Eliminate Black Wood from Mahogany

[Sjmurphy]

Hello! I am brand new to the group but have owned Whalers for over 30 years. I live in south Florida and have been on the water since I was a child.

Currently I am restoring my 1986 SPORT 13. How do I remove the black stains on my mahogany due to water soaking in?

I am replacing the thwart seats and I want my old console to match as closely as possible. I don't want to bleach it as I have seen that on other boats and it looks terrible.

I have sanded down to bare wood and I wish to remove as much black as possible before varnishing. What do you recommend I use to remove black stains on mahogany? Also what should I seal or treat the wood with before varnishing?

Sanded wood:
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l60 ... jmx6gd.jpg

Wiped with mineral spirits to show water intrusion:
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l60 ... 56oewj.jpg

http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l60 ... otu8wr.jpg

Thank you all in advance for your advice!

Sean

[BobL]

I’ve had the most success eliminating the black around the screw holes of an old console by drilling halfway through the screw hole with a 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch Forstner bit and then filling the hole with a mahogany bung or plug. The technique accomplishes two things. It eliminates most of the black and gives you solid wood to re-drill a new screw hole. Larger black spots around the old screw holes require a larger size bung. You will get the best result if you use a bung cutter to make your own bungs. If you can use a scrap piece of your mahogany to make the bungs; the match will be very close. I used the wood cleat that attached my old console to the floor of my 13’ Sport. The cleat was too far gone to reuse but had enough solid wood to make some bungs. Be sure to align the grain of the bungs and they will be almost invisible.

I’m not sure there is a way to get the black stains out chemically. Wood bleach only lightens the wood a little. Once you refinish your console, you can avoid future water penetration around the screws by using stainless steel washers below the trim rings of the screws. The washers keep the trim rings from cutting through the varnish and allowing water to soak into the wood. I learned that trick a number of years ago from a CW member but I don't remember who to credit. Good luck with your restoration.

[Sjmurphy]

Thanks. I will try that.

[Einar2]

Oxalic acid - works wonders. Check out some of the YouTube videos on it.

Al