200+ woodworking book reviews

WoodCentral Forums

Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998

Maple discoloring

Posts

Maple discoloring

#1

Maple discoloring

Bud Gabaree

>I've recently begun finish turning some maple blanks that I roughed some time ago. I was really looking forward to these pieces because the spalting is significant.

Did the first one last night and was really disappointed. Along with the spalting came the nasty blue/grey/mottled/splotching stains. It looks like all of my roughs have the same ugly discoloring.

Has anyone out there figured out if there is a way to address this? Once set in, can this be bleached out, or will I have to settle for this?

What did I do wrong to allow this stain to creep in?

Can ya help a brother out?

Thanks, Bud

Re: Maple discoloring

#2

Re: Maple discoloring

Bob Hackett

>If the maple is soft maple then it`s just the nature of the beast.If you haven`t put an oil finish on it yet give that a try,sometimes it doesn`t look as ugly with the finish on it.

You could try bleaching,you`ve got little to lose.I`ve seen afew spalted pieces that bleaching gave a nice weathered effect to,like they sat on the beach for afew seasons.

Mainely,Bob

Re: Maple discoloring

#3

Re: Maple discoloring

Mike Schwing from Md.

>What Bob says, and quite a few people seem to really like the way the blue stains look. I have a lot of silver maple pieces that get all sorts of blue/brown/grey stains in them to go along with the ambrosia tracks, and while I might prefer a more "pure" piece of wood, customers don't necessarily agree. Oil finishes will highlight them, lacquers won't. I like both for different reasons.

You can't really keep blue stain from encroaching on your soft maple/poplar/etc. It is an oxidation reaction more so than a fungal one.

Re: Maple discoloring

#4

Re: Maple discoloring

JL work

>When the problem is "fungal" as opposed to oxidation, you might try spraying the blanks or the roughed pieces with a dilute solution of household bleach or even Lysol. If you have an open porus structure, the molds/fungi (and sometime algae) grow and stain the surrounding material. Once the "stain" is set, it is somewhat difficult to get out.

Re: Maple discoloring

#5

Re: Maple discoloring

Gary in Zirconia,NC

>Blue stain can be stopped for a while. I visited a saw mill and they spray all their maple with a spray for it. They said it will stop it for a while. Maybe a few days till they can get their lumber in the kiln. I tried to get some spray from them and they said to go to Lowes and get it since they have it. Lowes told me they did'nt have it and didn't seem to know anything about it.

Re: Maple discoloring

#6

Re: Maple discoloring

Mac

>The stain can sometimes be stopped by heavy spraying with lemon juice concentrate. The common one found in most grocery stores. As soon as you see any discoloration,mist the wood with the juice.Spray again before you put it up to dry,or before you put it in the kiln.This works a good part of the time for me, hope it helps you also.....good luck...Mac

Re: Maple discoloring

#7

Re: Maple discoloring

Bob Hackett

>Would that be the same lemon juice that will remove those unsightly black stains and mildew from the surface of green turnings?You`re a regular household genius Mac.

Mainely,Bob-Who now remembers who it was that showed him the lemon juice trick.