RE: Removing Red Mahogany Stain

>>Does anyone  have any good suggestion for how I might further
>>decrease the "red" in the  wood and come closer to the cherry
>>color.  Even after bleaching it TWICE  the wood is still significantly
>>darker than what I am trying to achive.
>>Jeff Johnson




Jeff,

You'll probably get a million replies on this.  A little very weak green dye
stain, judiciously applied, will kill the red without darkening it too much.

If you want to lighten the wood significantly, you'll probably have to use a
2 part wood bleach.  I'm a little surprised -- chlorine bleach usually works
on red mahogany pretty well.  You might try some strong peroxide from
the beauty supply, just on the off chance.  Watch it!   It Burns!

Michael R
KC


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Jeff,

I think you will have to use a two part wood bleach.  It's the only bleach I know
of that can turn wood white (light).  A good paint supply store should carry it or
you can order it from Woodcraft supply or Woodworker's Supply.

Chod

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Jeff -

Using TSP in water will remove quite a bit more color.
More than you'd think.

Mark Potter


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Its a shame to have to remove all the red in mahogany but if you have to,
use an A/B bleach.  This will make it almost white.

You might consider not bleaching it further, and just shading it a little in
the finish with a tad of green and that will neutralize the red into a warm
brown mahogany.

KevinHancock

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Steve Austin writes:

You could try some oxalic acid. If you're using MC stripper, put the stripper to the
piece and put the oxalic acid in hot water. When the hot oxalic water hits the MC
it will boil a little bit and pull out more of the red. Be careful with any veneer, keep
an eye on it. When you sand it, it will get a little lighter. If you still have too much
red ,after you put a sealer on it, use a light green toner on it and it will change the
red to a brown.

 When you sand it, start with the detail areas that are hard to sand. Whatever red
comes off in those areas is the color you'll have to work with on the rest of the piece.
If you start on a flat area that's easy to sand, you can probably get almost all of it
off, but when you try to do the harder areas , you won't be able to do the same. The
important thing with this red is to keep the color consistent over the whole piece.
Get as much of it off as you can, but keep the color the same on the flat parts as
it is on the detail parts.  Green will kill the red.

When I get a piece like that, I tell my customer they have two options, mahogany
red or dark walnut with a hint of red. If they want anything else, they're in the wrong
shop. I'm not going to spend thirty hours on one piece trying to do the improbable
when I can do ten other pieces in the same time.

My competition is more than welcome to take the job and bless their hearts,
they can have every other job like that.    I share.
    
Steve Austin
NY

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Jeff,

Using a green dye type toner, you can "neutralize" much of the red, to
move the color toward the green side of the spectrum.  (Try this on a
sample panel first, of course.  We don't typically learn to drive on the
interstate.)

Blue will also move the red toward a more neutral brown, but it darkens more
than the green, and of course black will do it, with even more darkening.

Use of the dye type toner (either aerosol or make your own) will not obscure
the grain, figure, or depth.

Good luck,

Greg Williams

PS  The touch up workshops in your area are High Point in March,
Hickory in April, and Raleigh in October.  Make plans.  Greg

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Larry Cyphers writes:

Jeff,

We've always been able to achieve what you're after by using a product
called "Booster Stain Remover".  After stripping the table,  apply the stuff
with steel wool keeping a wet edge and with the grain.....it will loosen up
the stain & filler.....rinse off with water until all the water becomes clear.
Dry well with rags .... let dry overnight .... sand as desired, then apply a
2 part wood bleach mixing equal parts.

The "boostering process gives you a very good "jump start" on getting rid
of the red. If the edges are another wood like "gum". you may have to use
an "Aniline Dye Remover" on that wood  to achieve the same effect as the
mahogany.

I've been using this process for 30 years and it works.

Both of these products are readily available in the Seattle area through
a company called "Daly's".  I don't know what you have where you are...
but if you can't locate this stuff through another company, let me know
and I'll see what I can do.

Good Luck!

LarryC

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To neutralize red, apply a dilute green dye stain.
It will kill the red without making it darker. Works every time.

Jeff


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I think that a two part bleach...heavy on the peroxide will bleach out the reds
faster and more effectively than chlorine....I just did a broken arm on a
mahagony armchair, that had been badly repaired before...and had to match
the sun faded yellowish, white top of the other arm after considerable
re-shaping and sanding on the repairs... I tried various methods and the two
part bleach with two peroxide (part B) rinses enabled me to get a very good
match....

GregS


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