Classic Hifi Care

None of the stain products will replace a film finish like lacquer, shellac, or varnish. Stains provide color. The film finishes produce a covering over the stained wood.

Applying a matching stain will hide the damage from most sighting, unless you look closely or light is reflecting. My brother and I got out the 14-foot step ladder last weekend so we could reach some gluelam beams in the cottage to add stain where roof leakage had washed it out. The result was not perfect, because you can still see the leakage marks if you look. But it made them far less obvious so the eye is not drawn to them.

If you want a film over a stain repair, I still think some orange shellac, thinned a bit and maybe applied with a small artist's brush, would solve the problem easily. Try a few coats, rubbed lightly with 4-0 steel wool between coats. Shellac is cool stuff because it dries so quickly, allowing fast recoats, and if you blow it completely, you can remove it all with a shellac-dampened paper towel.

Chris Campbell

Thanks, Chris! Good idea!

They are the same, but different but both will do about the same thing. I know that did not make any sense, but the ingredients tell the story. Before you use either please Google and read what the differences are between the two and make your decision on which would serve you best. I always keep both on hand which is easy for the Old English as it comes in either dark or light. For Howard's there are like 9 different shades to pick from.

Bill

I'm not a fan of Howard's. Maybe I'm not smart enough to make it work. It works better for scratches. I like Old English because it is easy to use and you can't mess up very bad using it. Howard's melts the finish and sort of blends it in. Trying to match stain is not easy. Whatever works is what you should use, and your results may vary from mine.

I suspect in my situation that the dark Old English is the choice to get...

That would be correct.

Bill

If you decide to go with Old English, put it on liberally with a terry cloth towel. Let it set a bit, then wipe off the excess. Don't slop it on, but put it on generously. It goes a long way. The container of Old English we have is probably 25 years old.....

I suspect the Old English is darker than the Howard's. Would it make sense to use the Old English first to stain the light spots first, and then follow up with Howard's? Or just pick one and use it?

I would probably use the Old English first and see what it looks like, see how well it covers the bad spots and then go from there.

Bill

I agree.

Thank you both! I'll try to get to it in the next day or so!

It looks better but it still bothers me. I might have it professionally repaired. A local guy will come by and take a look at it next week.

Thanks for the update, Charles. Keep us informed on the progress if you decide to have it refinished.

The local guy has an emergency that he would like to schedule in the time next week. I said sure, mine is certainly not an emergency. How do you have a wood finish emergency anyway? So, we rescheduled for the 29th. The longer I look at it, the less it bothers me. Might not care at all by the 29th!

Were you unhappy with your results because of color mismatch, different texture, or what? If the color is right, try hitting the whole top with 50/50 boiled linseed oil and turpentine. Some make it 1/3 each of those plus 1/3 white vinegar. Or shellac with an artist's tiny brush and then a light scuffing with 4-0 steel wool.

or show us a photo of current status so we can see what's wrong.

Chris Campbell

I think it's mostly the texture and a little bit the color. I'll take some more photos tomorrow and post them. I need to update my post in the Zenith forum too. I can see the difference in the texture from across the room but barely notice it when I'm standing right in front of it...

Keep in mind that when we are in charge of projects, we are acutely aware of each and every defect. Nobody else notices, except maybe the occasional expert. I have a lot of varnishing on my old sailboat each year and there are always issues--crud, holidays, runs. What others see is mostly what turned out right.

If you are thinking about paying somebody to do it, then you might as well experiment a bit. Try some darker stains for color.

Chris Campbell

If you used Old English, you can give it multiple coats until you get the depth you want.

I just used the Howard's I had already purchased.

Pictures