smokarz Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 i see some pics of cornwalls in here that look really nice....bright and shiny.... last night, i applied some old english lemon oil on them but it didn't seem to do much...what do i need to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I see in your profile that your Cornwalls are BR(Birch Raw). Do they have a stain or a clearcoat on them? last night, i applied some old english lemon oil on them but it didn't seem to do much...what do i need to do? I think you would only apply lemon oil if they already have an oil finish. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 they had been stained by the previous owner.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 they had been stained by the previous owner.... Is it a lacquer finish or oil finish? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 i think it's oil. herhaps walnut, or dark walnut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 i think it's oil. herhaps walnut, or dark walnut. If it is oil, you will not be able to achieve the luster that you see on a lacquer finish. When I oil mine, what I notice most is the grain coming back to life with a slight glisten as opposed to a sparkling mirror-like affect. You will notice this more on oak and walnut veneers because of the deeper grain. Birch has a smoother grain like maple and not as pronounced so most finishes are done in a lacquer. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 some have used (not me) Howard's Feed-N-Wax and seem to get a luster...should be available at Home Depot or Ace Hardware... Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 @Bill, yes i did noticed the grain coming out a bit after the applying the lemon oil. @silver, thanks, i'll give the Howard stuff a try.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzannucci Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 If if don't need a high gloss and since you say you see a little of the grain come back after oil, perhaps they weren't sanded very well when originally finished. If you use a very light grade sandpaper to clean up and make the stain consistent, then use tung oil with #0000 steel wool of several coats, you can get a very nice sheen, not shine but to wood grain will look great, with very deep low gloss finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 thanks peter, i keep hearing about this steel wool, but what is it exactly? and where can i get some. for sanding, 180-220 grit ok? i think i have some laying around.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 be careful with steel wool around your speakers...steel and magnets doncha know... http://community.klipsch.com/forums/p/122434/1236387.aspx#1236387 be careful with this recipe' but it is similar to what Klipsch uses at the factory...see the warnings in red as after you're done, the rags could self ignite...for real fire danger...and breathing it might make you a bit woozy... Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 the more i looked into this, the more confusing it gets.... lemon oil, tung oil, watcho, varninsh?...... this isn't rocket science....or maybe it is........... [*-)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 here are a few pics after applying the lemon oil last night..... is this oak, walnut, or something else? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 is this oak, walnut, or something else? thanks It does look like walnut(dark) stained birch. No veneer on that plywood. Can't really tell from photos if it is a lacquer or not. Are you sure it does not have a clearcoat? Either way, sure looks nice to me. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 how do you tell the difference between lacquer and oil? also, how do you spot a clear coat? sorry, i really don't know anything about this.... i guess this stain just look too dark/old??? i light it to look a bit lighter, and shine a bit..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 I agree with Willand. It seems to be dark stain applied to birch. If there is no shine it may be that there is no finish over that. Maybe the guy used lacquer but I tend to doubt it. Spray on lacquer is a difficult procedure at home. Brush on lacquer like Deft would leave brush marks unless the job is very well done. I've stated the following many times, so many people may want to snooze instead of reading. "Oil" is used to describe many things. "Lemon Oil" from the grocer or HD is mineral oil (very light motor oil) with lemon perfume. It does nice things to walnut which does not have a hard finish. Contrast in increased and there is a bit of a shine, and it gives some protection against water. It eventually evaporates (six months) and you have to apply again. This type of "oil" does not build a solid finish. Unprocessed linseed oil and tung oil (not "boiled") also do not build a finish. They just sit there for a while. Building a finish means that you are putting on a liquid which eventually solidifies to be somewhat transparent. The things which do that are: shellac, lacquer, and varnish. Processed tung and linseed oils do it too. In my experience, if you want to apply a finish, the easiest way is a wipe on varnish. This is sometimes called an "oil" too. If you go to HD, you'll see many variations. Some are called "tung" but there is not much tung in them. All or most are really a thined down polyeurethane varnish, IIRC. I like the poly. Processed linseed like some Watco can cause fires when rags dry. The process will take one week of about one hour (or less) per night. It sound like a big investment of time, but this will give wonderful results. You can not get the results with four hours on a Saturday. (There is what I call the HD syndrome. Buy Saturday morning, apply Saturday afternoon and then you're done. It is related to the other HD tag: Have you ever noticed that everything in the store is "easy to install"?)' Buy glossy wipe on poly varnish. Buy a box of disposable gloves. Buy a tack rag. Buy masking tape -- blue is pretty. Find an old clean (washing probably removed lint) T-shirt and make up seven pieces of cloth You need pieces about 6 inches by 6 inches, or smaller. Take the units to the garage or a spare room . Mask what you can. Night 1. Buff what you have with a Scotch-Brite pad. (No steel wool with speaker magnets, please.) Apply a thin coat of wiping varnish with the cloth. Do not over apply. Thin is good. Do not even think about putting it on thick to save time. No drips or sags. Be patient. Throw away this cloth because you've got more. Throw away gloves, cause you've got more. Put tack rag in plastic sandwich bag to keep it tacky. Expect to see nothing. Night 2. Buff gently with Scotch-Brite. Dust with the tack cloth. Apply wipe on varnish again. Make it a thin coat again. Expect to see nothing. Dispose of gloves and cloth. Tack rag goes back in the sandwich bag. Night 3. Repeat Night 2. Night 4. Repeat Night 3. Now you will see some results but don't stop. Night 5. Again. Night 6 Again. Night 7. You will have a very nice glossy finish. Maybe you can stop at Night 5 if things are looking very good. I would let the units sit for two or three days before moving them back. Wm McD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapZark Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 I can guarentee you that's birch that's been stained dark walnut. It's oild up and short of sanding them down, that's all they will be. If you want them to shine use the Howards Feed-n-wax. $7.50 at Home Depot and $12 at Ace. This, like lemon oil, is temporary. Or you can varnish like McD suggests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 how do you tell the difference between lacquer and oil? also, how do you spot a clear coat? A lacquer will have a sheen that will not dull unless it is covered with dust or neglected over the years. An oiled finish will be noticeably more porous but will not protect the finish the way a lacquer will. Oil finishes need to be maintenanced(oiled) more often to protect(only slightly) and bring out the luster. All a lacquer needs is a damp cloth to remove dust and buff out the shine. Here is a link to show the differences. http://polyurethanevarnish.com/ Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 thanks guys, so much good information.... @Wm McD, wow...i am going to print that and stickied it. HOWEVER, would you be kind enough and list the exact parts/brands of the materials mentioned? again, sorry i have no clue with these things....thanks so much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWL Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Good thread. I am also looking to spruce up my medium oak KLF-30's. The better they look, the better they sound.....right? [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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