Replies

1. 
   Gretchen | Jul 24, 2006 02:18pm | #1

   It's easier to just buy it. It can be a wonder worker and is very widely available now. 

   Gretchen
1. 
   byhammerandhand | Jul 24, 2006 02:45pm | #2

   I don't want to recreate it, I just want to know what it is so I can predict how it works.

1. 
   Gretchen | Jul 24, 2006 03:46pm | #3

   I have seen it described as mineral spirits with a little varnish in it and probably some oil. I have used it for a good while. It "renews" a finish--not a real permanent thing but it will remove white rings and gives a nice sheen.Gretchen

1. 
   joinerswork | Jul 25, 2006 07:41pm | #10

   Gretchen, and FG,

   I've had better luck with a product by Behlen's called "Quala-renu". It seems to have a little more oomph than the Howard's product, (more volatile solvent blend?), have y'all tried it?  Maybe Howard deserves another try from me.

   Ray

1. 
   Gretchen | Jul 25, 2006 07:44pm | #11

   I haven't used it for a while either.  Is the Behlen's product useable on any finish?  I know a few years ago when Howard's was pretty new I saw another "amalgamator" that warned against using it on  X______  kind of finish. can't remember what.

   But my dining room table top is looking very poorly and I am beginning to feel the need to do something "cosmetic", but not complete.Gretchen

2. 
   joinerswork | Jul 26, 2006 01:26am | #12

   Gretchen,

   The directions on the bottle recommend trying it on an inconspicuous area first.  It is a last resort for me, when the alternative is probably stripping and refinishing anyway, so nothing to lose by trying it.  I tell the customer that before opening the bottle. 

   I don't remember any warnings about specific finishes, it's been a while since I read the label though...

   Regards,

   Ray

3. 
   Gretchen | Jul 26, 2006 04:19am | #13

   Thanks. I'll take a look.Gretchen

4. 
   byhammerandhand | Aug 01, 2006 11:00pm | #14

   Most "amalgamators" work best on evaporative finishes: Lacquer and shellac (and wax-only), and do not do well on reactive finishes such as varnishes or oils. The latter cannot be "undone" as they have undergone a chemical reaction (oxidation / polymerization) and the former are simply redissolved in their solvent.

2. 
   forestgirl | Jul 24, 2006 04:39pm | #4

   "...I just want to know what it is so I can predict how it works."  What are you working on?  Type of finish and damage?

   I've used Howard's quite a bit in the past.  It's pretty much a cleaner than has some restorative capability.  I suspect it softens the finish a bit (hence the claim it can cure mild crazing), and fill it in some.  That in combination with the added coloration can hide some defects.  The solvents help remove white rings by evaporation probably. 

   It does not work quite as miraculously as Howard's claims on this page, but it can perk up a well-used piece of furniture some.  With relative low risk, as it doesn't strip or seriously dissolve the existing finish.  When we had an old piece of furniture that didn't respond to the standard Howard's treatment, we'd wipe it on fairly heavily and leave it overnight, then come back and wipe it off.

   Their MSDS, on this page, indicates it has a "hydrocarbon blend" (oh, that's helpful) and a small amount of ketone and xylene in it.  Deep breaths are not recommended.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   byhammerandhand | Jul 24, 2006 06:39pm | #5

   Yes, I saw the MSDS "T.S." is presumed to be "trade secret."Maybe I do have a problem spending 4 times as much for danish oil, lacquer thinner, denatured alcohol, or whatever is in there. Though I have said Homer Formby became rich selling lacquer thinner as a miracle refinisher.Part of my hesitancy was the same person touted the old turpentine + BLO + vinegar as a wonder cure that we now know is quite harmful. http://alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/info5.html

1. 
   Gretchen | Jul 24, 2006 07:43pm | #6

   Forest Girl put it all very well.  It is not all that expensive--it  goes a long way--it is dead easy to use--it does no harm--it can do a lot of good.

   Personally I would never put it in the same class as Formby's anything.  It isn't a total ripoff--or even a little ripoff.

   Gretchen

   Edited 7/24/2006 1:47 pm ET by Gretchen

2. 
   forestgirl | Jul 25, 2006 05:00am | #7

   If I knew then  (back when I was buying and selling vintage furniture) what I know now, I probably would have skipped the Restore-a-Finish and made up my own concoctions.  But it came in handy for quick perk-it-up work.  I soon learned its limitations and figured out what to do when RAF wasn't going to do the job.

   Formby's is actually a mix of lacquer thinner and denatured alcohol, is it not?  Yep, he's a master marketer.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

3. 
   Gretchen | Jul 25, 2006 02:01pm | #8

   What would you mix up--and what would you use for color?Gretchen

4. 
   forestgirl | Jul 25, 2006 06:51pm | #9

   I would "mix up" some mineral spirits, LOL!  The only thing needed for cleaning.  Color, if needed for touch-up on scratches, can be obtained a variety of ways.    You know all this, so I'm sure you don't need a dissertation. 

   A little "reamalgamation" with a lacquer thinner and denatured alcohol concoction can work on some crazing, light scraches, and such.  The whole thing bores me to tears any more.  Too much of a reminder of a business that was fun for awhile, and then became tedious and exhausting.  forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)