bleaching box elder

[Gary Chapman]

I would like to bleach out some box elder bowls. When do you bleach them? During turning, when you shape is done, just before your finish? Thanks
P.S. I have a downed elder , hugh tree, and have cut many blocks from it but I can't find any red in it. The tree has been down for 3 or 4 years. Where is the best place for possible finding red?

 

[Ed Heuslein]

Howdy Gary: I just finished bleaching a couple Box Elder pieces. I use two part bleach such as Kleen Strip and always complete turning and finishing the piece first - all the way to your final sandpaper grit. I then bleach - usually two or three coats is sufficient on Box Elder. Then wait for it to dry overnight and sand with a final grit - 600g in my case. That is just to get the raised grain off. Then finish as normal. As to the red, mine didn't have any red in it either. But when it does, normally it starts in the center and radiates outward from there or where a branch went in, or even in inclusions also.

 

[john lucas]

GAry Ed gave you good advice. Have you cut the box elder looking for Red. If it's been cut and laying there for more than few days the red on the outside will turn light brown. It might still be red on the inside if it has any red.

 

[Tony Latham]

Gary:

I just cut these this evening. I HAD to rough turn one of 'em... It should give you and idea where the red may be, note the injury.

Now if someone could please figure out a way to "fix" the red (I know this has been discussed here before and I'm not wanting to highjack your thread). I swear I could watch the red on this rough bowl turn to brown.

TL

 

[Charlie Knighton]

the bleach should make the red pop, but after bleaching you will want to use some type of clear poly or lacquer make sure you get water based stuff or it may turn the white back to yellow

you might try some xmas ornaments, the red lends itself to this use

enjoy, box elder fun stuff

 

[bernj]

I did the same as Ed described and here was my results.
Good Luck

 

[Jack Savona]

Neutralize

I urge you to neutralize the bleach with some acid (white vinegar, lemon juice, etc.) because I found my finish seriously affected on one ambrosia maple bowl where I had selectively bleached and failed to neutralized. Problem was solved by sanding off all the finish and neutralizing.

 

[Ed Davidson]

Here's a short, but very informative tutorial on bleaching wood that came out of a recent local chapter meeting demo.

 

[john lucas]

I have never neutralized the bleach and haven't had a problem. That doesn't mean that it won't cause a problem and it's certainly not hard thing to do. somehow I just tried it without neutralizing and it worked fine so I quit doing it.