Black Water Stain Removal


Black Water Stain Removal

I acquired an old Belding Hall Company oak ice box that I wanted to refinish. The ice box had an ugly 6-inch diameter black water stain on its top that I attempted to remove by scraping and sanding without success.

I did some research on the Internet, found a product that said it would remove black water marks from wood, ordered it, and here is the process and result:

I had already removed all the finish from the top of the ice box. I mixed a tablespoon of Dap Wood Bleach in a cup of warm water, applied the mixture with a 1-inch paint brush, and let it sit for about 30 minutes. I applied a second coat and let that sit for another 30 minutes. I repeated the same process 8 times until the black water stain was completly removed. I then applied the Wood Bleach to the entire top and let it sit for 30 minutes because I was concerned that the bleached area would be lighter than the rest of the top. This step was probably not necessary. Finally, I wiped the top 7 times using a water-soaked rag that I rinsed thorougly between each wipe.

The result of this process was amazing to me. I would never have believed that a black water stain could have been removed from the oak top without discoloring or damaging the wood. This is obviously a process I can count on in the future.

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