Morris Minor Owners Club

My traveller's wood is good, but the treatment I put on 10 years ago was looking a bit tired despite intermittent topping up. (I used Burgess woodstain), Recently I have stripped off the topcoat (while still on the car) and have revealed a bit of decay in the rear pillar. There are darker patches near the waste rail joint and especially at the foot of the pillar. The pillar feels sound, the joints aren't loose and most of it is a pleasant white colour. Maybe one day it will need replacing, but not yet. What would anyone reccommend, apart from loading it with microporous wood preserver and a filter (Osmo) to protect from UV? Burgess does hide it, but it is darker than the "honey colour" I was after. And I am not sure they make it any more!

Try bleaching it

Speak to Rob at Traveller Timbers near Hull. He's forgotten more about restoring ash than most other people will ever know.

Oxalic acid (available from yacht chandlers, or in some 'fallout remover' products) can be used to bleach the dark areas, prior to the usual treatments being applied once it's dried out after a few days.

As Chipper says that is the bleach I was thinking of.Dry some areas out with a hair dryer

Did it work ?

Oxalic acid works well. Make up a saturated solution and apply it to the sanded wood and allow it to dry for a few days. You can reapply if you need to. When it’s removed the darkness, wash it all off really well and then allow it to dry thoroughly (obviously!) before applying whatever finish you decide to use. The wood needs to be sound, of course, but you’ve said it is.

I got mine from a friend who is an antiques restorer, but I suspect you’ll find it in powder form online these days.

Oxalic acid:

Here in Australia, it is commonly available from hardware stores as 'rust and stain remover' (powdered form) or 'wooden deck cleaner' (in liquid form, for outside entertainment decks). You just need to look for similar products and check the label for the contents.

I use it to derust smaller steel parts too. I put the item in a tub of the stuff overnight.

Don