Water stain on oak table

[ppppenguin]

The problem is a light oak table that has been marked by a wet vase. A relatively mild case of plant potting. It's a modern table, good quality, solid oak, minimal visible finishing, almost matt, possibly oil? The mark has darkened the wood and deep in the grain it has gone very dark.

The only possible treatment I had to hand was some Barkeepers Friend. This is a mildly abrasive and possibly slightly acid powder. This *may* have improved things a bit on the surface discolouration but had no effect at all on the darker marks in the grain.

How best to treat this? I've heard that oxalic acid can be effective. Possibly ordinary household bleach. Any thoughts? Forgot to take a photo yesterday but will try to get one in a few days.

[Retired]

Hi,

Always a difficult problem Jeffrey but it's possible you have already supplied your own answer in using Oxalic Acid; please see;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTHiqtdZMMI

http://jpennyltd.co.uk/shopping/pgm-more....php?id=54

Oxalic Acid is readily available and John Penny's above is reliable.

Kind regards, Col.

[Joe]

It's the wrong time of year but you can get it for free by boiling rhubarb leaves.

- Joe

[camallison]

From watching that video, it looks as though plenty of elbow grease plus allowing it to soak in a little might be your answer Jeffrey.

Colin

[Retired]

Hi,

Over the years I've done plenty of cabinetry making new from scratch but I've always been hopeless at restoration where small damaged areas were affected.

It's always very difficult to hide a repair at least it is for the average DIY'er who tends to make the damage much worse. I once read that pouring Methylated Spirit onto a white water mark and setting fire to the meths would remove the mark? I tried this on a vintage radio cabinet and yes it worked a treat; it got rid of the mark together with the finish so now I don't bother trying to repair finding it much quicker and easier starting from scratch by removing the original finish. I've never bleached any timber either and would imagine bleaching would have to be done on the entire panel otherwise the bleached area would take a great deal of colour matching which again I'm useless at because I'm colour blind.

Good luck Jeffrey.

Kind regards, Col.

[Joe]

This won't help Jeffery, as it sounds like his problem has effected the actual wood, but it may be of use to other people.

  Water Marks.pdf (Size: 1.4 MB / Downloads: 45)

- Joe

[pwdrive]

I don't think there's a magic cure for wood that has been stained by accident, the only success I've had was to take the surface right back with a planer or sander to below the depth of the stain.
If the stain is in the surface finish then that too will all have to be removed and re done for a real pro job.

Lawrence.

[Joe]

It's certainly a darn sight easier to just start again rather than trying to rescue a damaged finish.

- Joe

[Radio Fixer]

Buy a nice tablecloth !

Yes! Would agree that trying to get rid of stains has never worked for me either ... refinish. Or maybe get a Pro to look at it.

Gary

[AlanBeckett]

Buy a nice tablecloth !

A splendid practical Engineering solution

Alan