I'm Asking HOW TOO

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I have always wanted to crate the high low grain feel on Curly Maple, The BLO and Mineral question reminded me of this Curly Maple question. I will be building a Fowler soon and want to raise the grain , age the wood to appear mid 1700's.
 
Chuck that's the way I heard it done but I was wondering it oils will do the same thing.

I guess it's time to start some test.

Thinned oil applied will add an aged look if put in the sun to dry also.
 
Dave,
A weak solution of Potassium Permanganate will darken the maple, and give a 3-D effect to the curlies.

Don't be alarmed by the initial bright purple hue :D - it'll turn brown in just a few minutes.

Potassium Permanganate is toxic. Rubber gloves and a face shield (at least) should be used when mixing and using it. I use about a teaspoon of the chemical in a cup or so of warm water.
 
Wow you guys really got me scratching my head?:dunno: There is a great amount of knowledge and info in your three posts but I am still confused.

Chuck sent me a bowl with curly maple in fact tiger maple. The three D poped with the normal finish after sanding.

So Dave are you trying to create this finish on an ordinary piece given Chuck is saying to burn it. Or is the burning only for the aging?

Jim you a mountain of info. Could you elaborate on what you would use the chemical for? I mean are we talking about placing the diluted solution on the wood in strips to give it a replica of the curly effect or is the chemical to achieve an aged look on a good piece of curly maple?

Not trying to be funny I aint had much to do with this type of wood or finishing it so just wanting understand and learn.:huh:

Jim where did you ever find out about that chemical? I have heard of the chemical before but i mean its application to woodworking.?

Thanks Dave for the interesting question and post.:thumb:
 
rob, what i think dave is after is to get the quilting to stand proud of the softer new wood..so its not smooth and flat just smooth and bumpy:) i think that is what they are after..
 
I want to Curly maple to have the high 's and the low's. The lighter color of the curl is the softer wood and create the valleys and the darker part of the curl become the high ridges. It's an awesome effect. If you can ever run across a original rifle of the period in Curly maple most will have the low and high releaf effect just because the softer lighter wood has worn down leaving the darker to stand higher.
 
Frank Fusco, suggested me some time ago to use a solution of nitric acid as some gun stock makers use it on their guns. Gave a try but didn't suceeded much.
Maybe he can chime in.
 
...Jim you a mountain of info. Could you elaborate on what you would use the chemical for? I mean are we talking about placing the diluted solution on the wood in strips to give it a replica of the curly effect or is the chemical to achieve an aged look on a good piece of curly maple?...

Rob,
Many would say I'm a mountain of useless information...:D

As for the Potassium Permanganate, I bought a six ounce bottle of it at Sears a few years back. The sell it as a cleaner for water softeners. I think I paid about $9 or $10.

Once mixed, you put it on the whole piece, and the different wood densities react differently, and take on a whole new depth appearance.

I might have shown that trick to Larry when he was here last Summer, but I'm not sure. I know I showed him the Sodium Hydroxide (lye) on cherry trick, though.
 
If you will google Log Cabin Muzzle Loading Supplies you will find they sale several different types of stain for curly maple. They all work fairly well. I have used some of them and several home brews over the years on flintlock rifles. Between sanding with different grits of paper if you will take a damp rag with water and wipe the stock down. Let it dry and then go to the next grit. This will raise the grain for you. I actually believe you can go to far with too fine of grit paper and wind up with a to slick of wood for a rifle. Of course it depends on the finish you want. This is especially true if you want a 1700 aged looked that you mentioned. In that respect it requires a total different approach then what would be considered for a normal finish for wood. You mentioned that you also wanted a ripple affect on the wood. The type of maple, hardness, the way the wood was cut and how fine the grain/curl is in the wood wiil do more to cause this affect. Sugar maple seems to be most pronounced in this regard. It typically is harder maple than some. Soft maple usually wont give this affect very good. I wont use any maple for a rifle stock other than Sugar maple. You can scrape the wood with scrapers or broken glass to help pronounce this affect. By the way there have been quite a bit of discussion that this is the only correct way to accurately peroid coorectly finish a rifle of the peroid that you mentioned. Hope I havent confused you too much.
 
Tom Right now I am at the investigations stage. I know what I need to do just looking for different ways now.

Ken, I did F&I for many years built some good flintlocks. I used the damp method for smoothing out my stocks before I hand rub 100% hopes tung oil in a drop at a time. You are knowledgeable thats for sure.
 
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