# Help with finishing Bubinga



## ziller (Dec 3, 2009)

Ok all you finish masters. I need some input. I'm building my kitchen cabinets out of Bubinga. I love the grain and overall appearance. I saw a bunch of it at my supplier earlier this year and swooped it up not knowing too much about it only that it was beautiful. I built 1 cabinet with a couple doors so far and learned that it is an extremely hard wood. I was also having second thoughts on how red it is and if I want that much red in my kitchen. I had a finisher I know bleach a test piece and it was pretty cool. Took out the red for the most part. I still have a ways to go until I'm ready, but I'm still trying to gather as many ideas as I can. Maybe some distressing? Maybe staining it? Any ideas or thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks for your time…..


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## ziller (Dec 3, 2009)

Thanks Bent.. I will.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

About 3 years ago I built a set of nesting tables with tops that were curly maple with bubinga inserts. I built them just to try my hand with french polishing, which worked out very well. But if you look at them today, the redness is all gone, the wood has mellowed to a nice brownish color that I find very attractive. My point is, try bleaching the color or whatever, but you might want to age those test pieces quite a while to see what the ultimate result is. You may be able to accelerate the aging by letting it get several hours of sunshine daily.


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## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

Don't bleach them, the red will fade with time.


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## ziller (Dec 3, 2009)

Thanks Fred and agallant. Great tips. I really appreciate the input. I had no idea that the red would fade. I think I won't bleach it. Willl some finishes allow this to happen quicker than others? Is there a recomended lacquer?


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

This is a little beyond my experience. The only lacquer I've used is straight nitrocellulose, and I wouldn't recommend it for kitchen cabinets, though I really like for stuff that won't see as much wear and tear. I think the catalyzed lacquers are good, but in the realm of pros…leaving me out. I would use a non poly varnish myself, or maybe some of the newer waterbased formulas.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

I've used Deft lacquer and Minwax Polycrylic (both satin, both sprayed, despite the mfgs advice) on bubinga. I have a glasses case I made two years that looks just fine except where my fingers rub on the finish…and it has brass screws to hold it together after I dropped it more times than I care to admit.

I haven't really noticed much of a color change in the bubinga, but then the case spends most of its life out of the destructive rays of the sun.

If you don't want yellowing, don't use nitrocellulose lacquer. Though I will admit I like the yellowing it gives to pine after a few years (or decades) of exposure to sunlight.


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