Bleaches In Wood Finishing: The Good And The Bad

by: Megan Cherry

Another way to change the color of your wood besides staining it is to bleach it. As you can imagine, stains add color, while bleaches take color away. In fact, it can take all of the color away so that the wood appears to have no color. If you choose to bleach your woodworking project, read on for a few basic finishing techniques that can save you a lot of headaches. When you finish a wood, you can use bleach for many things. A bleach can lighten a wood's natural color or even remove it altogether. A bleach can also remove some stains from the wood, either intentional or accidental. In fact, they can be very useful because they can fix minor problems before they become major ones. There are three basic types of bleach to choose from, and you'll need to know which one to use for each situation, because each of these is pretty specific and not all will work in every situation. The first kind, alkali peroxide bleaches, are usually sold in paint stores as a two-part liquid known as A/B bleaches. This type of bleach is usually used to remove wood's natural color. It will leave the wood with a very natural looking, even, off-white color base. This, in turn, can produce highly desirable results, depending on the finish you use. You can use these bleaches also to narrow the color differences between two very different types of wood so that they appear to match more closely. The next type of bleach you can use in your woodworking project is chlorine bleach. This is very useful to remove dye stains or other stains that have occurred, such as coffee spills or grape juice spills on bare wood. As you probably know, chlorine bleach is used in laundry detergent applications and for swimming pools. Any laundry bleach will work, because it's concentration is actually quite weak. You might need to apply it several times to get the desired effect and remove the stain completely. You might also want to use chlorine bleach specifically formulated for pools. This is also known as "pool chlorine." A third main type of bleach is oxalic acid. This is great because it's very selective in the colors it removes. For example, it does an excellent job at cleaning up iron-based stains, such as those that occur around nail holes. It also does a very good job removing dark water stains and other stains, but does not alter the natural color of the wood itself. Oxalic acid is usually found as a dry powder. It can then be mixed with water and applied to wood. After you have bleached your wood, you need to neutralize the bleach when the cleansing or color removal is complete. There are different neutralizing processes depending on the type of bleach you've used. For example, with an alkali peroxide bleach, you'll want to rinse with water and then white vinegar. You need one part vinegar to two parts water. For chlorine bleach, rinse with two to three applications of distilled water. If you've used oxalic acid, use two to three applications of distilled water and then a solution of baking soda and hot water. The baking soda solution should be comprised of two tablespoon baking soda to one half pint of hot water.

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How To Correct Small Blemishes And Defects In Your Woodworking Project

by : Megan Cherry

While it is common for wood to have defects like splits, cracks and knots, you may notice blemishes in your finished project like scratches, dents and gouges. These blemishes are inflicted on the wood from the machines you use to make your project. Even if you're making a simple piece like a pair of bookends, you'll want to remove these blemishes if you want your woodworking project to look its best. If you're making a larger piece, it becomes even more important to remove these defects. Wood putty is available in many colors and forms, and is the easiest method of repairing gouges and other small defects on the wood's surface. While wood putty of all kinds are basically applied the same, there can be a difference in your application depending on the wood you are using. For example, if your wood has an open grain with bigger knots and large cracks, that will require a different treatment because the space that needs to be filled is larger. Dents can usually be steamed out, while shallow dents and scratches may disappear under the sander. Sometimes a piece will split accidentally while you are routing. If you can find the chip, it may work to glue it in place and hold it securely by wrapping the piece in masking tape. If you can't find the chip, it may be possible to make a new piece to glue in place. If possible, try to cut the replacement for the chip from the same board so the color and texture will match. When applying putty, you will need a putty knife or a flathead screwdriver. Using the end of your tool, apply the putty to the hole in the wood. Pack in as much putty as possible, and remember to leave the putty above the surface of the wood... it will shrink as it dries. When it is completely dry, you can do a little light sanding to bring the repair even with the wood surface. Be sure and sand it the same way you did the rest of the piece so the texture matches. If the repair needs to be made in a very obvious place on your project, there are a few guidelines you may want to follow. If the piece will be finished without any stain and you intend to finish it with only a clear coat or an oil finish, it is possible to make your own putty out of glue and sawdust from your project. You may also mix the sawdust with an epoxy. Epoxy dries very quickly and won't shrink like glue. If you plan to stain your project, you will need to use a water-based putty or wood filler. If you're lucky, the putty will match or dry slightly lighter than your wood. If this happens you can always touch it up as needed. Or, you can add color to the filler before you put it on your piece. If you choose to do this, check on a piece of scrap wood first to see if it matches.