marked oak work surface

[Nicoletta]

Hi, Please can anyone tell me how I can remove circular marks caused by copper bottomed pans on an oak work surface. I have just moved into the house and had not realised that this could mark. I understand from reading around that they are terrible to remove but can anyone give me some good advice?
Thanks

 

[Jasonb]

You could try oxalic acid, this is whats used to remove the black staining left on oak by ferrous (iron, steel) but not sure how it will work with copper.

Jason

 

[Nicoletta]

Thank you for your advice. Will that lighten the wood though? I was hoping that a light sanding and then re-oiling the whole surface with Tung oil would work

 

[joe-90]

I think a light sanding is more likely to succeed. In my opinion applying any chemical is likely to lead to disaster.

 

[Jasonb]

A lot will depend of whether the the mark is just in the finish (usually in the form of a white ring) or if it has gone deeper into the wood. A sanding first may be worth a try.

You can get "ring remover" either rustins or liberon do it, can't recall which.

The acid is similar to wood bleach so care needs to be used.

Jason