# Green streaks in oak table



## Carrie128 (Apr 8, 2013)

I sanded old finish off oak table. When I applied walnut stain 1 board was coming out much different in coloring & has green stripes. I put more stain on it and the color is a close match, but still has green stripes. Should I sand then bleach the board to try and get rid of green? Then apply stain again, or try something else? Please help.


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

Oak may take on a greenish hue when fumed with Ammonia. As the Ammonia dissipates, the green goes away. The green depends upon the amount of tannin ion the oak.

Some water based finishing products have or develop a slight Ammonia smell as they cure.

Let your table top just sit in an open area and the green should go away naturally. Sun light would help a little to speed the process. Usually when I fume an oak piece the green is gone in a few days or so.


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## Carrie128 (Apr 8, 2013)

I used oil base stain, and I already put 1 coat of polyurethane on table. Will the green still go away?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I think the problem is the way you stripped the table. It's always best to use a chemical remover to take the finish off rather than sanding. I think the green strips is probably some of the original finish embedded in the wood. Can you post a picture?. It's difficult to guess what you are up against from the description. Without further info I would recommend stripping the table top with paint and varnish remover and when dry sand the table top again before staining. 

Another possibility is the stain wasn't stirred thoroughly. A wood stain is like thin paint with different pigments which separate while on the store shelf. If the brew isn't stirred well you can get the different pigments separately.


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## Carrie128 (Apr 8, 2013)

I stripped it down and bleached section with green streaks, but they won't go away. Attached are photos. Thanks for your help.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

It looks like the streaks are either pigment or dye that has stained the wood. Since you have bleached it the only option left would be to sand it off. You may have to start with an orbital sander and 80 grit paper to get the majority of the color off and then work you way down to fine sandpaper. It also helps if you wet the wood with water from time to time sanding to raise the grain. It will make your sanding more effective.


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## Midlandbob (Sep 5, 2011)

The colour is in the late wood between the ring porous bands. This means it is not a particle pigment like most wood stains. It has to be a chemical colour probably from some reaction. Iron reacts with the tannins to usually make a purplish -blue colour. Perhaps some other metal or reaction caused the greenish tones.
You could try slicing off a bit to see how deep it goes. Maybe it can be sanded off but metal stains can go deep.
You could still stain it to a brown colour by adding the right amount of red aniline dye.. If you want it dark, try a bit of vinegar steel wool solution to a "hidden" area as a test.
You leave a bit of steel wool in vinegar overnight and use it on oak the next day as. Long as there is no finish on the wood.
If you get a good answer, let us know.


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

Maybe I missed something but is this a solid wood or a veneer top?


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## Carrie128 (Apr 8, 2013)

*Green steaks*

I got the green steaks out. I sanded it, then bleached it, then sanded and sanded it getting it wet while sanding. It then started to turn black so I bleached it and let it dry overnight. I stained it then let it dry and stained it again. I am now waiting for it to dry so I can stain the board that does not match the rest of the table. It is obviously not the same wood as rest of the table.


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