Mahogany refinishing

[Guest John Faulkner]

Any suggestions on refinishing old lacquered mahogany AR-2a? I had to sand off the old finish as it was so badly scratched and gouged, wood now looking good. I see AR only offered Mahogany in a lacquered finish so should I try to reproduce that, or go more modern with polyurethane, or an oil finish? Suggestions?

thanks

John

[Carlspeak]

Personally, I prefer the classic oil finsh sheen over the glossy. That's a personal decision for you to make.

To get them to a rich sheen, I recommend Howard's Restor-a- finish. It comes in mahogany and walnut colors. Get the Mahogany and follow the directions and top off with a paste wax.

[genek]

Any suggestions on refinishing old lacquered mahogany AR-2a? I had to sand off the old finish as it was so badly scratched and gouged, wood now looking good. I see AR only offered Mahogany in a lacquered finish so should I try to reproduce that, or go more modern with polyurethane, or an oil finish? Suggestions?

thanks

Carl's suggestion of Restor-a-Finish isn't an option for you; you've removed the old finish and have no finish to restore. You need to apply a new finish.

There are only two ways to apply a good lacquer finish: spraying or French polishing. Don't try brushing, it never comes out smooth. If you don't have access to proper spray equipment or French polish experience (it's not a good first-time DIY project, especially an large pieces), I'd just go with a glossy rubbing oil finish. If you apply several coats and rub between each, the result will be similar enough to lacquer that nobody but you will know the difference.

NEVER put polyurethane on anything wood that isn't intended to sit outdoors in the rain.

[JKent]

Any suggestions on refinishing old lacquered mahogany AR-2a? I had to sand off the old finish as it was so badly scratched and gouged, wood now looking good. I see AR only offered Mahogany in a lacquered finish so should I try to reproduce that, or go more modern with polyurethane, or an oil finish? Suggestions?

thanks

John

I have the same speakers with the same finish. Have not started working on them yet.

I agree with Gene. I love Restor-a-Finish, but you have no finish to restore. Tung Oil is pretty glossy and should, I think, work well. Ditto for Minwax Antique Oil. Both are VERY easy to use. I found that with the Antique Oil, if you let the 3rd or 4th coat dry--don't wipe it off--it will be hard & glossy.

Good luck

Kent

[Carlspeak]

Howard's contains both oils and appropriate stain to help enrich your bare mahogany. If you have any deep scratches still showing a bit, this will help hide those as well. I've used it on both non-sanded and sanded veneers with equally successful results.

[genek]

Howard's contains both oils and appropriate stain to help enrich your bare mahogany. If you have any deep scratches still showing a bit, this will help hide those as well. I've used it on both non-sanded and sanded veneers with equally successful results.

The oils in Restor-a-Finish are "wood feeeding" oils that do not cure to form a resin. If applied to bare wood, both the oils and the stains will eventually evaporate out of the wood or fade, and they will not protect wood against moisture or retard oxidation over the long term. If the intent is to retain a bare, unfinished condition or to prepare the wood for a wax-only finish, no problem, but by itself it is not a wood finish. In the process you originally suggested, the only protective finish on the wood (and that's definitely on the wood, not in it) is the wax.

[trask]

A sideways question about Restor-A-Finish: I have a nice solid walnut cabinet (Sonrise hifi cabinet) that sat in the sun a bit too much with a TV on it. The wood under the TV stayed the original walnut color and the part that was sun-exposed is of course lighter in color. Would R-A-F in walnut, applied across the entire surface, even out the color and so some/large degree eliminate the visual evidence of the fading? Without sanding, I presume. Thanks.

The oils in Restor-a-Finish are "wood feeeding" oils that do not cure to form a resin. If applied to bare wood, both the oils and the stains will eventually evaporate out of the wood or fade, and they will not protect wood against moisture or retard oxidation over the long term. If the intent is to retain a bare, unfinished condition or to prepare the wood for a wax-only finish, no problem, but by itself it is not a wood finish. In the process you originally suggested, the only protective finish on the wood (and that's definitely on the wood, not in it) is the wax.

[genek]

A sideways question about Restor-A-Finish: I have a nice solid walnut cabinet (Sonrise hifi cabinet) that sat in the sun a bit too much with a TV on it. The wood under the TV stayed the original walnut color and the part that was sun-exposed is of course lighter in color. Would R-A-F in walnut, applied across the entire surface, even out the color and so some/large degree eliminate the visual evidence of the fading? Without sanding, I presume. Thanks.

Possibly, but most likely not. Only way to know is to get some and try it.

[JKent]

A sideways question about Restor-A-Finish: I have a nice solid walnut cabinet (Sonrise hifi cabinet) that sat in the sun a bit too much with a TV on it. The wood under the TV stayed the original walnut color and the part that was sun-exposed is of course lighter in color. Would R-A-F in walnut, applied across the entire surface, even out the color and so some/large degree eliminate the visual evidence of the fading? Without sanding, I presume. Thanks.

Hi Trask

I'm skeptical, but it might. Check the web site here:

http://www.howardproducts.com/restora.htm

You can also email them with your question. I've found them to be responsive and helpful.

Kent

[Guest John Faulkner]

OK

So I got some Restore-a-finish, in Mahogany color of course, and tried it on the bottom of the other speaker that I had not yet sanded. I colored in the scratches quite nicely but didn't fill them in at all as far as I could tell. Used 0000 steel wool as they suggested. Maybe should have used more or worked on it for longer, although almost all of the change seemed to occur within the first 30 seconds of use. I may try it on the long sides that aren't too badly scratched and gouged, but I think the tops and bottoms really need complete refinishing, and of course nothing is likely to match between refinished and "Restored" surfaces. No pictures to post yet on the "Restored" surface. Any more advice on using r-a-f?

[genek]

So I got some Restore-a-finish, in Mahogany color of course, and tried it on the bottom of the other speaker that I had not yet sanded. I colored in the scratches quite nicely but didn't fill them in at all as far as I could tell. Used 0000 steel wool as they suggested. Maybe should have used more or worked on it for longer, although almost all of the change seemed to occur within the first 30 seconds of use. I may try it on the long sides that aren't too badly scratched and gouged, but I think the tops and bottoms really need complete refinishing, and of course nothing is likely to match between refinished and "Restored" surfaces. No pictures to post yet on the "Restored" surface. Any more advice on using r-a-f?

No, there's no filler of any kind there at all. If you were using it on scratches in a lacquer or varnish finish, it would soften the finish just enough for you to buff it and cause the finish to self-fill its scratches (imagine a block of wax with a scratch, you rub it hard enough and the scratch fills, same idea). On bare wood, all you're doing is adding color and a bit of conditioning oil, but like lemon oil furniture polish or "Scott's Liquid Gold," the oil does not cure and eventually will evaporate or rub off. You cannot "restore" an unfinished surface that has no finish to restore, and will still need to apply something to protect the wood from moisture, sunlight, dirt and abrasion. If you decide you like a soft, mellow glow, follow up the Howard's with some paste wax as Carl suggested. If you want something harder, either satin or gloss, you'll need to go with oil or a sprayed coating.

[Carlspeak]

OK

So I got some Restore-a-finish, in Mahogany color of course, and tried it on the bottom of the other speaker that I had not yet sanded. I colored in the scratches quite nicely but didn't fill them in at all as far as I could tell. Used 0000 steel wool as they suggested. Maybe should have used more or worked on it for longer, although almost all of the change seemed to occur within the first 30 seconds of use. I may try it on the long sides that aren't too badly scratched and gouged, but I think the tops and bottoms really need complete refinishing, and of course nothing is likely to match between refinished and "Restored" surfaces. No pictures to post yet on the "Restored" surface. Any more advice on using r-a-f?

John. The H-R-A-F is not designed to fill in scratches - just hide them better. There aren't enough solids in the formula to fill scratches. I also use #0000 steel wool. Paste wax is a good idea to help seal the wood if all you want is a rich sheen finish; particularly on the top surface. I use Butcher's Bowling alley wax with a power buffer.

Have you decided on your final sheen? If you're leaning towards glossy, consider tung oil. It's a bit tricky to use to get the glossy finish. Experiment on a bottom side first.

Don't varnish under any circumstances.

[genek]

Have you decided on your final sheen? If you're leaning towards glossy, consider tung oil. It's a bit tricky to use to get the glossy finish. Experiment on a bottom side first.

Don't varnish under any circumstances.

The most foolproof way to get a glossy finish is with one of the "wipe-on/wipe-off" prepared tung oil finishes. They go on really thin and you have to do multiple applications to build up a gloss, but you won't have to worry about runs or streaks. My current favorite is a Minwax product called "Wood Sheen," that comes in various colors and in clear. About 10 applications will produce a good gloss, and if a satin finish is desired, two or three followed by a light rubbing with a Scotch Brite abrasive pad (the wood rubbing ones, not the kitchen scrubbers) will take down the shine. Avoid the prepared "satin" or "flat" oil finishes unless you intend to do a single application, because they're essentially glossy finish with a flatting agent added, and repeated applications will produce a hazy finish.

The only coating finish that is authentic for a classic AR is sprayed nitrocellulose lacquer, which is hard as hell to get to come out right and is downright dangerous to work with in a home setting (it's toxic and the mist explodes as easily as gasoline vapor). If this finish is desired, go find a pro with the proper spray equipment, booth and experience to do it for you.