Water stain on table

[joshbalmer]

Hi

I've picked up the table attached in the images below. As you can see there are some water stains. Could anyone help with identifying what wood type this is and what the best method would be to remove the water stains?

Thanks

Josh

 

[cedarwood]

Well the wood looks almost certainly to be oak and more than likely solid oak and not a veneer, as for repairing the water stains depends on how it was finished originally.

 

[Wuffles]

I successfully removed water ring stairs with vigorous rubbing to inject heat into it. And a stubborn one with toothpaste added to the vigorous rubbing. YMMV.


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[custard]

Well the wood looks almost certainly to be oak and more than likely solid oak and not a veneer, as for repairing the water stains depends on how it was finished originally.

I disagree. The main part of the top is veneered but with solid wood lippings along the edges. Those aren't breadboard ends so veneer is the only way that construction can be achieved. I've no idea what wood it is (and neither has anyone else by the way, wood identification from a photo is just a guessing game), but it doesn't look like Oak, it's more likely a cheaper timber and cheaper rotary cut veneer that's been dyed to resemble a dark Jacobean Oak.

Removing small water stains in French Polish isn't difficult (just Google it, there's loads of advice), but this is a bigger stain than most, plus because it's almost certainly a mass produced, sprayed lacquer finish you're probably looking at complete stripping and re-finishing the top. However, it's virtually certain to be a commercial veneer that started life 0.5mm-0.6mm thick. After finish sanding it's now probably about 0.3mm-0.4mm thick, so the main thing to remember is that anything aggressive risks going straight through the veneer. You need to proceed slowly, experimenting on the underside where it won't be seen.

Good luck.

 

[ED65]

Sure looks like oak, but not all solid wood. The field of the tabletop is almost certainly veneered, so likely that's ply.

I don't think you're going to be able to recover those stains by treating them alone but try a dab of full-fat mayonnaise at the edge of the large stain and leave it for a few hours or overnight. When you wipe off if there's no improvement you may be looking at a refinish for the top.

 

[custard]

That little bubble in the top left of the photo needs watching, it could be that the veneer has either lifted or there was some contamination on the ground when the veneer was first laid, sand or scrape over that and you'll tear the veneer. Tap it, if it sounds hollow you'll have to inject some glue under it and flatten it back down.

 

[Harbo]

It's a Jaycee table made from oak which I'm pretty sure is veneered.

Rod

 

[joshbalmer]

Thanks for all of the information.

It's free so I dont mind putting some work into it plus it'll give me something to do on the weekend.

My Mrs is keen to strip and refinish the whole table. She wants something lighter, medium oak or a limed oak (I have supplies in the shed from a previous project). Do you believe this achievable with effort or am I putting lipstick on a pig?

Cheers

Josh

 

[minimad]

go on you tube ! they have loads of videos to watch on removing water marks ! but that is one big water mark to remove
best of luck ! it would be nice to see how you get on when you have done the finished job !

 

[ED65]

Do you believe this achievable with effort or am I putting lipstick on a pig?

Should be, lots of work though. For everything other than flat surfaces stripper is your man. Best of luck finding a good one these days though, stuff available to the public tends to be a bit pants now

Once you're down to bare wood any discolouration in the wood where the water stains are now that you need to sort before continuing, oxalic acid should do the trick.

 

[custard]

Do you believe this achievable with effort or am I putting lipstick on a pig?

You're the one that's got to live with it so stylistically yours is the only opinion that counts, but from a strictly commercial point of view, it's a non starter. These big lumps of "Jacobethan" repro have hardly any market value today, so you're unlikely to see a return for your labours. And it is quite a lot of labour, including the base and all the carving you're looking at two or three solid days of messy, hard graft.

 

[Jacob]

Do you believe this achievable with effort or am I putting lipstick on a pig?

You're the one that's got to live with it so stylistically yours is the only opinion that counts, but from a strictly commercial point of view, it's a non starter. These big lumps of "Jacobethan" repro have hardly any market value today, so you're unlikely to see a return for your labours. And it is quite a lot of labour, including the base and all the carving you're looking at two or three solid days of messy, hard graft.

Yes not worth a lot of bother but I quite like these unfashionable bits of well made but" low quality" furniture. My parents had lots of it and it lasted their lifetime. Would still be in use if I had room for it. I saved the two drawer cabinet bits of my mother's dressing table and use it as a drill stand. All ply, oak veneer and solid oak bits n bobs. Paint is an option!
Simplest solution is raw linseed / turps half n half rubbed in thinly.

Or you could just sand off the top surface (caution - veneer might be very thin) and wax polish it for a light oak effect.

 

[joshbalmer]

Thanks everyone for the information, you've been a big help.

I'll crack on with your suggestions this weekend and see how it goes. If it goes well I'll post come pics up.

Cheers

Josh