Cabin Table Refinishing - What to do with discolored "spots"?

[salar]

If it isn't a solid timber table, and you don't want to sand further, I would firstly apply a layer of vanish to the whole table. I would then add some stain to your varnish (I have used maple stain to darken teak) and apply this only to the discolored spots. You can apply this more than once.If you are not happy with the result, it is easily sanded off. Once you have obtained a similar color, apply several coats of unstained varnish to the whole table. If you apply the stain, or a stain varnish mix directly to the discolored spots without first applying the unstained varnish,you will not be able to sand it off as it will penetrate deeply.

[Tayana42]

I've had some success at furniture finish restoration with Formsby's Finish Restorer. It will diminish cup rings and other blemishes. It spreads the existing finish over the damaged area.

https://www.amazon.com/Formbys-30013.../dp/B0014JGFYG

[kryg]

Hard to tell but possibly I had experienced the same problem. The discoloration happened in my case because of a slight dampness trapped in the varnish, it could be through spill water or some liquid some time ago.

The I way I solved it was to heat a stainless steel tea pot and place a paper napkin over the discoloration and the hot tea pot on top of the discolored area. I my case I used the s/s tea pot full of hot water to keep the heat. I left it on for an hour and the discoloration disappeared.

Good luck with it, lets know if it worked out.

Kryg S/V Skoiern IV

Originally Posted by TampaBaySailor

Hi All,

I really appreciate any advice! I am trying to refinish the cabin table from my Tartan 3500. The table-top appeared to use a polyurethane finish and had a couple deep scratches. In the course of stripping and sanding, I was able to remove the finish and fix the scratches, but in the process I "uncovered" some blonde-discoloration spots where the wood almost looks bleached. See the photos.

At first, I thought I might have sanded through a veneer, but upon very close examination the wood grain is completely continuous into and out of these light "blotches". I see no evidence of any veneer.

The spots look like the original stain is just missing. I don't have enough experience with stains to know if this is likely or possible. However, I used nothing on the surface that would have bleached the stain.

In any case, I am asking what to do about it. If these spots were not there, I would just proceed to re-stain the entire surface then put on a new polyurethane. But I don't want these light spots showing through.

Or should I somehow try to stain these spots first to blend in with the existing old stain, then stain the whole surface???

Any advice appreciated. I want this table to look good after all this work.

TampaBaySailor

[jimbunyard]

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

I believe the table is in the cabin not the cockpit so direct UV should not be as much of an issue.

As far as epoxy and UV degradation - my boat building buddy says it's easily solved by using/adding what they call "Florida additive" which is formulated specifically for the tropical sun exposure. I believe it is called V140. It does give a little bit of yellowish tint but in wood related applications this should not be a concern. And that yellowish tint is what protects the epoxy from the UV.

V140 is an accelerator, used to accelerate the cure rate and enable using some epoxies down to 35 F.

https://www.google.com/search?source...k1.v5QurpISp_Q

There are additives that purportedly make epoxy UV resistant, but since they are not part of the molecular structure of the epoxy, the epoxy exposed to UV 'between' the additive continues to deteriorate.

Nobody uses uv stable epoxy? :: Builders' Forum

West still seems to be recommending overcoating with a UV resistant material as the best solution for UV protection.

http://www.westsystem.com/instructio...nish-coatings/

I have some 'UV resistant' epoxy resin, from Resin Research, and have not been able, so far, to get satisfactory results with clearcoating various species of wood. Since I haven't gotten past the application stage, I've no idea how well the resin will hold up under UV exposure.


If you have some information on an authentic epoxy resin suitable for UV exposure, I would certainly welcome it...

[TampaBaySailor]

These are great suggestions. I am going to do a test with the heat application and a small section with oxalic acid and see what I learn.

TampaBay Sailor

[TampaBaySailor]

Here's the update:

Heat applied with an iron darkened the light spots "a bit" but nowhere near enough after 1 hour or so.

Further research on oxalic acid didn't look promising since it supposedly doesn't affect dyes or pigments used in wood-stains but rather other types of accidental stains.

Instead, I did a test with more aggressive sanding with 80-grit paper on one dark section and uncovered the lighter, unstained wood underneath which matched my "light spots".

The table top appears to be solid wood and more sanding has given me a uniform, blonde wood surface.

Thanks all!