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Howard's Restor-a-finish - which one to get?

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nick_ville

Active Member
Don't know if this is the perfect spot to post this, but I think it's relevant here.

Found some Howard's Restor-a-finish here in Light Oak, dark oak and Mahogany. I want to pick up a can since I never see it around here. What would be the best, more all around one to grab? I didn't realise that there were different ones. Do you guys that use it have a bunch of different ones for all types of wood? I don't really want to pick up all of them....
 
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nick_ville said:
Don't know if this is the perfect spot to post this, but I think it's relivent here.

Found some Howard's Restor-a-finish here in Light Oak, dark oak and Mahogany. I want to pick up a can since I never see it around here. What would be the best, more all around one to grab? I didn't realise that there were different ones? Do you guys that use it have a bunch of different ones for all types of wood? I don't really want to pick up all of them....
Click to expand...

Great question, and definitely relevant here.

I've often pondered that too, I have Cherry, Walnut, and Mahagony. I like the Cherry if the wood is in really good shape, if it's really bad, I use the Mahagony. I think the darker the Howard's, the more it hides.
 
nick_ville said:
Don't know if this is the perfect spot to post this, but I think it's relivent here.

Found some Howard's Restor-a-finish here in Light Oak, dark oak and Mahogany. I want to pick up a can since I never see it around here. What would be the best, more all around one to grab? I didn't realise that there were different ones? Do you guys that use it have a bunch of different ones for all types of wood? I don't really want to pick up all of them....
Click to expand...

I will try to help a bit here. Walnut veneer is the most widely used on speaker cabinets, so therefore it would be good to get the Walnut type Howards if you can. In my area Howards can only be purchased at Home Depot. If you feel the need to grab some I would get the darker shades. Good luck.
 
Tcomisky said:
Great question, and definitely relevant here.

I've often pondered that too, I have Cherry, Walnut, and Mahagony. I like the Cherry if the wood is in really good shape, if it's really bad, I use the Mahagony. I think the darker the Howard's, the more it hides.
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doctorolds said:
I will try to help a bit here. Walnut veneer is the most widely used on speaker cabinets, so therefore it would be good to get the Walnut type Howards if you can. In my area Howards can only be purchased at Home Depot. If you feel the need to grab some I would get the darker shades. Good luck.
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Thanks guys. I think that I might grab some. I haven't searched too hard, but have never seen this line around here before. Found it for $10 cdn, which probably isn't an incredible price or anything, but I think it would be good to have on hand.

Perhaps I'll pick up the Mahogany. I have checked out the website and Mahogany is the next darkest after Walnut. Out of my choices, that would probably be the one to grab. :thmbsp:
 
1st howard usage

just bought my first can of walnut a few days ago to help with some old tandberg enclosures i used on a project, the veneer was in somewhat distressed condition, i sanded with 150 and used an application of howard, im pleased with the results, sorry the flash does not to the finish justice.
 

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If you have never used it before, you will love it. It is the Antique dealers BEST friend.
 
Works well , quite potent though . I do not recommend bare handing it too much.
check the label
 

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nick_ville said:
Thanks guys. I think that I might grab some. I haven't searched too hard, but have never seen this line around here before. Found it for $10 cdn, which probably isn't an incredible price or anything, but I think it would be good to have on hand.

Perhaps I'll pick up the Mahogany. I have checked out the website and Mahogany is the next darkest after Walnut. Out of my choices, that would probably be the one to grab. :thmbsp:
Click to expand...

Most of the major brand speakers were either oak or walnut veneer, many I have seen are walnut. The Home Depot near me sells walnut, dark walnut, and oak Howards restore a finish among others. I use the dark walnut for the darker shades, and walnut for the lighter, oak is a no brainer, it gets used on the oak veneer. Howards makes many types so just find one that goes with the veneer you have. I just did a pair of HPM-100's with the dark walnut, they came out very nice.
 
I used the walnut on a pair of A35's and my dual 1229Q plinth. Both came out looking really good. The A35's cabs were pretty rough too but after a couple applications they looked excellent. I didn't sand them I just applied with 0000 steel wool. After I applied and wiped off the Howard's I applied a couple of coats of the howards feed and wax. It came out really nice. I don't think you will be disappointed, very easy and doesn't take that much time at all.
 
Some Walnut has an original, like patina that makes the wood have a orangish or carmel coloring.

Using Howards walnut, medium walnut or dark walnut on this carmel colored Walnut, I lost the carmel coloring and it looked slightly darker

but very nice

Maybe try NEUTRAL

great stuff though along with Danish oil
 
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Howard's is a short term make do treatment at best. It's basically mineral oil, plus mineral spirits and other solvents, including isopropal alcohol, acetone, with small amounts of toluene and xylene. In some versions color comes from Gilsonite, which is essentially roof tar.

The more volatile of the solvents evaporate pretty quickly. The mineral oil (paraffin oil) stays around a little longer. It does NOT cure or dry. If enough is applied to leave the surface a bit wet, it just collects dirt.

The oil offers virtually no protection to the surface and won't protect from water damage. Application does often cure white rings--that's due to the alcohol penetrating the existing finish and bonding with water vapor that is causing the ring and helping it evaporate away. A few light passes of alcohol by itself would do the same thing.

There are much more permanent treatments available. I would clean surfaces with water, with just a couple of drops of "Dawn" to break the surface tension, then I would use naphtha (mineral spirit) to wipe off oily dirt, using a copious supply of paper towels so the dirt is removed not just smeared around. If the finish is a matt "oil finish" that doesn't have a film on the surface you can freshen it up with a mix of oil and varnish, such as Watco. Finishes that are suface films typically need to be stripped off with chemical stripper. Don't try to sand it off--sanding doesn't leave a very evenly prepared surface, AND since the surface is typically veneer, it is way to easy to sand through the veneer. If that happens the fix is either expensive or not very satisfactory.
 
Bye the way, for Oldskl, Howards would be an extremely bad choice for raw wood. Use a real finish, such as Danish Oil--a mix of oil and varnish.
 
SteveS, two extremely good posts. Howard's makes the piece look good for the antique dealer's floor and is a temp fix at best. I don't think it's a bad product, just a temporary one.
 
So I am going to grab one of these, I just need to decide which one to get. Is the mahogany too red to use all around? Maybe I should grab the dark oak? I'm sure that all of them could be used on most finishes, but I want the most "all purpose" color!
 
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