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Repairing finish of La Scala AL5 Walnut Veneer


ThomBoh

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I just bought a used set of La Scala AL5 in Walnut and there are a few minor seeming scratches and blemishes in the finish of the veneers. I'm wondering if there is a best practice for repairing these kinds of cosmetic defects? For example, is there a specific oil or other products that is the right match for the modern Heritage series walnut finish? Any tips for repairing cosmetic defects on this particular finish would be greatly appreciated!

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1 hour ago, ThomBoh said:

 

Whoops, sorry. Working photos here: https://imgur.com/a/OuBnlLR

This  Brand of scratch remover will work  ,Trade Secret , available on Amazon  ....

 

   https://www.tradesecret.ca/?page_id=317

 

however you will have to buy the Fill Sticks as well  as the bottle of the  .scratch remover 

 

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14 hours ago, MMurg said:

I've been made a believer in Trade Secret scratch remover thanks to @OO1.  Scroll down near the bottom on page 1 of this thread to see the before and after on the top panel from a 1981 Belle Klipsch.  

 

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion! It looks to have worked really nicely in your case.

 

One thing I haven't been able to find much definitive information on: how are the current heritage walnut finishes done? Are they lacquer like your Belles? Are they oiled?

 

I've read a few places that people suggest Tung Oil. It's not clear to me if that's an appropriate suggestion for the current finishes or perhaps for older finishes that were oil based? If anyone has any definitive information on the modern finishes that would be helpful :)

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All recent generations of Heritage are lacquer finish.  I believe oiled finishes were only offered on these vintage models up to the "II" versions (except the La Scala) or around the same time for those that didn't have a II designation (late ‘90s) - Heresy, Cornwall, Belle Klipsch, La Scala, Klipschorn, Forte, Chorus, Quartet, kg1, kg2, kg3 and kg4.  The La Scala was the exception where oiled finishes were dropped with the II version.  (Someone correct me if I missed some.)

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On 7/31/2022 at 12:19 PM, MMurg said:

All recent generations of Heritage are lacquer finish.  I believe oiled finishes were only offered on these vintage models up to the "II" versions (except the La Scala) or around the same time for those that didn't have a II designation (late ‘90s) - Heresy, Cornwall, Belle Klipsch, La Scala, Klipschorn, Forte, Chorus, Quartet, kg1, kg2, kg3 and kg4.  The La Scala was the exception where oiled finishes were dropped with the II version.  (Someone correct me if I missed some.)

 

Awesome, good to know!

 

I see from your Belle thread that the light wood formulation of the liquid is what you used. Do you think you would you choose that again over the dark wood formulation if you were to use it on a modern Walnut La Scala? The finish on the Belles looks similar, but it's always hard to tell with photographs.

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32 minutes ago, ThomBoh said:

 

Awesome, good to know!

 

I see from your Belle thread that the light wood formulation of the liquid is what you used. Do you think you would you choose that again over the dark wood formulation if you were to use it on a modern Walnut La Scala? The finish on the Belles looks similar, but it's always hard to tell with photographs.

 

Yes, I would use with the light wood formula with the American Walnut finish.  Even that did somewhat darken the finish of my Belle.  That said, I took a good look at your pictures, and I would suggest you try something else before the Trade Secret if you don't want to darken the finish at all.

 

Since just about all the blemishes on your La Scala are small scratches, I would try using Tibet Almond Stick first (http://tibetalmondstick.net/).  It's available on Amazon.  It's easy to apply only where needed and has no stain in it.  If that doesn't work, then move on to the Trade Secret.

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On 8/1/2022 at 4:50 PM, MMurg said:

 

Yes, I would use with the light wood formula with the American Walnut finish.  Even that did somewhat darken the finish of my Belle.  That said, I took a good look at your pictures, and I would suggest you try something else before the Trade Secret if you don't want to darken the finish at all.

 

Since just about all the blemishes on your La Scala are small scratches, I would try using Tibet Almond Stick first (http://tibetalmondstick.net/).  It's available on Amazon.  It's easy to apply only where needed and has no stain in it.  If that doesn't work, then move on to the Trade Secret.

 

Wow, the tibet almond stick worked wonders on the small blemishes on my other wood veneer furniture. Excited to see how the La Scala clean up when they arrive on Monday!

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Just unboxed my new pair of Forte IVs (Walnut), and I noticed a couple of small scuffs on the front. I'm certain it didn't happen in shipping(boxes and packing-foam are not damaged), and I unboxed them myself, very carefully. A little disappointed, but it will be too much of a hassle to try and return them etc.

 

Any suggestions? I've been looking up the touch-up pens (Varathane, Minwax, etc), but don't want to try anything and make it worse. It seems like a surface-level(veneer) issue (not scratches). I'll look into 'Trade Secret' as well.

 

*sigh*

image.thumb.jpeg.0172b130ec6e3bc9b21fc3a27d164011.jpeg

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I would try applying some Lemon Oil. It will immediately soak into the scratched, unfinished fibers and darken them without changing the rest of the finish.

 

Not sure? Test the lemon oil on the bottom of the cabinet first.

 

If you want to try a Minwax Blend-Fil pencil, press hard so the wax fills the scratch. Then rub your finger over the filled spot. Finger heat softens the wax and allows it to

fill the scratch while the rubbing removes the excess. Again, if you're not sure of the color match, try it on the bottom of the cabinet first. It's common to buy a couple different colors at the same time to test for a best match.

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