Apparently there are a great deal of variables when it comes to staining maple with Iron Nitrate, and I learned that, but it all worked out in the end. I picked up a nice maple stocked Quick Ship Woodrunner in 45 Cal.
I was placing an other for other accoutrements from another supplier, so I through a couple of bottles of their Iron Nitrate in the order. I’d watched Kibler’s videos and had a general idea of the process and what to expect, so initially I tried a small test patch in the barrel channel. The results were way too dark for my taste. I tried diluting it, and didn’t get the desired results. Don’t get me wrong, it might be right for some people, just wasn't what I was looking for. Tried a number of other maple stains, and dyes with similar results. Even tried all of them on a scrap of hard maple. Not really what I was looking for.
I purchased a Kibler SMR and through in a bottle of Kibler’s Iron Nitrate, just to see what happens. I tried it on a piece of scrap I had laying around, the results were acceptable. So I went for it and did the whole stock. The color on the stock is very constant with early American colonial maple. Maybe not quite what I was looking for, but it finished out beautifully. A second application prior to the finishing, didn’t have any effect on the color. Part of my job, as the builder, is to bring out as much out of any piece of wood as much of the beauty as I can. The next piece of maple might react to the Iron Nitrate entirely different, but for maple, I think I’m sold on Kibler’s. I’m hoping to get some images out there, as soon as I figure out how to photograph what I see.
