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Newbie finishing mistake

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I am making a spindle out of Mahogany and used Walnut oil on the spindle as a finish. I soon discovered that not only did the surface become much too dark, but when I tried to sand away the surface oil it "bled" very dark splotches from the pores of the wood. It is ugly to say the least. Any suggestions as to how to resolve the problem or it just down as a learning experience?
 
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I'm not aware of any way to solve that problem, as the oil may have soaked too far into the wood. I'd be interested if someone else knows a way to salvage it.
 
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Ron,

Try washining the piece down with mineral spirits and steel wool or one of the synthetics wools if it can stand the mineral spirits.

For me, most of the oils will bleed some after the first few applications. Wiping the bleed out off a couple of times in the first hour or two will get the pooling removed before it has a chance to become blotchy.

Don't know if the wood can or will be lightened by the washdown. Maybe good old strong soap and water will pull the oil out of the mahogany.

Later,
Dale M
 
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I am making a spindle out of Mahogany and used Walnut oil on the spindle as a finish. I soon discovered that not only did the surface become much too dark, but when I tried to sand away the surface oil it "bled" very dark splotches from the pores of the wood. It is ugly to say the least. Any suggestions as to how to resolve the problem or it just down as a learning experience?

About the best you can do is to dilute what made its way into the rather large pore structure. You haven't done yourself any favors by sanding if your sanding generates heat. That will drive some of the uncured oil in farther as well as flowing some to the surface, which you are roughing to a light-scattering contrast.

Wash again and again with mineral spirits and then try something else as your finish. Be advised, anything which cuts down on surface scatter, be it burnishing, a film finish or a pass with a sharp plane, will make things darker. Walnut oil, as with linseed, will impart a bit of its own amber color, but most of the dark you hate is simply scatter reduction. You'll se it happen when you wet with mineral spirits.

Practice your finishes on scraps, not your projects!
 
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Recommended finishes for Mahogany?

What are some recommended finishes that will cut down on surface scatter and still bring out the best qualities of the Mahogany? Would a surface film like lacquer be recommended?

Thanks for the help
 
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Depends on what you're doing with the spindle, I suppose. I take it it is not part of some larger work if you're not using what you want for it. For a nice "look in" finish, it's tough to beat shellac, which can be done easily by hand indoors, or lacquer, which needs to be sprayed for best success, and downwind. Shellac for looks, lacquer for use. Choose a shellac like ultra blonde which won't add its own color and rub it in.

If you want an oil-based varnish, you'll need one with tung, which smells and looks a bit hazy to me, even with these old eyes, or a modified soy oil vehicle. I think water-based are too cold. Check what's on the neighbors' shelves and try it on a few sanded scraps and see what you favor.
 
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Thank you for all of the help.

The spindle was a handle for a gavel that I made. The "washing" process helped quite a bit. I ended up using a shellac finish. The project is more a learning experience than a functional end product. I don't have much use for a gavel, except as an attitude adjuster. The dark splotchy areas lightened quite a bit and ended up acceptable. I definitely learned from the experience.

Thanks again,

Ron
 
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