Black Walnut slab tabletop. As you can see from the picture the sapwood has grayed from improper drying. I do like the look of a light sapwood for the slab table, however if I’m unable to lighten I’ll have to dye and try to hide the grey.
Any suggestions on removing the grey?
Replies
The grey is from moisture. It's likely gone all the way through. You can try a swipe or two with a handplane on the underside, and see if it removes the grey. If it doesn't, your next option is to color the sapwood, or try to bleach it.
See my comments on dyeing sapwood :
I have dealt with some whitewood issues on both cherry and walnut by using Transtint dyes to bring the lighter areas to match the rest. Brown mahogany works best for me on walnut; don't recall what I used on the cherry.
In your case, first make sure its not wax, etc. on the surface by placing a few drops of water, if it does not bead up on the surface, you're good.
I have used both an airbrush and artists' brushes. Mix the dye at 1/3 or 1/2 strength, as it is necessary to sneak up on the color. Remember that these stains seem to get darker when the finish hits them, so go slow and allow each application to dry. If you have a scrap that shows the light color, practice.
Apply the stain, working from the center out, and be very careful at the edges to keep the stain off the "good" wood - otherwise you might get a dark outline of the repaired area. I generally apply the overall dye diluted much more than the instructions suggest - this lets me sneak up on the color. Once you have dealt with the problem areas, do the overall staining. Here you could apply an oil based stain over the entire piece including the repaired areas. Or, you could do as I and spray much diluted Transtint over everything. The trick is to keep the dye in the repaired areas from moving.
I use these dyes exclusively as I love the transparency and the way they bring out the grain. I have also used them on maple and made it look a lot like cherry (see https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/276114 for a queen Anne table in maple).
If it goes right, nobody but you will ever know there was an issue. This also allows us to use wood that would otherwise be called worthless.
CM
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