What oil for my Cornwalls

[HDBRbuilder]

Cut-throat,

First of all, I never recommend using any stripper on veneered surfaces. There is ALWAYS the possibility that the stripper used, no matter HOW mild it IS, can cause damage to the adhesives securing the veneer to its substrate...this possiblity is even more likely if that substrate is MDF! So, since I have NO IDEA what your substrate is, I can't give you a recommendation for a stripper. Get the book I recommend in here all the time...read it, and do what it says. As for strippers...they are designed to be used on SOLID WOOD, and NOT on veneered surfaces. 3M safe-stripper is one of the most effective, yet slow-working and mildly caustic strippers out there...but that doesn't mean it CAN'T cause substrate and/or veneer adhesive breakdown when used on veneered surfaces.

As for applying an oil finish over a stripped oak veneer...ANYTHING you apply is gonna cause some color change from the appearance of bare wood...sometimes it is JUST the fact it is "bringing up the grain pattern", other times it is because it is actually coloring the grain somewhat. Even the uses of one's hands to handle bare wood is gonna cause it to take on some color and darkening from the oils in your hands. Just plain boiled linseed oil will bring out the grain pattern and darken the oak to some extent, too. People who choose to have an oiled finish on a light-colored wood have to expect some darkening of the wood...the more "pithy" the fiber of the grain, the more darkening from the appearance of bare wood there will be.

There is a reason why fine furniture has NOT been traditionally made from light-colored loosely-grained woods! With tighter-grained darker woods, you get a smoother prepared surface, and when applying the traditional oil finish to that wood, it brings out the color and grain patterns of that wood, while at the same time, giving a more glossy finish than that of bare wood...and adding a bit of protection to the wood. You didn't see Hepplewhite and the other fine furniture makers of the classic era using any oak...they used Mahogany, Walnut, maple, etc...and yes...maple is a light-colored wood, but as it ages, it naturally darkens due to its high iron content...that iron content more-or-less "rusting" and providing an ever-increasingly "reddish" darkening effect...becoming a dark red-brown, eventually. That is why so many people use a dark red-brown stain on maple...because they want it to look "OLD" from the very beginning!

[Cut-Throat]

HDBR,

"Get the book I recommend in here all the time...read it, and do what it says. "

I have the book right here ! - This is what I am confused about. I have read the chapter on Stripping wood a couple of times - I do not see veneer mentioned at all! - It is not in the index under 'veneer' either. I had mentioned this before.

Since everyone here is dealing with veneer (I am assuming that there are no Klipsch speakers made out of solid wood) Could you be so kind to point out where in this book it mentions veneer.

BTW - My Belles have MDF - which is also not in the index of this book. I know you are trying to help, but this book seems to deal with Solid Wood only. I do appreciate you taking the time to help me with this

[HDBRbuilder]

Cut-throat...when using the book, you have to consider the veneer itself as the wood....now...this is wherin the problem lays...as long as there are NO BREAKS in the solid mass of the veneer, you are ok...but when you are dealing with the joints where the edge veneer meets the panel veneer, then you have to take into account a number of things...

1. Any nicks in the edges that will allow the stripper to seep under the veneer into the substrate underneath.

2. At the point where the edge veneer meets the panel veneer, where its adhesive is exposed to begin with(no, it is NOT easy to see, but it IS there).

3. The miters of the joints thenselves, where wood adhesives hold the joints together, and the continuity of the veneer sheet is interupted.

4. The rear edges of the panels where there is nothing but some black paint covering up the core of the substrate.

Yes, you can use the stripper just as the book covers it for solid wood...BUT the above mentioned points MUST be taken into consideration when doing so, and you MUST take care NOT to over-do it in these areas! The above areas are where caution creeps into the equation! That is why, I never recommend using strippers on veneered items, unless the user is very familiar with the particular stripper and its use, and its drawbacks. And if the user is NOT familiar with them, then it is a trial and error thing until he DOES become familiar with them...especially when using on veneered items.

That 3M stuff is popular for a REASON...it is very mild as for its bad effects in these situations, but you still HAVE to monitor its progress as it works...you just can't walk away and come back in a few hours like you can when using it on solid wood...you have to closely monitor how it is affecting things besides the veneer itself...ESPECIALLY when you have a substrate that turns to crap when it gets soaked by something!

As when doing ANYTHING...if you don't already KNOW what to expect, then give it a try-out on something else first...something you can afford to screw-up!

I am sorry, but the above advice is all I can give you on this particular subject...even if I was there with you as you do this, there is very little else I could say except...maybe..."You better get yer butt out here and start getting this stuff off these edges NOW because it has gotten to a point where damage will be occurring soon!"...but if YOU do the monitoring of the progress yourself, then you can tell YOURSELF that! LOL!

Now maybe you can see why I do NOT recommend strippers...unless they are being used on solid wood!

Whenever somebody with NO expeience in stripping a veneered surface intends to do so...my BEST recommendation is, IF the person INSISTS on doing this himself, then he at the very least call up a local professional furniture refinisher, ask if he can drop by and watch a stripping process for veneered "whatever", and learn by watching...while picking the brain of the pro. If one cannot do this, and is worried about the results when doing it himself, then have a pro do the stripping to begin with....then take it home and do your own re-finishing. You will find that FEW professionals use an off the shelf stripper...if they do, then they have normally "doctored" the concoction by at least diluting it or maybe even modifying it severely....for the intended use on the intended material. They ALL have their own "secret formulas", too! And, you may get lucky and after ten minutes or so over a cup of coffee, get them to tell you what you need to watch for in your particular instance, and maybe even throw-in, for a small price, a pint of their "secret formula" that will suit your particular requirements!

[bkrop]

HDBRbuilder>Is the motorcycle a new addition to your sign off or was it there and I never noticed?

[HDBRbuilder]

well...since many of these forum folk have a humongous listing as a "show and tell" of their entire stereo systems, including even how many strands of wire their million buck a foot stuff has...I kinda figured I would be different...just a one-liner that "woofs" that I happen to own one of only 300 ever made of a particular item...LOL!

[bkrop]

Cool!

[Invidiosulus]

I oiled my walnut JBL's with some boiled linseed oil I got at Home Depot.

I used some lint free cheese cloth to apply the oil, I let it soak in and then wiped off any excess.

I did this a couple of times over a period of a few days and then before the last coat I very lightly sanded down the cabinets to smooth it out a bit.

When I say I sanded very lightly I mean extremely lightly, some 0000 steel wool would propably been better but all I had was some really fine sand paper.

Now the walnut finish is pleasing to the eye and has a nice warm look to it, before it appeared a little dry and rough and looked cooler somehow.

Peace, Josh

[Gregorius]

Greetings Gentlemen,

Should wax be applied over a oiled finish to increase it's gloss? I thought it was mentioned on this forum, but I get time out messages any time I try to search.

Regards,

Greg

[HDBRbuilder]

Wax is best NOT used over an oiled finish...it is basically BEST used over laquer type finishes.

[Gregorius]

Thanks HDBR,

I have not waxed mine. I have been oiling my Khorns occaisionally as the previous owner had let them set and neglected them due to buying Edgarhorns. They are a lot smoother and nicer looking now.

I apply boiled linseed oil about once a month, is this too often?

Regards,

Greg

[HDBRbuilder]

Greg,

The general rule of tumb on oil finishes is as follows:

1. once a day(or two) for a week,

2. then once a week for a month,

3. then once a month for 6 months,

6. then once every 6 months...ad infinitum

Normally, if the speaker already has an oiled finish, but has just been neglected in its maintenance for awhile...you can start at number 2 or 3 above....depending upon how dry the veneer has become over the period of neglect.

[@silverfox@]

HDBR

I am not sure how much trouble i'm in,I

appliedquite a liberal amount of linseed oil to cornwall,especally on top.

and it is still seems to have reach saturation point, with excess containing litte bubbles,will this eventually soak in or should i be thjnking of removing excess by lightly rubbing down.

the oil works beautifully on front door,just from remainder of linseed oil on cloth that was used on speaker.

HEEEEEELLP....

[HDBRbuilder]

Silverfox....you flood the wood, then let it set-in for maybe 15 minutes, then WIPE OFF the excess...let it set-in one or two days, then repeat. Do NOT flood it and let it stand...you gotta WIPE OFF the excess...each application! Just go in there and wipe off the excess....then, since it has stood for probably WAY more time than it needed...take the BARE HEEL OF YOUR HAND, and burnish the surface of your speakers to blend in any possible discoloration from letting the flooded surface stand for too long...it should come out just fine!

[@silverfox@]

THANKS BUILDER,

GOTA go rubbing its been from saturday.

ruba dub dub.

[Vavoline]

HDBR, is there anything I should use as a mild cleaning agent prior to oiling? I'm about to be off work for a couple of weeks, and will start the oiling process next week.

Thanks

[HDBRbuilder]

Vavoline,

Just wipe em down with some wood soap...two or three kinds out on market...if they appear to need it...wait a day ...then start in on the boiled linseed oil

[duckloads]

Several years ago, I spent several years building Mission Style funiture. Watco Danish Oil gave very good results on solid walnut and cherry furniture. It is easy to use and gives great results. I think it consists of boiled linseed oil with some other resins so it will cure better than straight boiled linseed oil. It also comes in several tones or colors. Rub it in with a scotch brite pad, so the slurry will fill the pores and give a nicer sheen. Watch out if you are going the pure linseed oil route. You must use BOILED linseed oil, otherwise you'll end up with a greasy mess that will not cure in your liftime.

Good luck,

Chris

[HDBRbuilder]

Duckloads(Chris),

I think what the members were asking were how to MAINTAIN their oil finish on speakers that already have a factory oiled finish....not what to use when beginning the process of an oiled finish. Either way, even with Danish oil finish, the REJUVENATION of the finish is brought about by using boiled linseed oil to replenish the lost oils.

[HT_Andy]

Thanks for all the good info on maintaining the speaker finishes. I have a pair of birch lascalas that I'd like to leave in their natural state. However, I'm guessing there is something I could apply that would preserve the wood, and keep it clean, without affecting their color? Any suggestions appreciated.

[WMcD]

Cut throat was asking a question about using a stripper on a veneered surface. And Mr. Builder, correctly raised a flag, i.e. an objection.

Perhaps I can go further.

Let's assume the underlaying wood is inert. Not true, but let's ignore it.

The nice looking veneer is a paper thin layer glued onto the underlaying surface. The glue may be one thing or another. Perhaps a sophisticate polymer.

Then we have a paper thin layer of veneer, and quite permiable.

Then there is a glossy polymer "finish" over the veneer. Varnish, shellac, or lacquer.

The glue and the finish are somewhat alike. Put them on as a liquid and they solidify after some time.

Strippers, at least agressive ones, are going to have the same effect on the surface and the glue. They will disolve the top finish. The veneer is too thin and permiable to stop the stripper from attacking the glue holding the veneer to the underlying surface.

That is the danger.

Gil

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