Skullworks
The stain is something called aqua-fortis.My main pastime when not flinging arrows is building early American flintlock rifles.Aqua-fortis was the stain of choice for curley maple 250 years ago right up though today.To make it you combine Nitric acid and water.Into that you dissolve iron until the acid is spent(when it stops bubleing
).To use it you apply it to the maple and let it dry.Then you heat it with a radiant heat source until it changes color (I use a heat gun),it will go from a sickly gray to brown.The color is basically the iron oxide that is formed with the heat and the dissolved iron.Because the iron is molecular in size it doesn't cloud the grain like a ground pigment as found in todays stains.You end up with a translucent stain which shows and highlights the figure in the maple.Aqua-fortis is available commercially if you don't want to go through the trouble to make it.The comercial stuff tends to be a little acidic and need to be neutralized(I use ammonia)after heating of the wood or else it can darken over time.I also use it on walnut to get a brown/black color as an aged finish.Probably more than you wanted to know :p :p :p I would be glad to answer any questions if anyone is interested.Below is a pic of it used on a larger piece of maple(sorry it's not a bow!!)
Mitch
Topic: New skinner (Read 535 times)
