Curly maple finish
- Thread starter bmills
- Start date
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
I like mahogany leather dye and honey amber tint (TransTint).
Leather dye goes on first (lightly!) and then you sand it off until you only have a tiger stripe look. Then use the honey amber ( a few drops) rubbed all over with your finger works fine.
Then I use TruOil finish to coat and seal.
Curly Maple block
The mahogany and honey amber really show off the curl.
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Leather dye goes on first (lightly!) and then you sand it off until you only have a tiger stripe look. Then use the honey amber ( a few drops) rubbed all over with your finger works fine.
Then I use TruOil finish to coat and seal.
Curly Maple block
The mahogany and honey amber really show off the curl.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Knifemaker.ca
Dealer - Purveyor
Really attractive. Thanks for sharing John.
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
thank you!
Dennis Morland
KNIFE MAKER
If you want to stay natural and light - here are a pair that I applied Formby's tung oil finish (high gloss) and then hand buffed upon drying with renassaince wax.
DeMo
Wallace,
What is "acid stain"? Is it like chromium trioxide which is called "maple magic", or, potassium permanganate, or some type of vinegar and steel wool concoction?
The scales in your photos are truly pleasing to my eye and the figure is truly amazing.
True oil apparently does very well as John Hammond also used it in a previous reply with beautiful results.
Thanks for the photos.
Bill
What is "acid stain"? Is it like chromium trioxide which is called "maple magic", or, potassium permanganate, or some type of vinegar and steel wool concoction?
The scales in your photos are truly pleasing to my eye and the figure is truly amazing.
True oil apparently does very well as John Hammond also used it in a previous reply with beautiful results.
Thanks for the photos.
Bill
DeMo,
The photos of your scales are great! Although I've usually leaned toward the darker finishes for curly maple, I've just returned from a sport shop where I saw some knives from I believe was "White River" which had the natural curly maple scales/handles, and they were very pleasing to the eye. Does the Renaissance wax hold up well?
Thanks for the photos!
Bill
The photos of your scales are great! Although I've usually leaned toward the darker finishes for curly maple, I've just returned from a sport shop where I saw some knives from I believe was "White River" which had the natural curly maple scales/handles, and they were very pleasing to the eye. Does the Renaissance wax hold up well?
Thanks for the photos!
Bill
wmhammond
Well-Known Member
Bill:
It is the stain that the black powder guys use to stain their black powder long rifles. It is either Hydorcloric (Muratic) acid with water and steel wool or nitric acid with water and iron. I think the Nitric acid mix is also called aquafortis. I used this recipe:
3 parts water (About Pint Size Parts or less)
1 part muratic acid
ALWAYS ADD ACID TO WATER
I then pull a pad of 0000 steel wool apart and add to the mixture. Let mixture
dissolve the steel wool took mine overnight. It is then ready for use.
The finer and slicker you get the wood the better the stripes will pop out.
Apply sparingly. It will turn the wood a yellowish color.
Apply heat with a heat gun or torch till it blackens. Don't burn it
just turn it black.
Rinse with baking soda and water mix almost a paste but still a
liquid as you wash it will turn brown.
Sand with a fine grit sandpaper (220) until you like the look.
Apply a little light oak stain if you wish and then apply your favorite finish.
It is the stain that the black powder guys use to stain their black powder long rifles. It is either Hydorcloric (Muratic) acid with water and steel wool or nitric acid with water and iron. I think the Nitric acid mix is also called aquafortis. I used this recipe:
3 parts water (About Pint Size Parts or less)
1 part muratic acid
ALWAYS ADD ACID TO WATER
I then pull a pad of 0000 steel wool apart and add to the mixture. Let mixture
dissolve the steel wool took mine overnight. It is then ready for use.
The finer and slicker you get the wood the better the stripes will pop out.
Apply sparingly. It will turn the wood a yellowish color.
Apply heat with a heat gun or torch till it blackens. Don't burn it
just turn it black.
Rinse with baking soda and water mix almost a paste but still a
liquid as you wash it will turn brown.
Sand with a fine grit sandpaper (220) until you like the look.
Apply a little light oak stain if you wish and then apply your favorite finish.
Dennis Morland
KNIFE MAKER
Bill
I do not know what you mean by "hold up well". I like ren. wax because it is easy to use on wood, micarta, g10, brass, bolsters, guards, blades, everything. I usually use it on the entire knife. I normally do two (2) or three (3) coats as the last step in the completion process. I just apply it, let it dry and hand buff. Works great for my purposes.
DeMo
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
TransTint is the company. You can find it on Amazon by searching "trans tint honey amber" Trans Tint makes multiple different tinted dyes. I wanted the golden tint (honey amber) but you may like the purple or green or whatever. They offer some striking tints that may be just what you are looking for.
The mahogany leather dye is available anywhere. (I get it on Amazon "Fiebings Leather Dye - Mahogany"). I used it because that's what I use on my leather sheaths and I have it in abundant supply. But any color that is darker than the honey amber would provide for contrast to get the tiger stripe look.
Then I coat it with Tru-Oil from Birchwood Casey. (Amazon "Tru Oil")
I put Tru-Oil on just about anything that will take an oil finish. It really makes the grain pop and seals the wood very well, and what I really like is that it gives the finish that glossy "depth" to the finish. Woods with good chatoyance will end up with a 3-D look. Be aware, it does darken the wood some. Tung Oil, Linseed Oil, or paste wax would also do very well for a finish. You can get any of those at your local home improvement store or hardware store.
If the piece of wood you have has some interesting grain, you may simply want to put an oil finish, or maybe just wax on it and see what you've got. Natural wood sans stain or dye has a beauty all its own. If you don't like it, then by all means sand it and then put some stain / dye on it.
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I use aqua fortis, it is traditional and really brings out all the beauty of the wood. I also get to play with dangerous chemicals and fire...
Good directions and fascinating discussion here.
Basic directions:
I don't mix up my own, but buy it from http://www.trackofthewolf.com/index.aspx. I first sand the wood to 500 grit, then whisker the wood until the fibers stay down (this is essential! to whisker, use a moist sponge and wipe the wood... when it drys, little 'whiskers' will stand up... take them down with 0000 steel wool... repeat until no whiskers pop up). Then, wearing gloves, I sponge a light coat of aqua fortis on the wood. I quickly light my gas forge (any heat source will do, a heat -gun, oven-eye, etc...), then move the handle in front of the port. As soon as the wood blushes, I move to another spot until the entire surface is colored. Try to avoid charring the wood. Then I wipe it down with linseed oil, and it is done.
Good directions and fascinating discussion here.
Basic directions:
I don't mix up my own, but buy it from http://www.trackofthewolf.com/index.aspx. I first sand the wood to 500 grit, then whisker the wood until the fibers stay down (this is essential! to whisker, use a moist sponge and wipe the wood... when it drys, little 'whiskers' will stand up... take them down with 0000 steel wool... repeat until no whiskers pop up). Then, wearing gloves, I sponge a light coat of aqua fortis on the wood. I quickly light my gas forge (any heat source will do, a heat -gun, oven-eye, etc...), then move the handle in front of the port. As soon as the wood blushes, I move to another spot until the entire surface is colored. Try to avoid charring the wood. Then I wipe it down with linseed oil, and it is done.
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
I don't. Perhaps someone will come along who does and will explain it, and we'll both learn something!
You really don't use much at all. It takes all of a couple drops to coat a knife handle. And it takes about a minute of rubbing with your finger to rub it all in. (you rub the Tru-Oil until it becomes tacky). I'm not sure how you'd thin the equivalent of 3 or 4 drops of something. Maybe someone would make a batch, like filling a small cup and then adding the mineral spirits? I have no idea.
Using Tru-Oil is a process. It's not the least bit difficult, but it does take time.
Remember, this is for a knife handle. If you are doing a whole walking stick, then your amounts will vary. Basically, your first coat will tell you how much to use. Put on enough oil that you can rub it all over the work piece and the entire piece will be covered. It doesn't need to be drippy. Less is more. You're going to apply multiple coats, and laying it on too thick only causes it to take too long to dry.
1. apply a few drops of tru-oil and rub it in all over with your finger. Keep rubbing until it gets tacky. Set the piece aside and let it dry completely. The first coat is the heaviest, and takes the longest to dry. Under most circumstances it takes about 12 hours for the first coat to dry.
2. sand lightly with 0000 steel wool. Just knock down the high spots. Wipe off the steel wool dust with a dry cloth.
3. apply second coat. this will only take a few drops. rub in like before until tacky. The second and subsequent coats usually take about 4 hours to dry.
4. sand lightly with steel wool, wipe with dry cloth
repeat.
I like 4 coats of Tru-Oil. the whole process takes about 2 days.
You really don't use much at all. It takes all of a couple drops to coat a knife handle. And it takes about a minute of rubbing with your finger to rub it all in. (you rub the Tru-Oil until it becomes tacky). I'm not sure how you'd thin the equivalent of 3 or 4 drops of something. Maybe someone would make a batch, like filling a small cup and then adding the mineral spirits? I have no idea.
Using Tru-Oil is a process. It's not the least bit difficult, but it does take time.
Remember, this is for a knife handle. If you are doing a whole walking stick, then your amounts will vary. Basically, your first coat will tell you how much to use. Put on enough oil that you can rub it all over the work piece and the entire piece will be covered. It doesn't need to be drippy. Less is more. You're going to apply multiple coats, and laying it on too thick only causes it to take too long to dry.
1. apply a few drops of tru-oil and rub it in all over with your finger. Keep rubbing until it gets tacky. Set the piece aside and let it dry completely. The first coat is the heaviest, and takes the longest to dry. Under most circumstances it takes about 12 hours for the first coat to dry.
2. sand lightly with 0000 steel wool. Just knock down the high spots. Wipe off the steel wool dust with a dry cloth.
3. apply second coat. this will only take a few drops. rub in like before until tacky. The second and subsequent coats usually take about 4 hours to dry.
4. sand lightly with steel wool, wipe with dry cloth
repeat.
I like 4 coats of Tru-Oil. the whole process takes about 2 days.
I use aqua fortis, it is traditional and really brings out all the beauty of the wood. I also get to play with dangerous chemicals and fire...
Good directions and fascinating discussion here.
Basic directions:
I don't mix up my own, but buy it from http://www.trackofthewolf.com/index.aspx. I first sand the wood to 500 grit, then whisker the wood until the fibers stay down (this is essential! to whisker, use a moist sponge and wipe the wood... when it drys, little 'whiskers' will stand up... take them down with 0000 steel wool... repeat until no whiskers pop up). Then, wearing gloves, I sponge a light coat of aqua fortis on the wood. I quickly light my gas forge (any heat source will do, a heat -gun, oven-eye, etc...), then move the handle in front of the port. As soon as the wood blushes, I move to another spot until the entire surface is colored. Try to avoid charring the wood. Then I wipe it down with linseed oil, and it is done.
I got some Aqua fortis and a heat gun and will try a sample piece first.
I am going to google trans tint and would like to give that a try also.
Again, thanks for taking the time to help.
Bill