Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/water stain on teak

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Expert: - 3/3/2010


Question
My espensive teak dining table has a light -- not dark -- water stain on it from water leakage from a ceramic dish. The previous advice I read referred to a dark stain. This has lightened the wood. What do you recommend?

Answer
Hi Donna, most stains are dark because they're usually the result of a plant....and the minerals and ingredients in the soil are what cause the staining. If it's light, then it was clean water and likely has removed the finish...these are usually finished with a "Danish" or "Teak" oil finish, but trying to do a spot repair on this type of spot is always nearly impossible. The whole top will likely have to be restored, or stripped and refinished if you hope to make the damage disappear.....these oils finishes are resins, phenolics, and drying oils that soak into the wood and cure hard like a varnish, but these tables usually have a very thin veneered top that inhibits the penetration of the finish, meaning that it's pretty fragile.....and easily damaged. I would try to wet the stain with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits,(wipe down the whole top) and see if the stain blends or disappears when wet. (it will reappear when it dries in a few minutes). If it does, then you could apply a coat or two of a Teak oil or something like Watco Danish oil.....please post back and I will be happy to guide you further- regards- Greg

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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