# White Stain on Teak Table



## akimbo (Mar 8, 2014)

Just bought this 1970's Danish table made by Gangsø Møbler. One end has a large white stain which is also raised about 1/16". It has a solid teak pedestal but the table top is teak veneered. Looks like the veneer on the edges is 1/8" thick. Can't tell how thick the top veneer is. Any ideas about how I might remove this stain? I'm hoping I wont have to replace the veneer. I've read that folks are having success with using a steam iron and cloth to take out white water rings in wood, but this looks like a much more serious situation. Your thoughts are appreciated.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The white spot is blush where water has gotten into the finish. Sometimes if you sit something hot on a table it will draw moisture out of the wood into the finish. More than likely it has a lacquer finish on it. I normally test the spot with a tiny drop of lacquer thinner to see if the spot will melt away and not lift. If it works then flood the spot with thinner and just let it sit and dry. Sometimes it needs a fresh coat of finish on the top to make the spot go away.


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## Manuka Jock (Jun 27, 2011)

Check out this thread
"Please Help! Might have ruined boss's desk"


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## akimbo (Mar 8, 2014)

Yes, the seller wondered if something hot had been left on the surface. Thanks for the tip about lacquer thinner. I'll try it.


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## akimbo (Mar 8, 2014)

Manuka Jock said:


> Check out this thread
> "Please Help! Might have ruined boss's desk"


Well, I don't think that lighting my table on fire is going to be my first stab at the problem, but good to know. )


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

akimbo said:


> Well, I don't think that lighting my table on fire is going to be my first stab at the problem, but good to know. )


I wouldn't completely blow it off. Charles Neil has a lot of experience in finishing. I plan to try it myself but until I see it for myself I'm reluctant to recommend it. I have used lacquer thinner however there is the danger that if the finish is a varnish the lacquer thinner is so hot it can lift varnish. There is just a risk to either solution.


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## akimbo (Mar 8, 2014)

*The Results of Using the Ironing Technique*

Well, after reviewing the suggestions, and not having any lacquer thinner on hand, I decided to try the ironing method as described here (http://www.finishing.com/85/75.shtml) I was pleasantly surprised with one very good result and one so-so. Interesting that under the white is often some dark stain. Even the so-so one is a result I could almost live with. The teak wood veneer in the area of the stain is raised up about 3mm higher than the rest of the table. Must have been a serious accident there. I'm afraid to sand it for fear of hitting the substrate. 
I'm wondering if the table top veneer is usually the same as the edge veneer which is 3mm. Anyone care to speculate about this late 1970's Danish table made by Gangsø Møbler? Either way, I suspect that matching the colour after sanding would be a challenge. My brother suggested peeling off the veneer, sanding down the substrate to make it flat then re-applying the veneer and sanding carefully. I think that's too risky.
Incidentally, I used the ironing technique on our oak dining table and managed to almost completely remove 4 water rings. Only hitch was that in a few areas the finish raised up a little. We used some 0000 steel wool to smooth those areas out and reapplied some MinWax. Pretty darned amazing.


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## warped wood (Dec 31, 2013)

Teak is very sensitive to light, it will never be perfect but leave it in a spot that gets even sun, a week or two and you will see a change. Delt with alot of teak when i worked for a scandinavain furniture dealer years back. Table runners and place mats do the same thing, the damaged finish protected the wood from natural sun fade.


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## akimbo (Mar 8, 2014)

warped wood said:


> Teak is very sensitive to light, it will never be perfect but leave it in a spot that gets even sun, a week or two and you will see a change...


I'm not sure I understand. Are you suggesting I purposely put the teak in direct sunlight? For what purpose?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

akimbo said:


> Well, after reviewing the suggestions, and not having any lacquer thinner on hand, I decided to try the ironing method as described here (http://www.finishing.com/85/75.shtml) I was pleasantly surprised with one very good result and one so-so. Interesting that under the white is often some dark stain. Even the so-so one is a result I could almost live with. The teak wood veneer in the area of the stain is raised up about 3mm higher than the rest of the table. Must have been a serious accident there. I'm afraid to sand it for fear of hitting the substrate.
> I'm wondering if the table top veneer is usually the same as the edge veneer which is 3mm. Anyone care to speculate about this late 1970's Danish table made by Gangsø Møbler? Either way, I suspect that matching the colour after sanding would be a challenge. My brother suggested peeling off the veneer, sanding down the substrate to make it flat then re-applying the veneer and sanding carefully. I think that's too risky.
> Incidentally, I used the ironing technique on our oak dining table and managed to almost completely remove 4 water rings. Only hitch was that in a few areas the finish raised up a little. We used some 0000 steel wool to smooth those areas out and reapplied some MinWax. Pretty darned amazing.


The outcome would have been much the same had you used lacquer thinner. The wood has just gotten some water stain into the wood as well. At least you know now the damage isn't isolated to the finish only. The only solution at this point is to refinish the table. It would need to first be stripped with a paint and varnish remover and then sanded. With the veneer being 3mm there should be plenty of wood to sand the spots out. Then you could wipe the wood down with mineral spirits to see what the color looks like. I suspect you won't need to stain it in any way, just move on to a clear finish. If you used a polyurethane it would be less likely to get the same spots in it again.


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## warped wood (Dec 31, 2013)

After a few years the color fade of teak slows down, if you have uneven color due to table runners, center peices exc..exc.. leaving it in the sun will help to even out the discoloration


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## warped wood (Dec 31, 2013)

By clearing up the stain you have efectivly exsposed part of the table that has been covered, the dark is closer to new teak rhe golden brown is aged


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