oxalic acid on cherry

[vanderpooch]

Hello all,

I know this is way off the Festool topic, but I am wondering how many of you furniture/cabinet guys have used oxalic acid to remove stains from cherry.

I am building a cabinet for some friends and due to the size and location of my shop (backyard mini-garage) I have to cut outside. As I'm assembling, I notice a few small stains on my cherry plywood case. I don't know if they ar from a bird, a bug, a tree... Tried wiping them first with water, then with denatured alcohol, then laquer thinner, and finally acetone. Nothing! I did a very light sanding, but I'm too paranoid about going through the veneer to do much more.

I can try the acid on some scrap first, just wondered about any first hand experience out there.

Thanks and happy long weekend.

-Kit

 

[Eli]

Bummed you haven't gotten a response, I'm interested. Share your scrap pile experience....

 

[The Dude]

"Don't do the oxcilic acid"  Isn't that what they announced at Woodstock?  Never tried it dude...I too am interested in the knowledge of the all-knowing FOG!

Timmy C

 

[Tim Sproul]

oxalic acid - aka deck cleaner - can be used to clean high tannin woods like cherry.  Oxalic acid will clean stains due to iron exposure - such as using a steel headed hammer to nail copper tacks on Shaker oval boxes or having steel on the finger tips from sharpening tools and then handling cherry or oak or similar wooods.

 

[vanderpooch]

I mixed up some acid the other day. It took the gray stains right off the cherry without affecting the color whatsoever.

Pretty low tech and a good thing to have in the shop if you work with cherry a lot.

-Kit

 

[Eli]

Kit-
Did you have to clean it off the surface or neutralize it before you put a finish on?

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Finally, a good use for (over)cooked spinach!!

Dave R.

 

[Tim Sproul]

Kit-
Did you have to clean it off the surface or neutralize it before you put a finish on?

I've sprayed waterborne (Target USL) and sprayed/wiped alcohol cut shellac directly over the oxalic acid treated surface without difficulty.

 

[vanderpooch]

I rinsed it really well with distilled water, let it dry, sanded with 220, and then finished it. No problems.  And I now have a lifetime supply of acid crystals.

- Kit