Ok, I am not a big maple stock guy but I have one that I plan on using on a Remington 40X 22lr. It has a 3" wide forearm and some really nice tiger strip and figure to it.
My question is this, I want to make the tiger strips really pop and show the figure, but I also want the finish to be natural. I see several of the muzzleloader guys using aquafortis to make the grain pop, but it turns the stock a reddish/brown color.
I want the maple to be its natural color but can live with a light yellowish tone. I am thinking of using a Tung oil finish on the stock.

My question is 1) is there something out there that will make the grain pop without coloring the wood? 2) Is there a drawback to using Tung oil to finish the stock?

This is a bench rest rifle and will not be carried out in the weather (rain and snow)

Thanks

teak oil might work for you try a section in the barrel channel, not a very good way to make the stripe pop without darkening the the rest of the wood ( which I do). I have heard of staining the stock then sanding it again ,this would leave the stripes darker and surrounding wood lighter, but I have no experience with this.

I just finished a 40X Sporter clone with a maple stock that I wanted to be light and natural. I used water based urethane on the stock as a sealer for several coats, then I put about 6-7 coats of Truoil over the urethane as a top coat. I think it came out great...

Minway wipeon poly clear satin.

Sheister
That stock looks like the finish I am looking for but want a little more "pop" to the tiger strips.
Why not go Truoil all the way or urethane all the way? Just wondering. I know some finishes do not play well together.

Good luck on staining the stock. I have had nothing but misery trying to accomplish this task, so much in fact that I have vowed no customer will allowed to darken my doorway with a maple stock. My problem with staining the unfinished wood was that all end grain readily soaked up quanitites of the strain while the other areas accepted very little. Yes, I know it can be done somehow since I see some beautiful muzzle loaders with stained stocks. Problem is I don't know how they did it. By the way, you can add an oil finish over poly but not the reverse.
Phil

I sent you a PM concerning maple stock pictures. Sorry I am to stupid to post pictures.

Aquafortis

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/392/1/AQUAFORT-2

A lot depends on the piece of wood you are working with. I used the Water based Urethane as a base because I didn't want the ambering I usually get from Truoil and other finishes that are similar. Try different finishes on a scrap piece of wood from your blank if you can to see if you like the effect. I tried to use the Urethane for a finish coat but a couple things made me use Truoil as the top coat- I never could get a decent surface finish with the Urethane even with several coats, but also, Urethane has very little UV protection so I put Truoil as a top coat for its superior UV qualities...

This is a stock I did for a friend of mine many years ago from the same tree with Truoil only. It's beautiful in person but not the effect I was looking for on my 40X stock...

You can "rub back" aquaforttis or iron nitrate like I did on the halfstock in the last pic in the area of the grip and a portion of the forend to emulate an aged worn appearance.


Every piece of maple I've done has been a little different. I love when I finish a rifle and get to finish it and see what happens.

Another tip....to get maximum figure and contrast, we use wood scrapers not sand paper. Sand paper crushes fibers and fills pores. By scraping the final finish it leaves a clean surface.



Blonde stocks don't do anything for me.

That is one of the best looking maple stocks, in my opinion.

Blonde stocks don't do anything for me.[/quote]

I feel the same way, but maybe someday that may change. I do like the fiddle back/flame look.
Adding some color and im in

Check out the Laurel Mountain Forge stains, you might like some of their options.

https://www.store.laurelmountainfor...ct_info&cPath=68&products_id=202

Mauser, I like the "pulled back" color of the half stock you posted. What did you have to do in order to get the more "blond" look? Thanks for the tip on scraping vs sanding as well.

Sheister, that last one you posted really looks good.

Never was a blond stock guy either but there is a guy at the club that has one on his 22lr BR gun and it really has my attention, so I ordered and received my very first maple stock.

Very nice !

I usually don't go for the red tinted finishes, but that one could possibly change my mind. Sweet piece...

This^^^^^

And their Permalyn Sealer and Permalyn Stock Finish.

A blow torch works like that on Pine. Try it on a scrap piece of Maple. We used to do that on plywood all the time; really makes a sharp contrast.

Sheister has it right on the water-based urethane. It actually adds a slight blue tint rather than yellow. It is also extremely hard and tough.

Depth is either natural or created by top coats. Stains kill depth. Dyes do not. Luster and chatoyancy are usually found in very old wood, not in fast growing and relatively recently cut wood.

The standard forever has been thin shellac before staining. Use a very light cut and try to apply it uniformly across the whole piece.

There are lots of ways to topcoat poly over oil very successfully. Generally oil looks better and is easier to apply so it is usually on top.

You really need to try this as it brings out the stripes!! Go slow and easy. I made a Hawken stock out of bird's eye maple and stained it 60/40 Mahogany/Dark Walnut after the torch. Very nice results.

may try it on a scrap piece of maple just to see.

Here is a quilted maple example with nothing more than rattle-can polyurathane.

My Dad mad a Maple mannlicher stock for his Remington 721 30-06 when I was little.(about 1963-64)
He didn't like the light blond color and took an old fashioned gas blow torch to it.
Looks awsome and it's still killing critters!

Have any of you heard of Hal Hartley he was a master stock maker. He specialized in Curley maple and he did the blow torch method and his stocks were beautiful