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Hi,
I have a solid oak table which has a dark stain on it. I think it was caused by a metal bowl being on it for some time. I've tried sanding it lightly and removing with a very dilute bleach solution, but it's just removed the colour from the wood. The dark stain remains.
Can anyone please advise what might remove the dark stain? Also, I assume I would then have to restain the discoloured area, and if so, is there a product you would recommend?

Many thanks for any help.

That stain possibly is ferric oxide (i.e. black rust) caused by a reaction between tannin in the wood, iron on the metal object and atmospheric moisture.

The normal way to remove iron stains in mahogany, walnut and oak is to treat with a solution of oxallic acid (available from the chemist in crystal form), but you do need to remove all of the existing finish in the area you are treating. Be careful sanding if the top is veneered as opposed to solid wood. TBH on my phone your top looks like it is veneered and that you have sanded through the veneer to the chipboard core beneath, but I may be mistaken

Once the stain has been removed you need to ascertain what sort of finish the oak has to determine what to do next. Is it an oiled finish, French polished or spray laquered? Different sorts of finishes are often incompatible, so figuring out what you have is very important. Do you know what the finish is and what cleaning/polishing products hsvr been used on it? Also be aware thst some finishes simply won't "feather in" so you may need tomrefinish the entire top

It looks like you have gone through the veneer as that looks like a man made board showing through. I am sorry it is probably not all solid timber as it is common to have these tables made from a mixture of veneered boards and some solids, even thgough they might be laminated.

This is all immaterial, to fix this will require a patch to be laid in. Have a look at this video to get an idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqnSJWHoMBA You can get small bits of veneer to match in. Quite achievable by DIY if you take your time.

DWD

Thank you both for your replies. I did sand it by hand a couple of years ago and I agree that it appears that I've sanded through the veneer. I'm not sure I'm up to repairing it without actually making it worse, but at least I know now. Your help is much appreciated!