin,My father is a Buckskinnner I have set in camp with him,My father builds the same type muzzloader.The Old Poorboy style.I have some very good maple from all the left overs
Herschel stains his stock and raises the grain the same way I posted
and seals it with tounge oil.I have a knife I am doing that I am putting some maple on it and I am going to stain it honey colored.
I have been around skinners my whole life.Herschel marches to the beat of his on drumb,he is about as nice as they come.Very intresting you picked up on Herschel.A Blow dryer will also work
if you do not have a heat gun.;)
 
Kahuna you are welcome. Soaking rags like that would be a real pain!

Nathan I've been bucksinning since 1970 or so. I met Herschel at a couple of Rendezvous back around 75 or 76. Interesting gentleman and very knowledgeable about all things blackpowder even then. And you are right he definitely marches to his own drumbeat, but then most of us Ole Skinners do!
 
Wild Rose
Have you been to Freindship Indiana.My family went every year when I was young.I spent many a days in front of a sweat lodge
and in the clay pit,I don't think about how differnt my family is
I have grown up around it.You have probably seen my father he goes to alot of Rendezvous.His name is Gene House

:D
 
Nathan-
Never have made it back to Friendship. In fact I haven't been east of the Rockies since 1970!
I may have met your Dad if he came out to any of the Rendezvous in the late 70's, but I met so many different folks that I really don't remember everybody, especially after partying hardy. I quit going to Rendezvous around 1980 or so. Between work and living in the Rockies I preferred going for trips to the high lonesome on my own.
Did you know Phil 'Bluejacket' Sanders? I lost track of him back in the late 70's after he moved to Darby, MT.

Another product that really enhances maple is Aquafortis Reagent by Wahkon Bay Outfitting. It's not a stain but rather a Nitric Acid based reagent. It can reaaly enhance the grain of maple. it's available at www.trackofthewolf.com for one.
 
I was born in 1970 and I went with him up until about 9 years ago
He has a bad back now and dose not go much because of that
but he love to makes guns and selfbow.
 
Chuck,
Could the acid/heat combo you refered to be chromium trioxide/heat?
I use that quite a bit and it will bring out the figure very well. Works great on curly hickory also. Wear rubber gloves! I use a Wagoner heat gun (same one I use to solder guards with) on low and sort of stroke the wood in a passing motion so as not to burn. Light sand with 400 grit, tack it clean and do it again. It helps to mist the raw wood finished to 400, with a water bottle before applying the stain. Wipe off excess before it dries. I then finish with tung oil using the french sanding technique on the first coat. That fills any voids in the surface. Wipe off excess across grain and let dry. Lightly wool with OOOO and apply another coat (4 times). Lightly burnish/polish with brown paper bag then wax with a good stock wax that contains carnauba.
Don't know how you avoid it Chuck, but I always have a problem with residual traces of white/green when I use Turtle Wax. What's the trick there?
Skinned a few myself. Built my first of many rifles in '69, back when Dixie Gun Works catalog was the size of a folded road map. Still like to pop a squirrel or two for stew from time to time with Moni Lynn, my old workhorse .45 flinter.
Dry horn's worth it's weight in gold nuggies.
Carl Rx (alias - Curly Blue Turtle)
 
Nathan now you're making me feel old! Born the same year I got started skinnin'. I've got a real bad back too so I can commisserate with your Dad. Does he sell his guns? Does he by chance have a website if so? Or a catalog? I like them Southern Mtn guns a lot and would be interested in seeing his work. Besides I'm without a goodun right now and am looking around. Probably build my own but who knows. Hey! By the way Nathan - congratulations on being a prospective papa. My boy is now 26 and has given me alittle granddaughter. Time does fly!

Hey Curly Blue, fancy meeting you here!:D
The secret: A shoe brush. Just brush it while the Turtle Wax is still fairly soft. Learned that from doing leather work. Sometimes when wax or even saddle soap gets down in the tooling and dries it will leave a yellowis residue. Just re-wet with a new coat of the finish and brush vigorously. Works like a charm. Actually though my favorite thing to use these days is the Fiebings or Tandy Carnauba cream for leather (what else :rolleyes:). It's a liquid but I leave some in an open container overnight until it thickens up quite a bit and then use it on wood or metal. Guess you missed the previous post about the Aquafortis (nitric acid). That's the one I was thinking about.

Hey a little off topic, but have you heard anything about some new legislation that is gonna make having blackpowder damn near impossible?

Well all this talk has got me chomping at the bit to get back into the shop. I haven't had a chance in three days and the wolf howling is getting louder. (so is the Wind - big storm moving in. AHHH Spring Time in the Rockies-snow is expected!)
 
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