Lighten dyed wood?

[WaterlooMarc]

Pretty sure I'm stuck sanding it down but thought I'd ask first, just in case.

I applied water based dye stain to white oak and it turned out way too dark. (I did a sample board but I obviously must've gone way heavier on the actual table top) Is there anything I can do to lighten it? It's been on there since last night.

-Marc

[jteneyck]

You should be able to remove some of the dye by repeatably wiping it with a wet sponge. If that doesn't work, household bleach should lighten or completely remove it. I would try that on some scrap first to make sure it doesn't cause any problems.

John

[WaterlooMarc]

Thanks for the tips. If I tried bleach do I need to do anything afterwards to neutralize it before I either re-stain or top coat?

[JR1]

Just rinse really well. If the bleach doesn't do it you can try oxalic acid AKA bartenders friend. If you used transtint the water will do the trick.

[WaterlooMarc]

No it was a General Finishes can.

[Howard Acheson]

You can remove or greatly lighten dye stain by using a chlorine bleach. Swimming pool chlorine will work but it's a little slow.

Do not use Oxalic Acid which is sometime sold as "wood bleach". Oxalic acid is a bleach used to remove or lighten mineal stains but it will further set a dye stain.

[Cooler]

Oxalic acid is traditionally used to bleach wood, but that will lighten the color of the wood itself as well as the stain.

Bleach and the rinse will raise the grain and you will have to sand that down again.

You might try wiping with a solvent that won't raise the grain. I think alcohol will work. The die will dissolve in alcohol and I don't believe alcohol will raise the grain. So I would try to wipe down with that.

Mineral spirits might be a good alternative too, but I prefer alcohol.

[WaterlooMarc]

Okay so I gave it a good scrubbing with DNA tonight and it worked pretty well. I think I'll leave it alone without hitting it with the bleach.

Thanks for the tips. It was certainly much better than sanding the whole thing down!

[Cooler]

If you want to get it still lighter try flooding the surface (use a foam brush) and letting it soak in for a few minutes and then wipe down again. It might get as some of the deeper surfaces and release more of the dye.

[Howard Acheson]

You might want to google "wood bleach". You will find a number of articles there -- including one by Jeff Jewitt. The articles describe the three bleaches used in wood finishing. All the articles describle the three woodworking bleaches and coloring they will affect.

As I described above, chlorine bleach is used to remove dye coloring from wood, Oxalic acid is unique in that it will remove mineral stains from iron and iron oxide caused by moisture contact between iron and the tannin is certain woods without changing the color of the wood. Finally is oxygen two--part A/B bleach. This bleach will lighten or remove the natural color of the wood.

Both Bob Flexner's and Jeff Jewitt's books describe the bleaches when and how they should be used.