meagain Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 First off, I'm beyond sorry to have to start this thread. I've waited for a month for the search engine to come back up, but it's not looking good. Can't find anything. When I run my hand over the walnut veneer on the khorns, it's feeling really dry! When I bought them in December?, I figured I'd put off treating them till Spring. I'm not yet sure how I want to tackle them to get the look that's in my mind - but right now, I think I have to do something quick & dirty to quell the dryness. I need a bandaid fix for now, but anything I add, I want to be able to easily remove in a couple months. I "think" Watco or Boiled linseed oil (BLO) would be more permanent & hard to remove? So.... Can I just slap lemon oil on these things & later strip it all out with mineral spirits, etc? Would that suffice without adding more work when I go nuts on these later? My gut's telling me I have to do something ASAP. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Are these a finish meant for oiling? In other words, not laquered, etc. What do you plan to do to them finishwise long term? It would be good to consider your long term plan/goal for the finish before doing something that will just create more work.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I think I'd wait to do it right. I doubt the veneer will get worse. It's not peeling anywhere, right? Can you take pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 If they're K_WO's, use BLO, if they're K_WL's, use Murphy's Wood Soap. Both will do the trick but DO NOT use BLO if your Khorns are lacquered! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted March 6, 2006 Author Share Posted March 6, 2006 Are these a finish meant for oiling? In other words, not laquered, etc. What do you plan to do to them finishwise long term? It would be good to consider your long term plan/goal for the finish before doing something that will just create more work.... Audible - Yes, that's why I posted. Don't want to do anything that will give me a headache when I 'really' tackle them. I'd love for them to be laquered but unless I had it done professionally, or rented a serious sprayer with alot of practice - I best stick to finishes that can be applied with no worry of overlap, brush/roller, etc. marks. A hand-rubbed finish. So yea - I think an oil or paste wax with the goal of a soft sheen. Not high gloss. I want to pull any dark stain I can out first. I'm thinking I won't be able to as the stain is probably fully in the pores and I can't change any natural patina/darkening due to age. They look dead & poop brown. Want to give them depth & warm them up. Been waiting for the search engine to work before a final plan. I need to see some pictures, etc. Fini - I'll recheck them in a bit. They are WO. Anyone think simple lemon oil would be OK? I don't recall it being talked about here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Although it isn't what Klipsch recommends, many folks here use lemon oil and I've never heard of any problems as a result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I have never used anything except Old English on my WO Khorns, OO Forte II, WO Heresies, OO Academy and OO KG4. I believe Old English is lemon oil. It does not add or subtract any tint, stain, etc. to the wood. It does freshen them up nicely removing any settled in dust or airborne grime. It also gives them a nice luster. Use a soft 100% cotton cloth...old t-shirts work great. Get the cloth really wet, but not dripping. Rub them down so they look/feel moist to the touch. Wait 2-3 minutes take a dry 100% cotton cloth to them rubbing fast and hard. This will remove any oil that did not soak into the wood and buff them to a nice shine. The shine goes away over time. I do this every few months or when somebody is coming over for a test drive. If they have been neglected for a while, do this several times and they will bounce back nicely. This has worked for me for many years, YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschguy Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Do not use mineral oil. Do not use wax. Use Danish oil with a 2 ounces of turpentine and 2 ounces of minwax dark walnut stain added to the quart can. Get a flat sanding block and some 600 grit wet/dry sand paper and work the Danish oil mixture into the veneer using tight circles and a back and forth motion along the grain. Do not overdo the edges (which is indeed tough with 600 grit, but still). One side should take about 5 minutes of sanding (maybe 10 minutes for the big front of a Khorn. The oil sanding process will level the old finish, replenish it, and form a slurry that will work its way into the grain to partially fill the grain to give it a very smooth texture (a joy to touch). After "oil sanding" a side add some more Danish oil to the cabinet and buff the veneer with a very fine Scotchbrite pad. Go with the grain. The Scotchbrite pad will give the veneer a very even appearance after using the 600 grit. Now buff the "still wet oil" off with a soft cloth. The veneer should look and smell like it just left the factory. The finish will be smooth and satin. Rough spots can be given a second treatment. Do not use steel wool. The steel fibers can come loose and end up next to your voice coils. I have used this method numerous times with superb results. I did my brother's very tired looking Cornwalls this way and they came out incredible. He couldn't believe it. I also recently went over my Cornwalls with this method and they look factory new. As always, do a test area in an inconspicuous spot to make sure you like the results (I think you will). Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted March 6, 2006 Author Share Posted March 6, 2006 Thanks Andy. Will save all this. The previous owner went over them with mineral oil and I know that wasn't the best idea. They feel a tad gunky/sticky in spots. I think I'm going to clean with mineral spirits, let dry, then do lemon oil for a quick drink unless someone tells me otherwise. I just want to do a quicky here that won't add to my pain when I want to 'really' tackle them. I also have a can of Liquid gold here but I don't think I should use that? Question - can someone tell me the method to test if a finish is laquer or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Mineral spirits on stained wood does not sound too good. I used it yesterday to remove tar/roofing cement from my hands. The stuff is strong at dissolving the base compound of which stain is made (whatever that is). I could be wrong, but throwing this in as a caution won't hurt - i.e. double-check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschguy Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Neither lemon oil nor liquid gold will yield good results in my experience; I would be quite reluctant to use it on my veneer. The more subpar stuff you put on your veneer, the harder it will be for a good penetrating oil mixture to revitalize your cabinets back to their original beauty. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piranha Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Forum member HDBRbuilder, who was a cabinet maker with Klipsch (he built many Khorns, Belles, LaScala, and Heresy) always recommended BLO, and nothing but BLO for oiled cabinets. His advice is good enough for me. BLO has always worked well on my WO cabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I would use Olde English 800. After a few 40s you won't care about the veneer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschguy Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 My understanding is the original Klipsch formula is boiled linseed oil, turpentine and stain. Sometimes they used Tru-Oil, turpentine and stain. Straight BLO is very thick and sticky. Straight BLO imparts little, if any color to old bleached out veneer and has a tendency to make a sticky mess. I've used all of them a bunch, and the Danish oil finish is just lovely. But, your cabinets, your choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 JB, you always crack me up...Thanks! I vote for this too Not my earlier recommendation of: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J M O N Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Lemon oil will quench their thirst and make them look better, but it won't last too long. It will give them a richer color, but after a couple days or so, it won't be as shiny, though still rich in color and will eventually dry out again before too long. Here are a couple of pics after a treatment with Watco REJUVINATING OIL (I've found this lasts quite a while before it needs to be oiled again): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 JB, you always crack me up...Thanks! I vote for this too Not my earlier recommendation of: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted March 7, 2006 Author Share Posted March 7, 2006 JMON - The top of that khorn is beautiful. Nice shine. Is it just the Watco Rejuv. oil creating that sheen? Or what's under the oil? I like the color as depicted in that pic also. Was thinking of trying a tad bit of watco cherry to warm them up. Mix natural with cherry. But not sure if I can take on such a project just yet. Plus it would be nice to open the windows during this. I think today I'll clean them with mineral spirits & get a good quality lemon oil for them. Then strip it all out in spring and do it right with Watco. Hopefully by then the search engine will be up and I can see pictures of various finishing jobs. Hopefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkBK Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 JMON - The top of that khorn is beautiful. Nice shine. Is it just the Watco Rejuv. oil creating that sheen? Or what's under the oil? I like the color as depicted in that pic also. Was thinking of trying a tad bit of watco cherry to warm them up. Mix natural with cherry. But not sure if I can take on such a project just yet. Plus it would be nice to open the windows during this. I think today I'll clean them with mineral spirits & get a good quality lemon oil for them. Then strip it all out in spring and do it right with Watco. Hopefully by then the search engine will be up and I can see pictures of various finishing jobs. Hopefully. Lisa, I would recommend the Watco natural - it will darken the walnut with no need to add the cherry. You'll achieve the look of these pics with just the natural. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted March 7, 2006 Author Share Posted March 7, 2006 OK - The Watco is more permanent. Like BLO. Right? Takes great care to apply, etc? I could buy a can and test a spot, but I don't see how clear would add red tones. These are very poop brown. Much like dated '70's cheap meditteranean furniture. Mark - are you referring to the Watco Danish Oil? Or the Watco Rejuvenating Oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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