Fuming!

[petersb]

Any fuming experts out there?

Does fuming work on mahogany, and if so, it gets darker by fuming?

I am reading a book about finishing and it says that the fuming works by interacting with the tannin in the wood and oak is the only wood referenced in the fuming example.

I guess that I could take a scrap of mahogany and try it myself, and now that I have said it, I will. What results have any of you had with fuming, and with mahogany would be great.

Thanks

[PaulMarcel]

A dilute solution of lye will darken mahogany. I haven't done it, but a friend, Peter (not on this forum yet) did it for a customer and it's night and day difference, in less than 5 minutes. He used Red Devil Drain Cleaner. 8 tbsp/gallon of water. Same ratio will age cherry in 5 minutes (but give it overnight to see the settled result). The cherry part was apparently part of a FWW article, but I don't have a reference. Peter tried it on mahogany since he had another build going on and it worked well... so he used it He recommends that brand of drain cleaner as it doesn't have a lot of other stuff that messes with the wood.

[petersb]

A dilute solution of lye will darken mahogany. I haven't done it, but a friend, Peter (not on this forum yet) did it for a customer and it's night and day difference, in less than 5 minutes. He used Red Devil Drain Cleaner. 8 tbsp/gallon of water. Same ratio will age cherry in 5 minutes (but give it overnight to see the settled result). The cherry part was apparently part of a FWW article, but I don't have a reference. Peter tried it on mahogany since he had another build going on and it worked well... so he used it He recommends that brand of drain cleaner as it doesn't have a lot of other stuff that messes with the wood.

After I made the post, I read the next section in the book, and it talked about applying the ammonia directly to the wood for the same effect. From what I read, mahogany is high in tannic acid (tannin) and does well with fuming and the directly applied method. The benefit that I see to the fuming is that the grain doesn't get raised, but having to have an area to fume it in is a con if the piece it large, and it takes about 24 hours. Applying it directly saves time and space, but raises the grain. I guess that I will have to experiment and see what method I like best is.

I don't know if I read this, or saw it in one of the videos, or where I think I heard this, but, I thought that Marc The WoodWhisperer talked about doing something with fuming for the audience... or maybe it was milk paint... whatever, now I'm getting confused.

I guess all of this to say thanks for the tip on the drain cleaner. Drain cleaner on my wood projects? It sounds kind of SCARY!

[HoboMonk]

My favorite reactive dye for mahogany is Potassium Dichromate (Bichromate of Potash).

Here's a source: Garrett Wade

IMNSHO, it's much better than fuming mahogany.

[petersb]

My favorite reactive dye for mahogany is Potassium Dichromate (Bichromate of Potash).

Here's a source: Garrett Wade

IMNSHO, it's much better than fuming mahogany.

Thanks Hobo, I will look into this.

[iSawitFirst]

An alternative is to go ahead and raise the grain with water. Let it dry and final sand with 320 grit. Rewetting won't raise the grain again.

[thewoodwhisperer]

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you research the chemical and take the proper safety precautions. The stuff that works the best is usually the most dangerous, lol.

[Gregory Paolini]

Industrial ammonia is nasty stuff - Be carefull, as it can cause skin burns, and send you to the hospital fast with respiratory "concerns".

Anyway, The ammonia fumes oak, cherry, hickory - It works a bit with beech and maple as well - But better with High tannin woods.

-Gregory