Bleached Weng Cigar

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ink_a_fink

ink_a_fink

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My Friend Jim gave me a piece of Weng because he was not too excited about the contrast of the grain...he thought it was a little dull and uneventful. I had seen many threads here on bleaching Weng to bring out some character so I decided to try it out last weekend...this is what I ended up with.

I've only been turning for about a half a year now so it's nowhere near perfect but I've enjoyed the journey and creative inspiration from this forum. Thanks to everyone that posts more regularly than I do. You're an inspiration to us all

...and as for Jim. He didn't say it, but after I showed him the final product I think he regretted giving me the Weng 😅
 

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Todd in PA said:
Nice coloration. So I assume you turn it to dimension, then bleach, then sand or scrape to be ready for finish. Is it wipe-on gel bleach, or liquid dip?
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Yeah, turned it down and sanded to about 400grit I believe. Soaked it in standard Clorox Bleach you can buy at any department store in the laundry isle. After about 3 hours of soaking I took it out and let it sit overnight. It had a slight greenish tint to it after sitting overnight but I put it back on the lathe and ran it through some light passes of 400, 600, 1200 grits (I think) and any tinting was gone. Finished with Pens Plus.
 
ink_a_fink said:
My Friend Jim gave me a piece of Weng because he was not too excited about the contrast of the grain...he thought it was a little dull and uneventful. I had seen many threads here on bleaching Weng to bring out some character so I decided to try it out last weekend...this is what I ended up with.

I've only been turning for about a half a year now so it's nowhere near perfect but I've enjoyed the journey and creative inspiration from this forum. Thanks to everyone that posts more regularly than I do. You're an inspiration to us all

...and as for Jim. He didn't say it, but after I showed him the final product I think he regretted giving me the Weng 😅
Click to expand...
This looks great. I love how it turned out. I just picked up some Weng and may try this technique, thank you for sharing.
 
It is incorrect to refer to the alternating colors of wenge as sapwood. (video)

I have been bleaching wenge for years, never tried clorox. There is a product called wood bleach, and it comes in two parts. In the knife photo, one has had one application of bleach. All the others have two. the stand is not bleached. I seem to remember (again long ago) a discussion of using Clorox versus this product, might well have been propaganda to convice me not to try clorox. This product recommends 10 minutes for part A, and part B is a neutralizer.

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I have bleached wenge with household laundry bleach several times. The actual bleaching time is only an hour or so. I turn and sand the blank then bleach it. Moisture tends to drain to the bottom when drying so a second bleaching may be necessary. After a day or two of drying put the blank back on the lathe and sand again. Bleaching will have raised the grain. Apply a finish and you are done.
 
carlmorrell said:
It is incorrect to refer to the alternating colors of wenge as sapwood. (video)

I have been bleaching wenge for years, never tried clorox. There is a product called wood bleach, and it comes in two parts. In the knife photo, one has had one application of bleach. All the others have two. the stand is not bleached. I seem to remember (again long ago) a discussion of using Clorox versus this product, might well have been propaganda to convice me not to try clorox. This product recommends 10 minutes for part A, and part B is a neutralizer.

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Those look fantastic. I was a little concerned on the household bleach front - mainly because I was unsure how it would react with the brass tubes. I'm thinking prolonged exposure would erode the brass but soaking for a few hours would not be too corrosive.
 
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