Expert: Eileen Cronk - 2/4/2008

Question
I purchased two large interesting mango bowls, but they looked dry and lacked life. I wanted to stain them with a stain I've used on other furniture, but it didn't take it, and looked terrible (attempted stain on one bowl only). I then tried teak oil, since I have a teak bench & it looked great with the oil. Nothing! The mango wood isn't taking the oil or stain. The stain looks strange & streaky. I've stained and finished many times, but have never had mango wood before. It's quite odd, but I loved the bowl's wavy shape. Any ideas?  
Thank you,
Maryanne G

Answer
Hi Maryanne
Nice to hear from you.
To my knowledge I have never seen a piece of mango wood.
Good start isn't it LOL.
Actually Maryanne I just did a search about this wood and it appears that what you are experiencing is a characteristic of this particular wood.
I took the pertanent paragraphs from the site.
As follows...
"As mango wood is a hard and dense wood, it is excellent for making furniture, provided it is properly treated and kiln dried. The factory which makes our mango wood furniture here at West Art Furnishings started 10 years ago in Indonesia. It was only after two years of experimentation that they found the best method to treat the wood against decay, cracking and discoloration from the sap.
As an additional result of this process, the wood is able to retain its diverse hues and shades, allowing each piece of furniture to exhibit colour variations unlike any other wood, from a multitude of browns, to shades of yellow."

As you read it took the company 2 years to figure out how to stop the cracking and discoloration which you are seeing.
This discoloration comes from the sap.
Now I'd hate for you to have to keep trying for two years to get these bowls looking nice, so here's what I would do.
First you have applied oil and stain so get it off.
Use paint stripper for this. And steel wool to really rub the surface.
Even though you only put oil and stain on one bowl, use the stripper on both bowls as you have no idea what someone else may have applied.
Next get a wood sealer and apply a coat.
Wood sealer helps prevent the blotchy look that pine and maple can get so perhaps it will help here.
Next your stain. Let it dry well and see if you like it.
If not, do not apply any oil.
If the bowls still look awful get a spray can of colored lacquer and give the bowls several light coats of it....it will cover all the blotches and look very nice.
You cannot apply this lacquer over oil so don't use any.
Good Luck and great question
Regards
Eileen