After working in the shop all day I find my fingertisp stained almost black. This has happened wehen working with both walnut ande mahogany. Some of this could be related to hanlding steel toos, but I think it is a chemical relction with substances in the wood itself. This doesn’ come out with soap and water, no matter how hard I scrub, and alcohol or acetone make no difference. Any suggestions as to how to clean this or avoid it? The stains usually fade spontaneously by the next morning, but are a pain if you hae to be seen in public that evening. Thanks,
Jay
Replies
stain
Wash them with lemon juice or vinegar.
Lemon juice
Bruce is absolutely right. Buy the little plastic container of " real lemon" lemon juice concentrate to keep at your bench, it takes walnut purple stain right out of the skin.
Just remember not to use it in your tea if you leave it out un-refridgerated, as it does spoil. It will continue to work wonders on the hand stains from lumber.
It happens with certain other species, too. I think it may be the tanins in the lumber reacting with the salts and oils on skin. I find it worse in warm weather when perspiring. It won't wash away but it dissappears within a day or two after you stop handling the offensive species. Wearing latex/nitrile gloves will keep your pretty fingers lilly white while giving you a non slip grip. You may be able to dust your hands with cornstarch, baby powder or similar, if you aren't sweating too much. I haven't tried Go-Jo hand cleaner for the problem but it works very well on grease and oil stains along with a stiff brush. A cleaner with bleach in it could help, too. With all the scars, nicks, splinters, sewed back fingers, missing nails and calouses, I take two hot chicks out with me, one holding each hand. Don't think anyone notices me or my hands.
"I think it may be the tanins
"I think it may be the tanins in the lumber reacting with the salts and oils on skin."
You are on the right general track hammer1, but the three elements required to cause the staining are tannin in the wood, iron (in the tools), and water (in sweat). You see it in tannin rich woods used externally where the wood is fixed together with regular steel nails, eg oak, where a black stain runs down from the nail hole. Ferrous sulphate dissolved in water is used to dye oak to various shades of blue, all depending on the strength of the mix. Ferrous sulphate has a similar colouring effect on other tannin rich woods.
Pumice powder is also quite good at getting the stains off hands. Pumice powder is often found in the hand cleaners used by mechanics. Slainte.
The 3 elements required to tan are the tannins, iron and acid, not necessarily water. Sweat contains acid compounds which is the activator for the dying process. Iron chemistry in the production dyes is very complicated and it is well known for its use with metal compounds as well, it is how platinum palladium prints are made, as well as dyes for hair.
Nothing will remove the dye short of an abrasive once it is set. Adding an acid or vinegar does nothing but to remove the residual iron in the hands.
There is a product called liquid glove. You put this on your hands first, when your done, wash as usual. I Never tried this with wood. Mech by trade, works great.
Fast Orange hand cleaner. Available at most any auto parts store. Makes it a one step process of washing and destaining.
Rich
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