travis3, Ammonia Fuming Hardwood
I realize this is Ask the Experts, but travis will most likely be looking here for it.
Amonia fuming is rather simple and supplies are usually found around the house. Bare in mind though, this is a through and through treatment and is permanent. Unlike stains it cannot be stripped, sanded or scratched off.
You will need:
Tea bags (I use two quart size Lipton bags)
Two cups of water and something to heat it in.
A container big enough to close the stock up in. A common trash bag and twist tie will work. (I use a cardboard dry chemical barrel)
Ammonia, about 1-1 1/2 cup, and a dish to put it in.
Most hardwoods already contain tanic acid. Since your stock is maple you will use the tea to introduce it to the wood. You want to brew the tea very strong, hence two quart size tea bags and two cups of water.
Given your experience with furniture, I will assume you are familiar with the difference between pacific coast (soft) maple and rock (hard) maple. The color shift in PC maple is faster and somewhat darker than with rock maple. If your stock is of the hard maple variety it may not get as dark as you desire, but it definitely will not be as blonde as it is now.
You will want to apply the tea to the wood before your final whisker. Wet the wood well with it and let dry.
After the stock dries you place it in the container with the small dish of amonia and seal the container. If you want a slight shift, check it every few minutes. If you want it as dark as will get, leave it overnight.
As soon as the wood is removed from the ammonia fumes the coloring action stops.
Now, I'll warn ya. You're not going to like the look of your stock when it first comes out of the ammonia fumes. It will have a brown mustard yuk look to it. Don't worry, that will come off when you do your final steps of whisker. The wood will also darken a bit more with application of your finish.
This also works on stock blanks as it is a through and through treatment.
Now for a note on other hardwoods.
Species such as oak and walnut already have tanic acid in them so the tea step can be skipped. This is a great way to make a walnut stock either a tad bit darker to almost black. You have to watch walnut closely though as five minutes could mean the difference between just right and almost black. I've gotten walnut tip and grip caps nearly as dark as faux ebony.
Amonia fuming is rather simple and supplies are usually found around the house. Bare in mind though, this is a through and through treatment and is permanent. Unlike stains it cannot be stripped, sanded or scratched off.
You will need:
Tea bags (I use two quart size Lipton bags)
Two cups of water and something to heat it in.
A container big enough to close the stock up in. A common trash bag and twist tie will work. (I use a cardboard dry chemical barrel)
Ammonia, about 1-1 1/2 cup, and a dish to put it in.
Most hardwoods already contain tanic acid. Since your stock is maple you will use the tea to introduce it to the wood. You want to brew the tea very strong, hence two quart size tea bags and two cups of water.
Given your experience with furniture, I will assume you are familiar with the difference between pacific coast (soft) maple and rock (hard) maple. The color shift in PC maple is faster and somewhat darker than with rock maple. If your stock is of the hard maple variety it may not get as dark as you desire, but it definitely will not be as blonde as it is now.
You will want to apply the tea to the wood before your final whisker. Wet the wood well with it and let dry.
After the stock dries you place it in the container with the small dish of amonia and seal the container. If you want a slight shift, check it every few minutes. If you want it as dark as will get, leave it overnight.
As soon as the wood is removed from the ammonia fumes the coloring action stops.
Now, I'll warn ya. You're not going to like the look of your stock when it first comes out of the ammonia fumes. It will have a brown mustard yuk look to it. Don't worry, that will come off when you do your final steps of whisker. The wood will also darken a bit more with application of your finish.
This also works on stock blanks as it is a through and through treatment.
Now for a note on other hardwoods.
Species such as oak and walnut already have tanic acid in them so the tea step can be skipped. This is a great way to make a walnut stock either a tad bit darker to almost black. You have to watch walnut closely though as five minutes could mean the difference between just right and almost black. I've gotten walnut tip and grip caps nearly as dark as faux ebony.
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Can you explain what "whisker" means? I'm Not familiar with that term.
Also when you have the stock in the bag with the Ammonia, does it matter if the stock is leaning against something solid or do you hang the stock in the bag?
Edited to add:
Thanks guys, I'm going to have to give this a try when I get home.
I have Sears Ted Williams pump 12ga that I snagged for $50 that I plan on practicing bluing, barrel work, and stock refinishing on.
Just want to tie in the other thread for future reference.
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4389250 -
drobs,
In stock making or fine furniture, you can sand until the surface feels smooth and there will still be some roughness after applying the first coat of finish. Whiskering is the process of getting the remaining wood fibers to stand up by applying water to the wood surface. These 'whiskers' can then be 'frozen' with some wood finish which allows us to sand to a smoother surface for fine finishes. We also use this sanding step to fill some of the grain pores.
I have always had an intense curiosity about wood and the various treatments used to enhance its appearance so I did a search about using ammonia.
Here is an article and a video from Fine Woodworking to illustrate the process:
http://www.finewoodworking.com/Materials/MaterialsArticle.aspx?id=26969
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Whisker is the very final sand on the wood. You dampen the wood with water to let the grain rise and then sand off the "whiskers" with fine grit paper.
It matters not if it is propped against something. I simply suggested a trash bag because they are cheap and easy for a one time use. When I get the CT in my hands straightened out, I'll be looking into an old refridgerator to use.0 -
I have done a couple of pieces of furniture with ammonia ,with a variation .
I have built a cage and covered it with clear poly so I could see in .
A bunson burner with a dish of Ammonia heating over it creates fumes fast .
Be sure to use PURE ammonia ,not the cleaning stuff from the grocery store .
Also be careful with ammonia .
It is a strong stimulate and should not be inhaled .
Thanks for the tip on the teabag !
I have never fumed anything but oak .0 -
quote:Originally posted by trapguy2007
I have done a couple of pieces of furniture with ammonia ,with a variation .
I have built a cage and covered it with clear poly so I could see in .
A bunson burner with a dish of Ammonia heating over it creates fumes fast .
Be sure to use PURE ammonia ,not the cleaning stuff from the grocery store .
Also be careful with ammonia .
It is a strong stimulate and should not be inhaled .
Thanks for the tip on the teabag !
I have never fumed anything but oak .
I've always used household ammonia with good results. What's the difference? If it will render a darker, deeper color to maple I'm game for finding some. All I've ever done this on has been gun stocks and to make inexpensive faux ebony tip and grip caps.0 -
asphalt cowboy,
Household ammonia cleaning solutions are manufactured by adding ammonia gas to water and can be between 5 and 10% ammonia. Ammonia solutions for industrial use may be concentrations of 25% or higher and are corrosive.
The kind I've used (for other jobs) is 28% and usually it's recommended to wear protective gloves, glasses or face shield. Of course, proper ventilation is required.
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Please be careful with ammonia, in either the solution forms, or the pure cryogenic type. There are some catylists out there that will split the molecule into its two components of Hydrogen, and Nitrogen. Nitrogen being heavier, will settle on the bottom, and the Hydrogen will remain on top. If it sees a spark or ignition source, it will seek out enough Oxygen to complete combustion. It will remove it from the ambient air, and create a vaccuum, that in larger quantities will cause structures to crumble...much like Oklahoma City.
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