Furniture Restoration Tips

Paste Wax in New Tint

2005-06-17T15:29:00.000-04:00

Our new American Custom Paste Wax in Chestnut has been on the drawing board for months. I finally found the right dye to eliminate the underlying red tone and increase the umber to resemble furniture that has been exposed to a bit of sunlight. A kind of green-yellow/umber. The color clearly resembles chestnut and is a beautiful brown. It's not on the site yet but having been tested in the field is a resounding success. We have the color being processed right now and I expect to have a batch made up by the middle of July.
Floyd

Secret to Effortless Paste Waxing

2005-06-16T15:50:00.000-04:00

Using a colored furniture wax my son Scott & I were recently paste waxing some built in pine bookcases that covered a 30ft. wall, floor to ceiling, and included two antique pine doors. One of the things we discovered about paste waxing is that more times than not we apply too much wax. I believe that's a problem that occurs for most people. Too much wax in the application means alot of hard work buffing to get rid of the excess.

To start, we used our American Custom Paste Wax (Light Oak). It was just enough color to hide scratches on the bookcases and color in some of the dog claw marks on the doors. We also brought and used our Chinese Bristle Furniture Cleaning Brush to apply the paste wax in the corners, joints and on moldings. We did that first after removing all shelves. We also brought along several sleeves of #0000 Steel Wool Pads to apply the wax and to also buff off excess wax.

And herein lies the secret to effortless paste waxing (Ha, Ha.).
#0000 Steel Wool.

Always apply paste wax in the .... Read the rest of this waxing tip at KingdomRestorations.com

Quick Drying Wood Filler

2005-06-14T22:42:00.000-04:00

Epoxy Putty Stick Wood Filler - Now available in 8 colors.
Use interior or exterior for repairing and filling damaged wood,
fabricating moldings, carvings, etc.
Easy to use, dries in minutes and will not shrink.

Soft Wax Filler Sticks

2005-06-09T06:16:00.000-04:00

New product listing - Rosini's Wax filler sticks
Available in 13 colors. Purchase individually or as a set.
Used on all types of wood furniture to fill scratches, gouges, cracks and separated joints.

Thank You For American Wax

2005-03-15T06:20:00.000-05:00

I must tell you your product is FANTASTIC!!!
I have never had a finish look this good.
I am only half done with it to date but as
soon as I am complete I will send you a picture.
It is absolutely gorgeous!!!!
It brings out the beauty of the wood so well.
Thank you for suggesting American Wax!!!
I can't believe I built this my self.
It will be the talk of the town.

Randy

Customer Comment

2004-12-21T05:36:00.000-05:00

Thanks again for your help, I couldnt believe that I got the products the very next day. Cant wait to use them for my Morris Chair.

Happy Holidays,
Deborah

Ink Stains In Oak

2004-11-09T19:30:00.000-05:00

I have an antique oak desk that has ink stains in the oak. How can I get rid of the ink stains?
Thanks, Jim

RE: Ink Stains In Oak
Hi Jim,
The section with the ink stain must have the finish removed first. Once the raw wood is exposed you can bleach the damaged area. It's best to....

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Sticky Shellac

2004-11-07T20:03:00.000-05:00

I shellaced my bannister and the shellac did not dry. How do I take it and start over? The bannister is very sticky.

Re: Sticky Shellac
You can use alcohol to remove the shellac. A couple of the reasons the shellac didn't dry are:
1. The shellac is old. Use a fresh batch of shellac.
2. The surface you applied the shellac to was not cleaned & prepared properly. Dirty old finish or wax will prevent the shellac from drying.
Floyd @ KingdomRestorations.com

New Liberon Products and Sizes Listed

2004-11-07T01:01:00.000-05:00

Liberon Wax 5 Liter size now available.

Van Dyck Crystals - new product.

Stone Floor Cleaner 5 Liter size now available.

Stone Floor Sealer 5 Liter size now available.

Stone Floor Shine 5 Liter size now available.

Palette Wood Dye 500ml size now available.

Customer Comment

2004-10-28T04:02:00.000-04:00

Floyd,

I placed an order for several of your products a couple weeks ago and I've been meaning to write to thank you. The products arrived very quickly and I applied them the same night. As for the results, all I can say is "Wow"!

I used the Turpentine and American Custom Paste Wax I ordered to clean and re-wax the surface of a beautiful mahogany desk I "inherited". When I received it, it was spattered with paint, white-out, and glue. The original luster was all but lost. With some careful cleaning, your products have made the desk shine again. I really wish I'd taken before and after photos, the difference really is amazing.

The advice on your website was invaluable both in practice and giving me the courage to undertake this task. I was honestly very worried I would destroy the desk if I tried to clean it myself and, being a recently-graduated college student, I did not have the money to pay to have the desk restored.

Thanks again and you can expect to hear from me in the future.

I will most definitely be a return customer.

Thanks!

Advice For Kitchen Cabinets

2004-10-25T19:47:00.000-04:00

I have beautiful solid oak kitchen cabinets with marble inlaid countertops and would like to bring back the luster of the wood. Obviously I need to be careful not to contaminate the food prep surfaces in the process. Someone locally recommended Hagerty's Vernax wax, but I don't know much about the product or it's results. Can you give me some advice?
Thanks

RE: Advice For Kitchen Cabinets
I'm not sure I would use wax on the cabinets because moisture can build up behind the wax. Also the wax lays on the surface contributing to the usual buildup of normal kitchen activity. The cabinets are exposed to steam, water, heat, cooking residue etc. All these elements tend to make me believe that wax is not the right choice. My suggestion would be to use...

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Wax Build Up on Rosewood Furniture

2004-10-19T19:26:00.000-04:00

I have wax build up on my rosewood furniture and don't know how to remove it. Help?
Thanks!!

RE: Wax Build Up on Rosewood Furniture
You could use Rosini's Red 1 Cleaner or Liberon Wax and Polish Remover. Either one will do the job effectively. Make sure to use a soft cloth or if it's bad, #0000 steel wool with the grain. I would recommend ...

>>Read the rest of this furniture wax tip at KingdomRestorations.com

Cleaning Wood Furniture

2004-10-18T21:41:00.000-04:00

I have an all wood dining set with 6 chairs and a china cabinet. I have had this for 28 years and it has withstood 6 kids wood smoke and cigarette smoke. I want it cleaned but I am afraid of what to use. It is all wood, not pressed wood. Please advise me on what to do without ruining the finish on it. I would perfer not to have to restain it. The finish is alright, it is just dirty. Still beautiful even though it is 28 years old.

Thankyou

RE: Cleaning Wood Furniture

I manufacture just what you need to do a great job. First start with the Rosini's Red 1 to clean away the 28 years of build up.

>>Read the rest of this furniture care tip at KingdomRestorations.com

Piano in Need of Cleaning

2004-10-17T17:12:00.000-04:00

I recently purchased a used Yamaha upright piano. It has a black satin finish. The previous owner smoked and the finish needs cleaning. The piano mover recommended wool wax. I have only found wool wax as a skin cream.
Do you have any suggestions?

RE: Piano in Need of Cleaning
I've found that Rosini's Red 1 Cleaner is the best for cleaning dirt and nicotine. It won't harm the finish but will remove all traces of brown sticky nicotine. Once cleaned it's best to polish the piano with Rosini's Furniture Preservative and Rejuvenator.

>> Read the rest of this furniture restoration tip at KingdomRestorations.com

Removing Milk Paint Layers

2004-10-15T20:16:00.000-04:00

After 35 years of unsuccessful attempts to remove "buttermilk paint" from furniture, I ask for assistance. Sign of maturity or simple honesty? Whatever....how can I remove the top layer of paint( buttermilk applied circa 1875) while retaining the original (circa 1812) red wash?

RE: Removing Milk Paint Layers
It has always been difficult for me to remove only the top layer without loosing some of the bottom layer especially when the colors are different. They can turn into a sloppy mess. However the biggest problem has been getting my customers to understand the painstaking process and pay for it. Sometimes a little of the top layer is left behind and sometimes the bottom layer gets removed right to the wood. There is always give and take. First I try a mixture of surfactants that get wetter than water and work a very small area at a time. The mixture I use is called Red 1.

>>Read the rest of this furniture restoration tip at kingdomrestorations.com

Ebonizing Furniture Legs

2004-10-15T04:58:00.000-04:00

We have an old farm table we are refinishing for our kitchen table. The top will be stained and finished. The legs and supports are in pretty bad shape. We want to paint them black so they will match our Hitchcock chairs. Do you know of a technique that we can use to apply the black paint so that it will look old? They are carved legs so we do not have a flat surface. I was thinking about painting and then wiping off?
Any ideas are appreciated.

Re:Ebonizing Furniture Legs
A really great way to do this is to stain the legs black. This is called ebonizing or making black. With a good penetrating black stain you'll get the black but at the same time you'll see any figure in the wood, and if you want to see some of the wood tone just lightly steel wool in the area you want to highlight.

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Shellac Issues

2004-10-13T23:16:00.000-04:00

Everyone talks about how to apply shellac. Rarely do I see info on troubleshooting. What do I do regarding overlap or drips? When I sand between coats I sometimes get a gummy residue. Am I sanding too hard (220 grit by hand)?
Thanks, Raymond
This is my first visit to your site. I seems great, I have bookmarked it. I found it by searching for info on shellac on yahoo.

RE: Shellac Issues
First of all you should be using no more than a 3lb cut. I find the best cut is a 2 or 2 1/2lb cut. The cut is the number of pounds of shellac added to a gallon of denatured alcohol. If your cut is too thick it won't dry properly and will remain soft for a longer period of time, making it difficult to sand in between coats.

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Staining Furniture

2004-10-13T05:09:00.000-04:00

I have a cherry bedroom set. I would like to darken the finish without stripping the furniture. Is this possible? I watched a show where they added a stain to a burnishing wax and then waxed the furniture. No product names or much detail was given. I would appreciate any info or help you could give me.
Thanks, Jerri

Re: Staining Furniture
Hi Jerri,
I manufacture a line of waxes that does just what you want. Depending on just how dark you want the set, you can ...

>>Read the rest of this staining furniture tip at KingdomRestorations.com

Bad Shellac Finish

2004-10-13T04:57:00.000-04:00

Please tell me why coats after the first coat, sometimes cause the previous coat to rise up or curdle and leave a bad finish. How can I stop this from happening? Thanks

RE: Bad Shellac Finish
Sometimes the alcohol content in a heavy application will lift the previous layer causing a curdle. Don't worry though because the 2 coats have melded. Your next application should ...

>>Read the rest of this shellac finishing tip at KingdomRestorations.com