Hello, I purchased a bottle of your iron nitrate dye and tried it on a test piece of quilted maple. It turned out way too dark and blotchy. Is there any way to dilute the solution to produce a lighter result?
It probably came out pretty dark because quilted maple if often big leaf
maple or some other softer maple that absorbs a lot and therefore will get
dark and splotchy. You can definitely dilute it with water and see if you
like the result better. Try a 50% dilution and see what you think about
that.
First, should the stock be wetted, moistened or dampened? Second, if only dampened and heated, can I dampen and heat again to get darker color? Third, if the color is uneven can I dampen the lighter spots and heat to blend in? Fourth, does the stain stop working at a certain point and not get darker if heat is continued? Fifth, can I dilute the stain with alcohol if I want to get a slight degree of change?
1. I am not sure of the difference between these three--but I would wipe it on until the solution wets the stock
2. Yes you can do this, but you won't get too much darker the second time
3. Yes, Jim does this regularly
4. Yes, once it is thoroughly heated and the blushing occurs completely, the chemical reaction has occurred and it won't get any darker with continued heating.
5. Yes, you can dilute. I would recommend water dilution
I have never used acid based stains before and was wondering what I need to use to neutralize the stain after applying it? Or does it need to be neutralized at all. I don’t want to end up with a rusty mess afterwards. I’ve read horror stories about using acid stains. Should all of the metalwork need to be removed prior to using this?
You should keep it out of all the inlets (yes, you need to remove all the metal before staining/finishing). Jim says there is no need to neutralize since it is not in the inlets.
Hello, I was unable to find info about what do you use to finish a stock after the iron nitrate
There are many options for finishing. We sell Permalyn sealer which is a nice sturdy finish that should be applied in thin coats. Also good are Jim Chambers Oil Finish, Tried and True Varnish Oil.
Will your iron nitrate stain work on walnut? What results can I honestly expect?
Yes, it can be used on walnut but the results are not necessarily consistent. It will likely darken the stock and add some warm tones.
Hi Katherine this is james wheeler Do you guys recommend using the tanic acid with the iron nitrate on the fancy maple stock ? If so I’m going to order some of it to for my kit when it comes.
Many customers have used the tannic acid/iron nitrate combo on fancy maple with great results. It will cool down the warmth a bit and if warmth is what you are going for, you will need to add it back with some aniline dyes.
Hello, I was unable to find info about what do you use to finish a stock after the iron nitrate
There are many options for finishing. We sell Permalyn sealer which is a nice sturdy finish that should be applied in thin coats. Also good are Jim Chambers Oil Finish, Tried and True Varnish Oil.