problems with mahogany running red on maple

[godin4]

I just made a mahogany and maple end-grain cutting board and tried to finish it with salad bowl finish and mineral spirits mix, as suggested by the Wood Whisperer, and the red from the mahogany is staining the maple. I did wipe with tack cloth several times before starting. Any suggestions???

[dtrust]

I've had this same problem (with Bloodwood or Padauk and Maple). I'd be interested in what others have done as a fix.

Using an initial wipe with the salad bowl finish (or shellac) on just the maple and letting it dry first helps some, but not completely.

[godin4]

I ended up sanding it all back down again and spraying the salad bowl finish (alone) on first instead of wiping it on, let it set for a few minutes, then wiped with a cloth for initial coat. It seems to have worked.

[Morton]

I just played around with this myself. I've got a cutting board that is Paduk (red) and Hard Maple (white). I got the same problem as you when I tried to wipe on denatured alcohol trying to clean off the last of the sand-dust. Went back to the sander to get out the pink.

Since I don't have a sprayer, what I did was pour on the finish - literally poured onto the board. I tilted the board left and right to get the finish all over the top. I did the same on the other side. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes and then carefully wiped off the excess. No bleed. Should be good to go now.

[dtrust]

Morton, that sounds like a good idea. I think I'll try that on an upcoming project. I have no spray equipment yet either. (except for cans, not very cost effective)