So I bought this Big Old Desk (now referred to as the BOD) and decided that I’d refinish it. Turns out it was made of walnut in 1977 for a law firm. After stripping the wood, I proceeded to sand and tried to get out one pretty bad gouge, and sanded through. Fortunatley, I was able to remove and re-veneer the panel, however, walnut apparently fades with age and the new veneer stick out like a sore thumb.
So, does anyone have any recommendations? I thought about bleaching the walnut, but have never bleached wood before. I would like the colors to be somewhat closer, but it certainly doesn’t have to be perfect.
Thanks,
Luis
Replies
bleaching veneer
Hi, Luis,
I have successfully bleached walnut, both solid and veneer, using a two part bleach. In one case, I had a problem similar to yours. After bleaching, I experimentally found a mixture of aniline dyes that produced a close match. Remember to apply one light coat of finish before assessing whether there is a match.
Another approach would be to apply an aniline dye or a stain to the new area, followed by a dye or stain over the entire piece. If the old area is lighter, dye it first followed by the overall dye or stain. You will need to experiment on scrap in order to get the recipe correct.
Good luck, Tom.
Bleaching Walnut
Thanks Tom,
I bought some two part bleach today and will experiment with dyes per your recommendations. Thank you for responding to my post.
Luis
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