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Post by bostonmike1 on Aug 9, 2009 17:50:15 GMT -5
I need your collective help and advice. I am currently trying to restore a lid from an Edison Home phonograph. At some point through it's long life someone had a "great" idea to stain it to a point that it is a very dark color. At this point I have used lacquer thinner/alcohol(50/50 mixture) Kotton Cleaner and even tried paint remover to lighten it up prior to finishing it with shellac. To my disappointment so far it still appears to be too dark and will not be a close match to the base after the shellac coat. Does anyone have any ideas as to how to "bleach" it so it is lighter?Thanking you all in advance------Michael
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Post by matty on Aug 9, 2009 21:55:31 GMT -5
Oxalic acid is probably the best way to go. You should be able to get it from most hardware stores. This should lighten the wood/stain a little each time you apply it & let it dry.
If this wont give the desired shade, you might have to use something stronger like peroxide, however this will turn the wood "white" & you'll then have to stain the timber to match the base.
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Post by bostonmike1 on Aug 10, 2009 18:55:07 GMT -5
Oxalic acid is probably the best way to go. You should be able to get it from most hardware stores. This should lighten the wood/stain a little each time you apply it & let it dry. If this wont give the desired shade, you might have to use something stronger like peroxide, however this will turn the wood "white" & you'll then have to stain the timber to match the base. Hello G.S.----Thanks for the advice. Is the Oxalic acid safe to use on the veneer dome and do you thin it down? Thanks Michael |
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shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
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Post by shellophone on Aug 11, 2009 10:05:45 GMT -5
Mike,
Once the case is bleached, you can dye the lid with either water or alcohol-based aniline dyes to tone the wood before you stain it. Water-based dyes will raise the grain again and require light sanding with extra-fine abrasive, whereas alcohol-based dyes will not. The dye colors can be combined to achieve what you want. The key is experimenting on another piece of white oak that you have bleached or otherwise treated in the same way you have treated the lid.
Grain filling is a matter of personal preference, but rather than using modern vinyl-based fillers, I like to use good old hide glue. It also acts as a sanding sealer. I apply the first coat rather thin, sand, and apply subsequent coats of slightly thicker consistency and sand between each coat until the grain is filled as much as I want it. The advantage of hide glue is that it accepts stain as readily as the wood.
John M
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