Stain for tiger and birds eye maple??

L

lightman

Joined
Dec 8, 1999
Messages
36
I am using some tiger and birds eye maple and would like some input on how to bring out the grain before the finish coat. Will Iron Promigate work or should I stick with some kind of stain? How about coffee or tea grounds will they work?

Thanks for your help,
Cliff
 
I have to vote for the chromic acid. It doesn't seem to be that effective on darker woods, but on figured maple, I can control the dilution to get anything from a pale yellow/gold to a very dark walnut brown and it doesn't hide, but rather enhances the figure like nothing else I've tried. Put either a penetrating oil on for a soft finish, or a gloss varnish for more shine. Either way, the figure seems to ripple as you turn it in the light.
Ron
 
Try highland hardware they have a lot of old time finishing supplies such as milk paint and shellac that you have to mix yourself.
 
Cliff,another method is Lye & water,it's caustic so you have to protect yourself,but it can produce xlnt results.I dont have the mix formula in front of me,but if you are interested,let me know and I will look it up.

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MIKE
 
i have posted this on here before you fellas this is the easy way to do this use watco danish oil (walnut coler)whipe it on and rub it in with a rag for 15 minites then wipe it off and the fiddle strips will show dark and the rest will be lighter if its not dark enough do it again i been doing this for 18 yrs it should work for you to

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All that is not Given Is Lost
 
Watco seems to be a popular finish for many things. I'll give that one a try on some fiddleback maple that a friend gave me. Failing that I'll ferret out the chromic acid. Thanks guys!

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Peter Atwood

email: fountainman@hotmail.com
 
Thanks for your help with many choices for staining the figured maple. I'll give them a try except for the lye because it is toxic.

Cliff
 
How bout colors? I have alot of burl and bird's eye maple. I would like to dye some blue, green, and maybe red. Will rit fabric dye work when mixed with a stabilizing agent?? Thanks!

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Take care!! Michael
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Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!

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Another traditional stain for figured maple is "aqua fortis" (nitric acid) and heat. I have seen some very nice results using this method. Premixed aqua fortis solutions are avaiable from muzzle loading supplies companies.

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I had WSSI stabilize some curley maple and had them add the red dye. It gets alot of attention from the ladies because it comes out pink. Makes a very sexy looking handle. Bruce B
 
There is a difference between "stain" and "pigment." Nowdays, the two are used as one term, but do not mean the same thing. Suggested reading: "Adventures in Wood Finishing"
Stains refer to chemical acids or caustics that create a reaction to components in the wood, such as tannin, and react to different areas to bring out grain, figure, or color. True stains are the historic norm, and offer greater saturation and definition than pigments that simply are soaked up by different densities of the wood.
A gorgeous stain for maples, fir and some pines can be made with nitric acid, diluted about 30 to 50 percent (by weight) and the addition of some steel wool or clean steel turnings dissolved in solution. Prefinish wood to 320 grit. The stain is applied in several coats, allowed to dry, then the wood heated with a flameless torch to oxidize the surface. The iron oxide reddens with the tannin in the wood and the luster is striking.
Be careful of nitric around the metal components of the knife. Also, after the desired tone is reached, neutralize the wood with a sodium bicarbonate mixture (baking soda and water) until no foaming occurs. Let dry and seal with Danish oil, Tung Oil, or hard carnuba wax.
Pigment stains cannot even come close!


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Read, Study, Learn, Grow
-DO-
Jay
www.gilanet.com/JayFisher/index.htm
 
John,

Your inclusion of iron oxide is a very familiar one for me. I'm about to go open a whole kiln full of cermic pieces that have been stained with iron oxide and then wiped off the high points. It's a beautiful way to finish off textured clay especially if it has an outdoor theme as many of my birdhouses and tiles do. I hadn't thought of using it on wood but it makes total sense.

Continuing on with this discussion, what would be an appropriate finish for Bocote? I just finished a knife last night and am thinking of applying some sort of finish on the handle. I'm going to test Watco but am wondering if it will darken the wood too much to put an oil on it. What do you guys think?

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Peter Atwood

email: fountainman@hotmail.com
 
Peter- Bocote profits from fine sanding (at least 800 grit), light buffing, and a coat of Johnson's paste floor wax. You really don't need to do anything else to it.

Don Cowles
www.cowlesknives.com
 
The problem with Bocote (Cordia) is that of so many open-pored hardwoods. When in final finishing, a power buff polishing the pins with compound (or bolsters, guards, or liners), the pores in the wood collect the darkened compound, making it look like crap.

There are several ways to combat this "open
pore policy"

One is to treat the wood with cyanoacrilate starting at 320 Grit, and apply between sandings. It should be the thinnest viscosity you can find. It will "Plasticize" the surface and lead to a hard fine finish. Some makers drench the wood in layers and layers of the stuff, using a sanded and polished finish that looks like glass.

Another method is polyurethane. Thinned, applied in successive coats, then finished makes a durable, but time-yellowing finish. Also chipping is a problem.

Probably the best method is surface stabilization, done by inserting the knife and handle in Watco, a mixture of tung oil, Danish oil, linseed oil, mineral spirits, and resins. The submerged knife is placed in a vacuum chamber, and a vacuum pulled just to the point of the Watco "boiling." Let sit for 15-20 minutes. Then, while in the same chamber, push in at least 100psi of compressed air, hold for 15-20 minutes. Remove, let dry. Perform this at 320 grit, 400g, and 600g.
This method sucks the air out of the surface pores in the wood, then pushes the oil finish into those voids. It is the best surface treatment available that leaves the wood "natural feeling" to the hand.

Some of the better hardwoods, such as cocobolo, snakewood, lignum vitae, and honduran rosewood will NOT benefit from this treatment as they are naturally self sealing and oily. Other fine options are pressure stabilized wood, rendered a virtual piece of plastic with wood fibers running through it. Totally waterproof!

Jay

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Read, Study, Learn, Grow
-DO-
Jay
www.gilanet.com/JayFisher/index.htm
 
I tried Watco and Old Village Paste Wax on two different samples. They both looked good although the Watco was a slightly darker finish and not as shiny. I decided that between the two I preferred the Watco and gave the handle slabs several coats. After wiping down with a rag and hand polishing it looks and feels great.

The vaccuum method sounds like it is probably great if you have the equipment, but with my first fixed blade I think a simple hand job will do!
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Peter Atwood

email: fountainman@hotmail.com
 
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