For the .600 Rogue!
I am not a handy man,but maybe I can handle this instead of paying someone...could be fun? I am wanting THIS stock to be almost Black,or the Darkest Brown possidle?
So what do you suggest? Minwax Ebony Stain or ??
Preparation(stripper,steel wool?) Final (Tung Oil or some type of weatherproof satin/matte finish?)
OR I guess I could pay someone to do a nice job on it??
Thanks!

"As dark as posibble"...a match will do it

Seriously...remove old finish. Sand wood completely to final smoothness desired. Stain with alcohol or spirit stain. Use liquid pore sealer. Let dry. Then scuff sand with 400...dry(do not sand to wood as it will remove your staining) NO WET SANDING. Use Pro Custom Oil Spray can finish in Satin gloss. Follow directions.

Magic Maple Stain, which is acid, I forgot what kind. You apply it and heat it a little and it turns black. It is made for bringing out the stripes in curly maple, but it does darken walnut very well. Yes, I have done it.

Unless you get below the current finish including what has filled the pores you aren't going to get it as dark as you want. You will also not get an even colored finish.

While I've used a match it is the propane torch that darkens the wood.

I also recommend a dye not a stain. Stain has solids that work against deep penetration. I prefer a dye to really alter the color. Dye has no solids can be thinned or used straight. Water or alcohol or even your finish.
This is what I've used.
http://www.rockler.com/transtintreg-dyes

That is why you use the acid; neither a stain, nor a dye; it is a chemical reaction that darkens the wood. Yes, of course, as ram says, you have to have bare wood for anything to work. No on the propane torch; too easy to damage the wood.
I guarantee that with Magic Maple stain, you can make it as black as you want.

Thanks Guys....IF I do this,will post results!
"Black Dyes Matter"

Ok..then what...best way to seal it with a flat matte or no shine finish,something to protect it from the weather?

quote:

That is why you use the acid

Have never heard of it. Since it is acid do you have to worry about metal contact?

The chemical formula is most commonly called "Aquafortis". I got mine from Track Of The Wolf Company. Everyone has learned a process of refinishing that works best for them. Many videos and much ink spilled on this subject.

I use marine grade strippers to remove finishes. Scraping, sanding, or heat gun never gave me good results. Besides, after 35 years of good results(as testified by clients), why change now. Dyes work great. Oregon has started limiting what chems I may use and it is great fun getting creative(read...finding the old methods which allow compliance with their new regulations).Aquafortis complies. I may still purchase Acetone. This helps in neutralizing the stripper residue.

Not sure when his gunstock was made. Not sure where the finish used came from. If it is a waterborne finish it will strip quickly...usually. If the finish is a two part catalyzed material, one may have to exercise patience in getting it off. Any way,he sounds willing to do his own work. It is not rocket science. Just work.

quote:

Aquafortis

Thanks Dennis.

Hey at least I have heard of that. Nitric Acid.

Must be time for me to reread my "Gunsmith Kinks Vol I"

Aquafortis is not just nitric acid.

It made by combining nitric acid with iron until it no longer will dissolve any more iron. You have to be careful and not use alloyed steel. So old horseshoeing nails etc are good as is old barbed wire, old cast iron junk etc. Add the metal slowly as it will be quite reactive at first...also bad bad fumes...so do it outside in a non-reactive glass container. Just keep adding metal until you no longer get a reaction and then just let it set overnight with some iron in it and if it doesn't dissolve you know you have completed the reaction.

I make it and use it for muzzleloading rifle stocks--mainly maple but of course it works with many woods and I've seen it turn some walnut darn near black.

The proper way to use aquafortis is to brush on the solution, let it air dry, then take a propane torch or a heat gun works just as well and LIGHTLY heat the wood. This will darken it substantially. Repeat the application/heating process if you want darker. Just don't scorch the wood.

This is a very good way to color a stock and on most maple stocks it will turn then a deep chestnut brown. No need to neutralize anything after you have heated the stock...all the reagents are gone. It will also not muddy the grain like many stains and dyes will...It actually enhances the grain on curly maple

Store nitric acid and aquafortis out of direct sunlight as its photosensitive

Right. Want to know why I couldn't remember the name? Because the level on my bottle of Aquafortis is all black from the acid. I don't make it; I buy it from Dixie or Track. It is really for curly maple, and as stated, turns that brown, but will turn walnut black.
Then seal it with flat polyurethane finish if you want a good modern finish.

.
One of my closet cabinet maker friends has a recipe for a darker finish. Set fire to a chunk of steel wool and let it burn out. Put it in a plastic cup and fill it full to the level of the steel wool with water and set it someplace to evaporate. When its dry add more water and let it evaporate again. The steel wool will form FE2O3 and over time it will become FE3O4 or magnetite (gunblue). It will be a black powder. Then mix it with muriatic acid and let it dissolve. (I've never tried this stuff)

Or you can mix it with atomized aluminum and magnesium and burn holes in your concrete floor.

Now that's way more funnerestestest!

I've used steel wool and white vinegar solution. It attacked the tannin in the wood. Not sure how much tannin is in walnut but it will turn mahagony and oak black but you can still see the grain.

quote:

Originally posted by speerchucker30x378:
.
One of my closet cabinet maker friends has a recipe for a darker finish. Set fire to a chunk of steel wool and let it burn out. Put it in a plastic cup and fill it full to the level of the steel wool with water and set it someplace to evaporate. When its dry add more water and let it evaporate again. The steel wool will form FE2O3 and over time it will become FE3O4 or magnetite (gunblue). It will be a black powder. Then mix it with muriatic acid and let it dissolve. (I've never tried this stuff)

Or you can mix it with atomized aluminum and magnesium and burn holes in your concrete floor.

Now that's way more funnerestestest!

I have heard of guys soaking stocks in heavy tea and then drying them in the sun prior to burning them with acid. Again, I have never done it. But I do listen to all the stories. I have also heard of cabinet makers doing this so there may be something to it.

I read somewhere about applying a strong tea solution to the wood and then placing the stock in a closed container with small containers of strong ammonia in set in the bottom. The ammonia fumes turn the tea soaked wood very dark. I tried it, it seems to work quite well.

Wow,the receipes keep coming...sone witch's brews and some I need a gas mask for! Jeez!
Going with Synthetic! Anybody need a Walnut Montana Stock?

Alkanet root powder mixed in Boiled Linseed oil and Danish oil, then 50% diluted with mineral spirits.

Allow the oil to soak the root powder for a week or two.

Use wet & dry sandpaper and just sand it into the wood with 240 grit, 400 grit and then 600 grit.

Apply oil with finger tip. 1 teaspoon should cover the stock for 1 coat.

You will create a slurry of wood dust and oil. Wipe that off with a soft cloth across the grains. It will seal any pores that open up.

Allow to dry fully and repeat minimum 10 coats. I do 20!

Here is what mine looks like

Almost black? I have used black leather dye on walnut to simulate ebony for a friend tip. You can let it soak in, dry. Then seal. It doesn't seem to raise grain much, if I remember right, when I used it, but that was years ago. Don't know how it would work on such a large area though.

So called walnut stains seem pretty dark to me. What I can't work out, though, is whether they relate in any way to the supposed natural colour of walnut timber or just to the blackness that comes from macerating green walnuts, such as seen in those mysterious liqueurs old Italian nonnas make.

The dead black colors you see on old walnut military stocks comes from oxidized linseed oil. Pure crap for gunstock use.
I don't go for the home brewed remedies; I just buy the stuff from Dixie gun works, or Track, and it will work. If you really want it black, which I can't understand, but it's yours.

If you want a sho nuff English stock, dark purple, use vet. supply horse med called Jensen Violet, its actually made from walnut wood, and will get a rich dark, dark almost purplish black..put it on wipe it down good with canvass or Levi material...Spray with Gun Sav R from Brownells for a finish..Do not wet sand it has a filler in the finish...You can polish it with that green grit stuff?? or even lightly with rotten stoned mixed with finish between coats..Go slow and don't cut thru the finish, just polish between coats..Looks great and right out of Londons best shop. You can adjust the color by adding coats or sanding back coats before you finish..As with any dye, let it dry completely, before you apply finish. I usually give it at least 48 hrs. and a week is better.

For what its worth when building a new stock buy a chunk of black wood..I have gotten some of this wood from Bill Dowtin, Old World Walnut.
Its black and its beautiful and hard to come by.

I have one Ive been hiding for years, it will go on my next project for myself, A G33-40 Mauser in a long throated 7x57, with a long early Brno bottom metal...It has a world of grain and its black, black black..

Black paint.

Years ago I bought a surplus Yugo Mauser M24/47 that the importer had apparently used a strong alkaline cleaner like oven cleaner on. The stock was devoid of finish and had turned a dark green-gray color. I used alcohol-based leather dye in a red mahogany color to make it more pleasant. It's almost black after oil finishing it.

Dunno, been using it for years on horses, bottle say Jensen violet..Jack Belk says its made from walnut juice?? I know it works.

I also have used Leather dye, it works also..One of the best finishes I have ever seen was Tony Barnes muzzle loaders, he used clothing red dye, then True Oil and lots of coats and it was to die for!! It always turned out a dark red English stock color such as one gets from Alkanet root..

I use mostly Alkanet root, and dark wood to get that color. Dark wood is the real secret to get what your wanting, the addition of powdered Alkanet root from Duane Weibe or grind your own, sets the dark wood off with a dark blood red color that I love. Hard to find the near black wood that I like. I have one on hand that is destined to my G33-40 SR Mauser action in 7x57..

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
Alkanet root powder mixed in Boiled Linseed oil and Danish oil, then 50% diluted with mineral spirits.

Allow the oil to soak the root powder for a week or two.

Use wet & dry sandpaper and just sand it into the wood with 240 grit, 400 grit and then 600 grit.

Apply oil with finger tip. 1 teaspoon should cover the stock for 1 coat.

You will create a slurry of wood dust and oil. Wipe that off with a soft cloth across the grains. It will seal any pores that open up.

Allow to dry fully and repeat minimum 10 coats. I do 20!

Here is what mine looks like

Beautiful Nakihunter!

I prefer to fill the pores with a filler that will work with Linseed oil such as Linspeed, then go to a Oil and Alkanet root..or just stay wih Linspeed and cut it back to an eggshell finish or a flat finish..Straight Linseed finishes tend to cause problems in the field in inclimate weather like we get in Idaho..Just my two bits, but my heads made up!!