I have heard of “bleached” wood finishes, and have seen wood bleach at the paint store but know nothing about its uses. I assume it is diffefent from chlorine bleach. Can anyone direct me to some good reading/info about using it?
I need to refinish my VGDF kitchen cabinets which have darkened somewhat over time. Would wood bleach be effective at lightening them to their original pale beige color and making their color more consistent? Some of the cabs have darkened more than others. I’d like to use a clear satin finish. Is this a good idea for a soft wood like fir?
Thanks…
Cheers, Sue B.
The older I get, the better I was.
Replies
There are two products in the market labeled wood bleach. There is the one-part version which is oxalic acid and is useful for removing some stains. There is also two-part wood bleach which will remove the actual color from the wood.
The three bleaches used in woodworking are:
o Chlorine bleach--used to remove dye coloring stain from wood.
o Oxalic Acid--used to remove mineral or water stains from wood.
o Two part A/B bleach--used to remove the natural color from wood.
As Steve said one of the last two are probably what you are seeing but both can be found in most paint stores.
If you want to clean up your kitchen cabinets, you will first need to strip off the old finish. Use a chemical stripper. After stripping, if the wood looks discolored you might try the Oxalic Acid first. If that doesn't do it, use the A/B bleach.
To get the color you want, you may very well have to apply a stain then you can apply a clear coat of your choice.
Thank you both for the clarification, much appreciated.
Cheers, Sue B.
The older I get, the better I was.
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