Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Sidewinder on March 10, 2015, 08:06:20 pm
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Is there any special technique to aging the look of osage with Ammonia? Is it just wipe it on or does it need a catalyst like the vinegar and steel wool?
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If you are referring to the Simon buildalong, he was fuming his wood in an enclosed container, to age osage just use bleach, wipe-on/wipe-off, grasshopper. You can repeat the process, but it won't add much.
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So are there advantages or disadvantages to either method or for that matter the vinegar and steel wool method or is all arriving at the same place just using a different technique?
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You can just wipe on ammonia and darken osage, any base material works including lye.
Vinegar and steel wool is a whole nother' ball game. You are making a stain that reacts with the tannin in wood to change the color.
Aquifortis (ferric nitrate) is the same stain on steroids, it will turn osage black when blushed with heat.
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How much wiping on Eric? I have done it about 4 times and it does not seem to be having the effect I was looking for so I guess I'm looking for a way to get better results. If I need to give it 20 wipe and let dries, thats ok just want to make sure I'm not leaving out something in the process and just spinning my wheels.
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OOPS! I gave you some bad info. When I read your post I grabbed my bottle of ammonia, headed to the shop, scraped off an osage billet and applied the ammonia, no change at all.
I was sure I had used ammonia years ago but my 67 year old memory wasn't what I thought I remembered. Now I realize I used lye (drano) dissolved in water to degrease with, this is what darkened osage immediately.
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Thats ok Eric. Im just glad I'm not experiencing some kind of anomoly. I will try the draino.
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I wiped it on 2 pieces last week. It did zero to the wood. I let Drew guess which side I wiped it on, couldn't tell.
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Any darking basic only lighty shades it. With in 6 ,7 months nature age it's by pasted darking you did.
I have to friends that use to build osage recurves. They took some kind of industal cleaner. Cut a strip of cloth soke it in the cleaner. Rap the bow tiger striping (swirls) the whole bow. Then take a torch and follow the rapped cloth. Catch the whole spiral cloth on fire as soon as its on fire they put it out.
Tigger striped the whole bow with a darker strip. The longer to leave it burn darker the strip. He told me unless you really burn it almost black. The nature ageing still takes over and it ends up the same color.
I'd have to ask him what the cleaner was.
After a few bows the gave up on the idea. I never went that route I just it get that color with age.
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USE BLEACH; wipe on/wipe off. try it.
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I've noticed that there are some opinions here that contradict each other a little. I am somewhat interested in darkening osage too. Some of it is real pretty when finished and oiled, and some of it is almost neon yellow. If anyone has pictures to back up their claims I would sure like to see them. I'm not doubting anyone, but I think it would be interesting to see a side by side comparison of fresh osage and chemically darkened osage. It does not have to be a bow, maybe just a scrap piece.
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I've tryed bleach it only lightly shades the wood. The natural color take over after a short while.
I was once told doing this then stain The stain will stay that color. DOS'NT WORK THE NATURAL AGED COLOR ALWAYS COMES BACK OUT.
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Ok. I got some drain cleaner with lye in it and it works immediatly. The amonia and the bleach methods were ineffective. I will post pics soon when I get some time.
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You go right ahead wipe drain-o on your bows Danny boy!
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Dannydi you think it would work on other woods, i.e. all white woods?
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I did Chris and it looks killer. I sanded again with OO Steel wool after and wiped the dry residue with a wet cloth. I noticed it has some areas that turned almost oxblood red. Very striking effect.
Matt I dont know what kind of effect it will have but try it on a scrap piece and see.
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I just worry about the chemicals in that make it work so good. Cant be good for a living bow, can it?
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Well I guess Ill find out if it has any negative effects. Last I checked though this piece of wood died in 2009 when it was cut down and processed.
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Tree killer.
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my wife was making soap with a friend, i asked for a couple drops of lye on a yew off cut,
it for sure gave it the old yew bow look, but im sort of with PD, not sure if it'll be bad news for the wood fibres.
i'll probably end up trying this out regardless
the dark blotch is the lye, top half is one heavy coat of tru oil, bottom has nothing.
(http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag255/wizardgoat/IMG_3446_zpsfcv9l6jc.jpg) (http://s1370.photobucket.com/user/wizardgoat/media/IMG_3446_zpsfcv9l6jc.jpg.html)
(http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag255/wizardgoat/IMG_3447_zpsnpygtalf.jpg) (http://s1370.photobucket.com/user/wizardgoat/media/IMG_3447_zpsnpygtalf.jpg.html)
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Tree killer.
Makes me sick.......
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Hows this for a transformation. The bright yellow streek in the background is freshly chased osage rings on the back of my next shorty and the bow in front is a just finished piece that has been treated with Lye. You cannot believe the dynamic change and how well it shines in the sunlight. I say its a winner winner chicken dinner.
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg233/KsDanny/20150312_155713_resized.jpg) (http://s249.photobucket.com/user/KsDanny/media/20150312_155713_resized.jpg.html)
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Oh and Ryan and Chris your probabley right, I wouldn't try it on Yew, I doubt it could handle it. Osage being the "King" that it is can handle just about anything including being treated with Lye.
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Just for that I'll try it on my next bow ! >:D
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Sweet, thanks for taking the time to experiment and post your results. That really turned out nice. I hope it stands the test of time for you.