Bleach

[chrisb0109]

Can guitar wood be bleached using standard, household bleach or is there a special kind for this purpose?

[unclej]

just regular old run of the mill household bleach will do just fine.

[Drak]

Not really.

For starters, if you want to use Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach), then household bleach isn't nearly strong enough.

Go to a swimming pool supply store and ask them for a gallon of liquid chlorine.

Household bleach (the generic stuff) = 3% solution, sometimes 3.5%.

Real genuine Clorox bleach = 5% solution.

Liquid Chlorine = around 12-15% solution.

WAAAY stronger.

BUT...I never use sodium hypochlorite to bleach wood.

I use Kleen Strip 2-part bleach, that's the stuff you want.

Don't get -any- of this stuff on you either.

[unclej]

i'll try that next time drak. but i did just bleach a mahogany body with household bleach with excellent results. the only thing i'm wondering is if the liquid chlorine would work any deeper into the wood. with household bleach it only soaked in an eighth of an inch or so.

what's the kleen strip 2 part stuff and where do you get it?

[Drak]

I think no matter what type of bleach you use, 1/8" is about as much depth as you'll get.

I get my Kleen Strip bleach locally, so I don't know where you'd find it, but I'm sure it's pretty easy to come by.

In the finishing 'bible', 'Understanding Wood Finishing' by Bob Flexner, he spends several pages on wood bleaching and how different bleaches affect wood differently and why. Excellent resource for comprehending which bleach is best for what purpose.

The Kleen Strip stuff is a 2-part bleach, you mix equal parts together then apply it.

I forget the 2 ingredients, I think one is Hydrogen Peroxide(?), could be wrong.

Excellent book anyway, bleach or not, everyone should own a copy of that book.