Tru Oil on veneer desktop? removing water stains, etc.

[hawkman71]

I've used Tru Oil an old Savage sxs stock (birch) and I thought it looked great. I've used it on a piece of walnut that I used for a antler mount (see photo). I'd like to use Tru Oil on my desktop in my office. It's a big, old, veneer-top desk. Either the top was stripped at some time, never finished, or the finish is worn thin - maybe a satin finish anyway. I can't tell. It seems bare to me. It has a fair number of stains from water, coffee, tea, whatever.

I plan to sand it down by hand using sandpaper with a range of grit. I might start at 200 and see what happens, and then progress to finer, maybe to 600 (?)

I then considered using Tru-Oil, hand-rubbed on the surface. I don't think I can apply a polyurethane over top of TO, can I? I might not want to or need to.

Any thoughts, recommendations, experience?


Thanks.

 

[grfox92]

You can buy a can of Minwax Poly shades at walmart or your local hardware store for $10. It's stain and Polyurethane in one step.

Do that instead of messing with Tru Oil which is probably sub par for the application.

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[orionsbrother]

I’m a coatings guy. It’s walnut. Probably a veneer.

Do a couple of applications of Oxalic Acid Wood Bleach. Sand afterwards, with the grain, 120-150 grit.

Wipe the desk top down with Paint Thinner/Mineral Spirits. If you like the appearance when the wood is wet with the thinner, let it dry and apply a few coats of polyurethane.

If the Oxalic Acid lightened the wood more than you want, stain the wood and then apply the polyurethane.

 

[4rcgoat]

Most veneers are very thin so be careful with sanding,very easy to sand right through to the backer underneath.

 

[James_Miller]

I’m a coatings guy. It’s walnut. Probably a veneer.

Do a couple of applications of Oxalic Acid Wood Bleach. Sand afterwards, with the grain, 120-150 grit.

Wipe the desk top down with Paint Thinner/Mineral Spirits. If you like the appearance when the wood is wet with the thinner, let it dry and apply a few coats of polyurethane.

If the Oxalic Acid lightened the wood more than you want, stain the wood and then apply the polyurethane.

I use Oxalic acid for mite treatment with honeybees but have seen videos of it being used to renew fences. Would you expect it to "wash" away the staining on his tabletop?

 

[orionsbrother]

I do not know if the Oxalic Acid that you use for your honeybees is the same as the Oxalic Acid Wood Bleach. Savogran packages the Oxalic Acid Wood Bleach. It is readily available in most paint and hardware stores.

You mix it with hot water and apply with a brush. Work it with the brush with additional applications until you’ve lightened the stains and wood. Rinse repeatedly with water. Allow to dry. Sand lightly with the grain using 150 grit or so. Stain and then apply polyurethane.

I actually prefer the two part wood bleach that is now under the Klean Strip label, but it is harder to source.

The tannin stains on the desk don’t appear too bad. I would suspect that an application or two of wood bleach with proper clean-up and light sanding will take care of them. An application of stain a day or two later and then a few coats of polyurethane after that and that desk will be looking sharp.

 

[hawkman71]

You can buy a can of Minwax Poly shades at walmart or your local hardware store for $10. It's stain and Polyurethane in one step.

Do that instead of messing with Tru Oil which is probably sub par for the application.

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Oof. I bought a large bottle of Tru-Oil a year ago for this project.
Weird, b/c I have used MinWax stain and polyurethane most of my life for all woodworking projects until I refinished a cheap birch stock on a Stevens SxS. Then I used the rest on that Euro Mount.

Why do you think it would be subpar? In what way, is what I'm asking. Thanks, btw.