Removing wood stain

[DomValente]

I know this should be in Finishing but I hope to get more hits here.

I have stained a sideboard in the wrong colour and therefore need to remove the stain(Light fast spirit).
My forte is not finishing
The piece has many mouldings so sanding most of it is a no.
Other than thinners does anyone have a magic trick to help.

Dom

 

[Jake]

Try bleach (normal household type, not 2-part wood bleach). On a hidden part...

 

[Colin C]

HI Dom

Instead of thinners you could try to strip it first as that can get a lot of colour out ( well some times ) and then try some furniture blead ( two part one will be the best )

I hope it helps

 

[DomValente]

Thanks guys will try those ideas unless someone has a better one.

Dom

 

[Sgian Dubh]

It won't necessarily get rid of it all, but the solvent the stain or dye is mixed in will reduce the intensity of the colour you've got.

Spirit dyes are typically dissolved in either alcohol or lacquer thinner. Either will help if sloshed on and rubbed off, and a toothbrush or similar will help get the stuff out of the carvings you mentioned the piece has.

I'm guessing that you're almost certainly dealing with a dye because stains are most commonly dissolved in an oil based solvent to give slow drying and a medium to carry the pigments into the open pores of wood, which dyes don't need because they have no solid pigments in them.

If you can reduce the colour intensity you might be able to recolour to what you want using what you've got as your base colour.

If not, then you may have to resort to ever more powerful bleach, perhaps going as far even as an A/B bleach. Slainte.

 

[DomValente]

As ever a most comprehensive answer, thank you Richard.
Yes it is a dye, which is what I wanted to do when I saw the results.
Have just spoken with a friend who tells me that he has information somewhere in notes or a book which is an old remedy for this problem.
Hopefully he will post this information.

Thank you all

Dom

 

[engineer one]

dom how far out is the present stain??

could you not try to re-coat with the proper colour, and see what it looks like, or are they both so different??

have you tried in an unseen area what covering the wrong colour with the right one would look like?

good luck with your designated holiday weekend taks :lol: :twisted:

paul :wink:

 

[DomValente]

Paul, how can I put this ?

Oak and Mahogany.

 

[engineer one]

well someone had to ask :roll: :lol: :twisted:

can't you make it walnut :?

paul :wink:

slinking off with a hung head :lol:

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Methylated Spirits

 

[DomValente]

So, Meths then LN?

 

[johnnyb]

try water and ammonia with a scrubbing brush.