Mahogany - darkening - how long? - Turning - Woodworking

Mahogany - darkening - how long?

1/13/04, 4:26 AM #1

Dave Shombert
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Mahogany - darkening - how long?

Dave Shombert

>I'm working on a piece that is partly HOnduras mahogany. Right now, the mahogany is fairly light in color but I know from experience that it's gonna darken. Which is fine. In fact, desirable in this case. My question is - what makes that happen? The air? The temperature? The light? If it's the light, is it the UV? Whatever it is, how long will it take? Is there anything I can do to speed the process up?

Dave Shombert

Elkinw, WV

- - -

http://www.woodspunworkshop.com I started turning wood about 50 years ago. Unfortunately, I stopped turning wood about 49 years ago. If you haven't guessed, that was high school wood shop, and my brief encounter with the lathe stayed in my memory all my working life. I retired from the US Public Health Service in 1993, moved to West Virginia, bought a lathe, and started back up again. Soon afterward, I met an old man who had been a mouldmaker and patternmaker in the glass industry that once thrived here. I spent a year learning his method of segmented turning - different in the preparation stage from most methods used today - and he became my mentor and friend. More than anything, I learned patience from him. I still do segmented work (using his method) but have now branched out into some other areas. Along the way, I moved up to a Robust American Beauty lathe. I sell my work in a few galleries and I find tremendous satisfaction in woodturning. I'm also an old-time fiddler and square dance caller, and I spend more time with that in the summer, more time in the shop in the winter. Take a look at my website to see my shop and some of my work.

Re: Mahogany - darkening - how long?

1/13/04, 6:26 AM #2

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey
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Re: Mahogany - darkening - how long?

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>I think in the case of mahogany, it is oxidation, and it is really slow. Curiously, walnut goes the other direction, and by the time a century has passed, they're both about the same color.

Of course, just applying a finish will darken it somewhat. Have you tried experimenting with a piece of scrap? I usually use a mixture of burnt umber and van dyke brown, mixed with BLO and thinned with mineral spirits to get it to the color I want. For a more consistent color, especially if you need to match several pieces of mahogany that are starting out with different colors, a lot of people who do reproductions bleach it first, with lye, and then use the pigments or dyes of their choice.

Re: Mahogany - darkening - how long?

1/13/04, 1:49 PM #3

Ron Sardo in PA
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Re: Mahogany - darkening - how long?

Ron Sardo in PA

>Light (UV) will darken Mahogany. Take a scrap piece and cut in half, set one in full sun light, the other keep in the dark. You'll find that it will get a little darker in a day or less. Over the course of years, mahogany will continue to slowly darken. Of course, you may not want to keep that scrap out that long.

Re: Mahogany - darkening - how long?

1/15/04, 4:07 AM #4

Dave Shombert
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Registered: 1/9/04
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Thanks, guys!

Dave Shombert

>

- - -

http://www.woodspunworkshop.com I started turning wood about 50 years ago. Unfortunately, I stopped turning wood about 49 years ago. If you haven't guessed, that was high school wood shop, and my brief encounter with the lathe stayed in my memory all my working life. I retired from the US Public Health Service in 1993, moved to West Virginia, bought a lathe, and started back up again. Soon afterward, I met an old man who had been a mouldmaker and patternmaker in the glass industry that once thrived here. I spent a year learning his method of segmented turning - different in the preparation stage from most methods used today - and he became my mentor and friend. More than anything, I learned patience from him. I still do segmented work (using his method) but have now branched out into some other areas. Along the way, I moved up to a Robust American Beauty lathe. I sell my work in a few galleries and I find tremendous satisfaction in woodturning. I'm also an old-time fiddler and square dance caller, and I spend more time with that in the summer, more time in the shop in the winter. Take a look at my website to see my shop and some of my work.

Re: Mahogany - darkening - how long?

1/18/04, 5:31 AM #5

Russ Fairfield
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Re: Mahogany - darkening - how long?

Russ Fairfield

>Mahogany can be darkened quickly by bringing out the natural colors with a lye. Drano works. Follow that with a week in bright sunlight.

There are two articles in the Articles Archives here at Wood Central. Look under the "Finishing" index for 2 articles, one on coloring and the other on finishing mahogany.

Re: Mahogany - darkening - how long?

1/18/04, 10:23 PM #6

Garrett in Victoria BC CA
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Here's How *LINK*

Garrett in Victoria BC CA

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Darkening Mahogany

Mahogany - darkening - how long?

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