Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details)
Congratulations to Keven Jesequel for "Big Leaf Maple" being selected as Turning of the Week for April 15, 2024
(click here for details)
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
Can anybody tell me if it's possible to bleach 3/4" Maple, birch, or even poplar completely through the wood. If not then how deep will bleaching penetrate?
Impossible to bleach through thick wood. I don't know of anyone that bleaches wood and then continues to work it, it's more of a finish process. I've never measured the depth, but suspect something like .04" to .06" depending on wood density.
@Sid Bright, In order to get bleach or anything else to penetrate any significant distance under vacuum, the wood needs to be bone dry. However, even this won't help much when using wood bleach (a mixture of sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide) because the bleaching process is a chemical reaction in which the bleach is very quickly neutralized as it comes in contact with the extractives in wood. If you are bleaching an open-grained wood the bleach would penetrate slightly deeper than it would in closed-grain wood.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.