# blonde walnut



## skodajag (Jan 18, 2013)

I have a novice's question: I want to improve the finish of a cabinet (circa 1950) which I'm pretty sure is called blonde walnut: yellowish with very little grain pattern. I can't find much about this on the internet. I'm wondering in the first instance how this finish was or is achieved - for example, is the veneer bleached and then stained? If I knew this it might help me decide how to proceed. The main problem is that the scratches on the cabinet have blackened badly. Thanks in anticipation, JD.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Pictures?

G


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

You may be dealing with Butternut. Butternut is a first cousin of black walnut. It's sort of a light cream in it's natural color. Some folks use it as substitute for walnut as it can be successfully stained to a color similar to black walnut. I've also seen it bleached to an almost clear white color using a two part A/B bleach. A/B bleach removes the natural color of many woods. Many paint stores have it and I have seen it in some Home Depots or Lowe's. Follow the directions on the label and be sure to test it out on some scrap.


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## skodajag (Jan 18, 2013)

*photos*

Hopefully I've managed to upload two photos. Hopefully also, they will indicate the finish. But nothing in this world is certain, especially when it concerns me....

Thanks for your responses.


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## skodajag (Jan 18, 2013)

Hello again GeorgeC,

I uploaded a couple of pictures as you suggested and was wondering if it helped you identify the type of finish. Any thoughts at all would be appreciated.
J


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## Tilaran (Dec 22, 2012)

Either my brain is fried completely or I'm looking at 5/8 plywood in the second photo.If I'm correct drop it off at Goodwill, go to a lumberyard, and build yourself a real cabinet.


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## skodajag (Jan 18, 2013)

Yes it is ply, but it's veneered. As a first step I want to clean up the finish. Sadly I'm not yet capable of making a cabinet like this. J


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