[adymusgrave99]

Hi folks,
I'm looking for advice about how to fix a sanding problem that I've hit on one of my reclaimed doors. It weighs a tonne so I think it's oak, and I've sanded the whole door to remove the old stain/varnish. However, on a few of the bottom panels of the door, the sanding has revealed some darker/orange patches (see photo). I've tried a few things to sort this out - additional sanding just seems to make the patches even more dark/orange, and wood bleach hasn't really worked either (and just made it look more blotchy). It's probably something simple and I've made a school-boy error, but any advice would be appreciated as I want to get this sorted before waxing it.

Many thanks!

 

[DrRobert]

I could be wrong, but it looks like pine to me. If it’s that heavy, maybe heart pine. I see resin pockets, and the grain of the frame at least sure looks like pine. If I’m right, heart pine or old growth pine is notorious for resin pockets and resin impregnated wood, which maybe holding on to the finish or stain? That would seem to add up if it’s acting like that. Is there any turpentine type odor? Is the sandpaper gumming up?

If you’re going to wax it, I would consider wiping it down with a solvent like naphtha to remove oil or resin, and try a tinted wax maybe that would even out the color.

Sometimes you have to accept what nature has given you. 😁

 

[adymusgrave99]

Thanks for the response - very helpful. I haven't noticed any odor, and the sandpaper isn't gumming up (if anything, those patches are smoother than the rest of the door). I will definitely wipe down with a solvent before waxing though, and try some tinted wax.

 

[Steve Neul]

First of all any time you refinish wood it should start with chemically removing the old finish. Sanding a finish off is for cars not a material which the finish soaks into it. You have spots where the finish is still there. If it were stripped with paint stripper and then sanded again the wood would be uniform color. Now, having said that because the government has banned to the public the chemical which makes paint strippers effective it's not a very DIY thing to do. Your best bet would be to take it to a professional refinisher and have it stripped. Just don't have one of those places that dip wood do it. The dip turns the wood a little green and leaches salt out for years afterwards. In very damp weather it re-activates the sodium hydroxide.

 

[Olwoodguy]

Not oak. Some variety of long leaf pine. And old growth to boot. Tight straight grain, resin odors. Absolutely beautiful lumber there. A score man. Id grab it in a heartbeat. Eh I like it, classy. Can't get it anymore.
I'd try a fresh cabinet scraper. Should take off the rest of the finish that's blotchy. And remove just enough wood to bring it back. Watch the resin as stated but celibate it. Find a way to accent those beautiful tight knots. I would put a minwax brand golden oak on it to express the wood tight wood grain. Maybe even try some tinting with an orange shellac around those knots after that. Use a q tip n play around with bringing the knots out for all they got.
Those are the supplies I use. And have adopted to work for me. Others have great ideas to. I'm familiar with my style so just what I do.
Those boards likely came from old growth pine from the tongas national forest area. Extremely valuable for violins because of the tight grain and the effects of the resins every piece is different n unique. Using the grains to create the musical notes took many years. I got a stack of 7" baseboard from an old house all old growth. When I planed it the shop smelled like a blanket box.
That's a real nice door n you should be able the restore it to a piece of art again.
Good luck n have fun, learn

 

[yomanbill]

I'm guessing, but it looks to me like the door was exposed to the weather and sun for a while. The grey part looks like sun fading (greying) and the orange colored areas are the natural color that was shielded from the sun by something. If that is true, I don't really have an answer for a fix. I think it would take a lot of sanding to get it all back to bare wood again. I wonder if a two part bleach (A-B bleach) would even it out. If it does, you would end up with a colorless surface. Frankly, I think it gives it an old antique character and you might just work with it as is.

 

[adymusgrave99]

Thanks very much for all the advice. Good to know it's pine rather than oak, and I'll try some of your suggestions and see what happens! Thanks again.

 

[small wood projects]

I've used caustic soda baths to strip several layers of paint off the doors in my home and they all came out that faded grey colour.. I've had to sand them to get the orange back.. Maybe you could reverse this process by wetting the orange bits with caustic soda crystals mixed with water to re-grey it..