Tannic Acid Powder

Tannic Acid Powder is used in conjunction with ferric or iron nitrate in the staining process to accentuate maple figure.

Tannic Acid Powder's method shows real results on burl maple and works well on other highly figured maple.

Tannic Acid Powder is used alongside Iron Nitrate, also available from Kibler's Longrifles.

Stain from Tannic Acid Powder can be fairly easily removed from long grain regions but is quite permanent in end grain areas since it is absorbed more deeply.

A solution of Tannic Acid Powder is prepared using 1 tablespoon dissolved in 1 pint of water and applied to the bare stock.

After the Tannic Acid Powder solution dries, iron nitrate is applied.

A reaction between iron nitrate and Tannic Acid Powder forms an iron tannate compound which is very dark in color.

Once the Tannic Acid Powder and iron nitrate reaction air dries, the surface should be heated with a heat gun.

After heating, the entire stock treated with Tannic Acid Powder and iron nitrate is quite dark.

After using Tannic Acid Powder, the stock is abraded to work the stain off the long grain wood to bring out the figure.

The Tannic Acid Powder process relies on the varying grain direction of figured wood.

A combination of fine sandpaper and woven abrasive Scotch-Brite pads work well for abrading stain applied with Tannic Acid Powder.

Using oil or finish during the Tannic Acid Powder abrading process helps keep abrasives from becoming plugged and helps evaluate progress.

After the stock treated with Tannic Acid Powder is worked back sufficiently, apply finish.