Sun damage to furniture

[DavidRa]

This is a piece of furniture my parents had made 20 years ago and as can be seen from the pictures it had suffered some sun damage. Is this repairable to the extent that the change in colour is less noticeable. It is American Black Walnut. Is it something a hobbyist could attempt or is it a professional job.

 

[Cabinetman]

I’m sorry but I feel sure it isn’t ABW and looks a lot like Oak to me.
I have used ABW a few times and it’s always been a sort of chocolate colour.

 

[recipio]

What a nice piece of furniture. I have lots of American Black Walnut pieces that I made and they all have turned that ' muddy brown ' finish. That is why it is worth trying to make a piece out of one lot of timber to keep the colour constant. I now spray walnut with a spirit dye before finishing.
I would suggest trying some ' Rustins Finish Reviver ' which is available everywhere. It revives the wood and darkens the sun damage. Otherwise I'm sure a professional restorer would spray a walnut dye and finish to your choice.

 

[DavidRa]

I’m sorry but I feel sure it isn’t ABW and looks a lot like Oak to me.
I have used ABW a few times and it’s always been a sort of chocolate colour.

It did start off a chocolate colour but too much sun!

 

[DavidRa]

What a nice piece of furniture. I have lots of American Black Walnut pieces that I made and they all have turned that ' muddy brown ' finish. That is why it is worth trying to make a piece out of one lot of timber to keep the colour constant. I now spray walnut with a spirit dye before finishing.
I would suggest trying some ' Rustins Finish Reviver ' which is available everywhere. It revives the wood and darkens the sun damage. Otherwise I'm sure a professional restorer would spray a walnut dye and finish to your choice.

Thanks , will have a look

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

The sideboard is definitely walnut. Recipio's suggestion of using a reviver is a good one and it will depend on what was used to finish the piece as to how much success you have. If it is shellac it should work very well but if it is a pre or acid cat lacquer I doubt it will work. Try it on a drawer front first. If it does not work I'm afraid the only option will be to strip and refinish.

 

[DavidRa]

Thanks , does stripping just mean sanding down and I was wondering how deep sun damage penetrates?

 

[DavidRa]

Thanks , does stripping just mean sanding down and I was wondering how deep sun damage penetrates?

Also just found the finishing black walnut thread

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

Stripping can mean just sanding down but may mean chemical stripping first. It depends on what is on there! Sun bleaching does not usually penetrate very deep, usually sanding with 150g then 240g will do the job.

 

[SimonStevensCanes]

Is it something a hobbyist could attempt or is it a professional job.

As a hobbyist I would certainly take on something like that. For the prep/stripping, a random orbital, and some hand sanding blocks are probably all that's required. If you're going to sand it indoors then probably a dust extractor also. Following the advice above regarding finish sounds straightforward and is something I would attempt. Bear in mind that if you don't like the end result then you can strip it again and either have another go or bring in a professional.

I am by no means an expert, but a couple of things that I would keep in mind...

1. Careful not to round over the edges more than they are already as that would dramatically change the feel of the piece
2. Be mindful of the reveals for the doors/drawers, you don't want to sand them so much that you have big gaps where they are currently are not

 

[DavidRa]

As a hobbyist I would certainly take on something like that. For the prep/stripping, a random orbital, and some hand sanding blocks are probably all that's required. If you're going to sand it indoors then probably a dust extractor also. Following the advice above regarding finish sounds straightforward and is something I would attempt. Bear in mind that if you don't like the end result then you can strip it again and either have another go or bring in a professional.

I am by no means an expert, but a couple of things that I would keep in mind...

1. Careful not to round over the edges more than they are already as that would dramatically change the feel of the piece
2. Be mindful of the reveals for the doors/drawers, you don't want to sand them so much that you have big gaps where they are currently are not

Thanks , added to list of “chores”