Tim Greif - West of Chicago
I have no idea what that contamination was. I sanded the whole board to bare wood and sprayed three light coats of dewaxed shellac as a barrier. It then took the ebony glaze just like the other pieces. After the glaze dries for a few days, I'll coat everything with Minwax poly.

In case anybody wondered, Zinsser's spray can shellac is dewaxed shellac and is perfect for use as a quick apply barrier over stains or other contamination prior to using other finishes if needed.