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I am rebuilding a mahogany table – adding a new base to an existing top. The top is mahogany veneer on a lumber core and probably dates to the 1940’s. I feel that I need to bleach the stripped top so that I can stain the entire table to a uniform tone. I am concerned about the effect of the bleaching solutions on the veneer glue. Should I be?
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You've got a tiger by the tail. I would assume that the rest of the table is darker than the new sheet of veneer. I'd try to match the darker color by staining/toning the new veneer you're laying down instead of bleaching the entire piece.
Of course, try on scrap first.
*I assume that you just stripped the finish and have not sanded the top down to bare wood.
*The original veneer is beatiful and I am trying to preserve it. I have stripped off the old finish but the veneer is still quite dark. The new base, on the other hand, is light. I just discovered last night that the center section (this is a drop leaf table)has a few black water marks, so in addition to bleach I may have to use oxalic acid to remove those. Of course, all these materials introduce water to the veneer, so there is a real danger of lifting the veneer. If the danger is too great, maybe I should just try to stain the base to match the top, and forget about bleaching.
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