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Holly stains

I was recently given a small pickup truck load of American Holly. It was cut in early Jun06 in Maryland & already hacked into firewood lengths by the time I heard about it. A couple of the logs are 16 -

18" in diameter! I gave away 2/3 of it to other woodworkers so it wouldn't go bad on me & to spread the wealth. I'm turning some bowls & stuff out of it but it is often getting a blue-gray stain as it dries. Not always, though.

I've tried cutting it thin & air drying as well as microwave drying. Neither seems to make a difference - some pieces in some areas get some stain. When ever I apply too much heat, such as high points when sanding on the lathe, it definitely stains. (gets color? Not sure that stain is the correct word.) The stain happens fast, not a result of sitting around wet or anything, so I'm sure it isn't a fungus or mold.

The stain can't be sanded off, at least not to the depth I've been willing to go, although I've dug down between an 1/16 - 1/8" or so & gotten to white. Household bleach causes more of the same stain, so I'm guessing it's an oxidation reaction. (That's a guess, I'm no chemist.) The one local hardware store I stopped by so far didn't have oxalyic acid, so I'm going to try another one, but if anyone has any advice on this, I'd appreciate it.

I want to get the wood back to it's natural white color or, failing that, at least a uniform shade of pale & really don't want to paint, stain or put on a wash, if I can help it. In some cases the staining doesn't look too bad, but in others, where it stains part of a knot, for instance, really looks bad.

I've wanted Holly for a long time. It's great to work with & seems to be very stable when drying - I generally turn a finished bowl & then dry it which can be a problem with some woods since they'll check up a lot. This Holly seems to be pretty immune to that. I hate wasting even a small scrap, so any other tips are appreciated.

TIA,

Jim

Reply to
Jim
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The same thing happens with magnolia for me. It may be the sap reacting to the iron in the turning tools. For a test, try end sealing a piece and allow it to dry before turning. See if it turns while simply drying. (magnolia often does).

Reply to
Gerald Ross

Try wood bleach on a small piece.

The only holly I've turned was dry, sometimes it turns and sometimes it doesn't.

Reply to
Brent Beal

Blue sap stain sets in in several days, nothing you can do. Holly must be cut in winter and dried quick to avoid it. You have spalted Holly which has green-gray shades. Bleach will change something!! Try it and see if you like it.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Howell

Thanks, all. I did try the wood bleach & it removed the stain the household bleach made & lightened the natural staining some.

I will try drying some, but I really like to turn green wood, for the most part. I wish I had some control over when & how the tree was cut, but I didn't.

I was sent another tip to always store it on end because it will stain on the ground contact side.

Thanks again, Jim

Reply to
Jim

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