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howards vs watco oil


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i just bought a pair of forte2 speakers in oiled walnut & had a few questions on improving their finish.  mainly, which of these 2 products do you guys prefer & why?  i've done quite a bit of work on refinishing clear or poly coated woods & had great results but never worked on oiled finishes & just want to be sure i dont mess them up.

 

the veneer is in great shape overall, no water rings or damage, but one speaker obviously sat in the sun & the top has faded quite a bit & has very light raised grain in some areas.  my question is do i sand the surface with a fine grit paper then apply the oil/restorer of choice?  or is it better to use 0000 steel wool or something else.  howards restorer instructions say to use steel wool while rubbing in the product for raised grains or to blend out rings & stains. 

 

& if i go with the howards restorer what shade best matches the klipsch oiled walnut?  they have a walnut & a dark walnut.  i assume the standard walnut is best as the finsih isnt very dark on all the OW klipsch i have seen. just dont want to go too dark & not be able to go lighter without more work. can always apply 2 or 3 coats if i want it darker. 

 

also on the surface of one speaker are some "spots" where it looks like the stain dribbled some when applied.  prev owner was the original owner & said they were like that from day one & the retailer said they see that direct from klipsch sometimes.  can these spots be sanded out then re-oiled & look good?

 

thanks in advance

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thanks for the link geoff... & welcome to the klipsch forum.

 

i think i decided on trying the howards since its available locally for pretty cheap & has some great reviews.  im more concerned with restoring the finish/color of the top you see in the pics, its sun faded & howards has some stain in it.  these arent antiques or very old that they need special cleaning which is what the "kramerize" product seems to be intended for.

 

but on that subject, what is the best way to clean the surface of oiled klipsch cabinets? just mineral spirits or a household cleaner like 409 or jjust some mild dish detergent & water?  very lightly sprayed on a cloth first, not direct on the wood.

 

any opinions on how to deal with the "spots" i show?  sand or rub lightly with steel wool first to remove the darker areas then blend in with the howards???  anyone ever seen the stain spots like that on their klipsch speakers?  probably more common on the walnut or darker stains.  

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I've always just used the plain (no colorant added, which they make, so be careful) Watco REJUVENATING oil. 

 

 

Read the directions. I lay the can flat and gently shake to get the solids fully dissolved, never shake hard, which creates air bubbles. 

Several thin coats much better than a heavy coat. Use lint-free cloths and be careful on edges not to catch any splintered grain.  I once created a horrible gummy finish on a forte, but more Watco dilutes and can remove any overage. Let the coat sit a bit and remove excess with LOTS of rubbing. It's the rubbing that removes any stray wood fibres and really makes 'em glow! 

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wow budman, those do look very nice.  but how was the finish to start with?  if you see my pics the one top is very faded, almost to an oak color compared to the other one.  i appreciate the suggestions though & will be experimenting very soon.  & plan to do what colter said & test on the backside of the bases first.

 

as a side note & not intended personally to anyone.... but i get a kick out of forum advice sometimes, im a member at many other automotive & computer related forums as well...  the advice you get is frequently contradicting to others advice given.  in this case the murphys oil soap thing, there are other members here that say DO NOT USE M.O.S! as it is caustic & can actually damage oiled real woods that can absorb it.  another example is suggestions to use a wax on oiled woods... klipsch actually says do not use any wax products on oiled woods.  makes one have to take many suggestions with a grain of salt or decide if an "opinion" or uneducated guess is correct.  i usually ask for suggestions & then go with the majority, & then my own outside research as well.  & when i give advice its usually not based on opinion, unless asked for an opinion on something like "what speaker sounds better."  i try to reserve advice for things i actually know about.  opinions are usually, well, opinions, not based on fact.

 

for the time being i think i will try the howards restorer in the walnut shade & go from there.  thanks again for everyones input.

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Water?!  

:o  Nooooooo!    

Never on wood.  Unless you just finished the 7th coat of spar varnish on your boat and it is ready for launch

 

thanks, i didnt mean actually spraying water on the surface, just a lightly dampened rag with a detergent of some kind to get the dirt & grease off the surface.  nothing to soak in or absorb, just a damp rag.  

 

so what is best to CLEAN with? mineral spirits? lemon oil?     murphys oil soap?   :P   

Edited by klipschfancf4
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I wouldn't use water on an oiled surface.  Laquer I wouldn't worry about so much but it would be a barely wet cloth.  Have to be careful with mineral spirits... test in a hidden area first.  I like lemon oil for light cleaning just fine.  What I am sharing with you is just the results of my own experience.  

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Howard's isn't just oil so it will change the appearance/gloss of your finish. Watco oil finish is fine but probably not necessary and if you use a 'tinted' oil, it will also change the appearance. The water damage is very slight and I believe you could easily remove the stains by light sanding the finish. By light, I mean using 300-400 grit sandpaper and very light pressure along the grain of the wood - just enough to remove the stains and be very careful at the veneer's edges. Follow up by cleaning all wood surfaces with mineral spirits and a soft cloth (old tee shirts work fine), turning it often until you see no more residue. Once the MO dries (30 minutes) gently wipe the surface with tack cloth and then you can apply a few applications of boiled linseed oil over the veneer. Apply a thin coat of BLO (I use an old sock), wait 10 minutes and wipe off any excess; wait 45 minutes to 2 hours for coat to dry, gently wipe down with tack cloth (you're just trying to remove specks of dirt and dust), then repeat. If you desire a more glossy finish (or the room is particularity dusty), very lightly sand with 600 grit block or paper, then use tack cloth between coats but be sure the surface is completely dry. That should bring the finish back pretty close to its original condition. Then you simply reapply the BLO every 1-2 years or when the surface starts looking 'dry' and you're set.

 

I wouldn't recommend Murphy's soap and I only use lemon oil to condition 'hard' woods like rosewood and ebony. Mineral spirits dissolves oil so only use that if you plan on applying BLO or such. 

Edited by JBryan
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Once the MO dries (30 minutes) gently wipe the surface with tack cloth and then you can apply a few applications of boiled linseed oil over the veneer.

 

Nice post! Should that be MS for mineral spirits? Just clarifying it's not mineral oil...thanks

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think he meant m/s for mineral spirits...

 

there is no water damage.  its just one speakers top is sun faded... so i DO want to change the appearance of the finish.  i want to darken it a shade or 2 in order to bring it back to the original color. 

 

i appreciate all the suggestions but the different opinions everyone states are making my head spin.  one person say use mineral spirits to clean, another says dont use that.  one says murphys oil soap, another says it will damage the wood....  forums can be a great resource of information, but they can also be a conundrum of conflicting info.   :unsure: 

 

heres what i finally did for cleaning.. used a very damp rag, almost dry, with a very diluted dish detergent, wiped very lightly & got quite a bit of dirt & grease on the rag.  no damage to the surface at all.  then used a light coat of lemon oil to condition them so they aren't overly dry after cleaning.  next step will be howards in the maple shade for the sun faded top, it gets great reviews & i do need some stain added back for color.  again i appreciate all the advice on this, will post pics when i do the top surface.  thanks.

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