I have built several pieces of furniture from black walnut. One piece from 30 years ago and a dinning room table from 5 years ago have turned from a dark “chocolate” brown to a reddish brown. Both pieces were finished with General Finishes oil-urethane. Neither piece has been in direct sunlight, but I assume this color change is cased by a reaction with light?? Other walnut pieces I have made have not taken on such a reddish hue. I have just finished a chest of drawers from walnut which has a dark “chocolate” color after application with General Finishes, water based High Performance finish. What is causing the color change and is there a good way to prevent it? Thanks, Tom
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Replies
Walnut lightening
Walnut does lighten over time. Walnut antiques tend to have a reddish mahogany color, rather than the chocolate brown or purple brown of fresh walnut. The walnut drawer fronts on my assembly bench have lightened a bit since I made them about 10 years ago. Exposure to light speeds this lightening/bleaching. Your red could be a combination of the wood lightening and the varnish darkening/ambering over time.
If anyone asks, call it patina and charge them double:)
Leather and Furniture Restoration
Walnut gets lighter over time. Refinishing is not the option. But, maintain it well to look good and long last. There are many leading service provider for furniture and leather like Austin leather and furniture repair. Contact them to inspect your furniture and maintain it.
The UV in sunlight will lighten walnut over time. The item does not need to be in direct sunlight, just the lighting in the room is enough to cause the reaction.
The only way to deal with it is to install shades or drapes or to have UV resisting glass installed in the windows.
The oil deepened the walnut and reapplying another coat of your original product will help the color back to original. I use my own oil poly mix and a simple etching of the surface with 3m pad dipped in the mix and wiped seems to do fine. I apply a second light coat as the 1st coat will prep the surface to acccept the second. I did a free hanging 3 dimensional cross for a church that hung the cross suspended by aircraft cable in front of a skylight. The cross is now 30 years old and needed to to be refinished (the walnut was faded) I did what said above and it looked new again.
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