Muriatic acid for curly maple?

M

matthewhoffman

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Nov 19, 2016
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Hoping someone can advise about using muriatic acid/dissolved steel wool to treat curly maple. I normally use a sanding sealer on maple. Will this interfere with the process? Also, I wonder if it's necessary to protect the blade in some fashion. Will the acid attack the metal? Any advice will be welcome!
 
What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Can't say I've ever heard of this myself. I've heard of steel wool dissolved in vinegar being used to ebonize oak (traditional process that essentially turns any piece into something about like bog oak. Cabinet makers used it for accent work) but I can andt say I've heard of what you're talking about.
First of all steel wool dissolved in muriatic acid is ferric chloride, so it will definitely etch the blade, and can destroy some epoxies too. I'm not sure I'd want to put a piece of wood in it either.. It would be very difficult to insure its perfectly neutralized, and won't cause long term rusting of the blade.


From everything I've seen and experienced myself, curly Maple is usually treated with dye. Fiebings leather dye (not the oil dye) is one of the better options.
 
Perhaps I'm barking up the wrong tree. Here's a link (http://knifedogs.com/archive/index.php/t-1730.html) with a bit of discussion about the process and the look that's achieved. Apparently it was a characteristic look of the "Pennsylvania rifles." There are a few threads about maple/muriatic acid on this site, as well, but none that addressed my particular questions. I'm certainly game to shift gears, if need be. Thank you!
 
Alright I can see how that could be done. I had straight muriatic in mind from your post. Either way it's still making ferric chloride, which I wouldn't really want to be getting on a finished knife.

Take a look at Bill Moran's maple handles, and see if that's the look you're going for. He used the same fiebings leather dye I mentioned.

I have no doubt that ferric chloride and fire would definitely stain Maple dark, I just have a feeling it wouldn't be too good for the rest of the knife. And it's not penetrating, so you'd have to treat the finished handle.
 
One of the traditional finishes for curly maple flintlock guns was Aquafortis with iron. This was a nitric acid solution similar to the muriatic acid you're describing. Highly involved process, but it makes curly maple really pop. Check out https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/1025/1/AQUAFORT-2 there are directions there.

The key to popping the chatoyance of curly/quilted maple is sanding it extremely fine. The "figure" is end grain and the more it's sanded/polished, the more it will pop. Dyes and tints will enhance the look, stains don't do a whole lot.
 
Are you trying to make aqua fortis? There are many recipes for that on line. I would second using Fiebings Leather dye. You can mix different colors to get the results you want. This is a 50/50 mix of light brown and light tan.

 
Dang, that's pretty. Exactly what I had in mind. It seems like the Feibings is getting more votes than the other approaches--and it's easier than messing with acids. Appreciate the advice. Maple is such a classic look.
 
I can screw up anything, but I like safety. Should a sanding sealer be used prior to applying the Fiebings ... and will multiple coats darken/intensify the color?
 
My approach would be to apply the dye first, as it will raise the grain some. Coat of dye, light sanding. Repeat until it looks how you want it to. Then seal and finish however you normally would.
I'd definitely recommend practicing on some scrap. I've used a fair bit of quilted Maple for furniture before (a guitar player friend of mine couldn't believe I use that huge slab for a table) and it definitely takes a little bit of practice to get the exact result you want.
 
Don't use sealer. You will loose some of the depth of the wood. I sand to 1000 grit and burnish it with a piece of leather. When I apply the dye I use a qtip and put it on in thin layers. Once it starts to stay on top and not soak in anymore I wipe off the the wet dye. I do this part slow because if you just smear the dye on it soaks in to the more dense parts of the figure. It kind of muddies things up. After 24 hours I sand to 1500 grit. Flip the paper over and burnish with the paper. Push hard and let the paper build up heat. This makes the wood really pop. 12 coats of Tru-Oil will seal it up nice. It's a lot of work but the end result is worth it.
 
Incidentally, any kind of iron, especially dissolved, will react differently with oak, since the oak has tannins that react to it, unlike maple.
 
Ron Wilson makes and sells a good maple dying product he calls Majestic Magic. There is a good online video with his whole method to use it on hawk handles. It is a well aged rifle stock aquafortis type solution. I use it for the first step in doing curly maple. From there I use various Fiebing's dyes and finishing oils.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Ron Wilson makes and sells a good maple dying product he calls Majestic Magic. There is a good online video with his whole method to use it on hawk handles. It is a well aged rifle stock aquafortis type solution. I use it for the first step in doing curly maple. From there I use various Fiebing's dyes and finishing oils.
Click to expand...

I have an awesome finish as well Stacy. You can just pick up a rag and wipe one of my tomahawk handles that has been laying for months and it just shines like the day I put the finish on. Here it is: http://www.rwwilsonknives.com/store/p31/RW's_Majestic_Finish.html
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Ron Wilson makes and sells a good maple dying product he calls Majestic Magic. There is a good online video with his whole method to use it on hawk handles. It is a well aged rifle stock aquafortis type solution. I use it for the first step in doing curly maple. From there I use various Fiebing's dyes and finishing oils.
Click to expand...

Here's the finish video I did:
Here's the staining video by Jon Moore with my stain:
!
 
Thats IT!!!! I have been trying to remember how I got a color like that on a sample block of curly maple like 7 or 8 years ago and I thought that I had used a mix including British tan. You just saved me hours if not days of frustration. Thank you, kind sir. :thumbsup::D
Tyshoots said:
Are you trying to make aqua fortis? There are many recipes for that on line. I would second using Fiebings Leather dye. You can mix different colors to get the results you want. This is a 50/50 mix of light brown and light tan.

Click to expand...
 
The second vid using the steel wool. What about scratch marks left on the tang? Definitely looks great.
 
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