Hey F1nut, have you seen this stuff?

Jstas

http://www.amishsecret.com/

I keep seeing commercials for it on TV and I can't fathom how it could possibly work without some serious solvents that would honestly give me serious reservations about actually using it on something I'd want to preserve.

I also don't get how it can be "innovative" and "new" but also a "secret" from the Amish that is hundreds of years old.

You have a....bit of experience with wood finishes So I thought I'd see if you knew or heard anything about it.

zingo

The ad stated that it "honors to crafts work of the Amish", was not created by the Amish. Does it sound too good to be true? :loneranger:

Jstas

The TV ads are done like an informercial. I've seen a couple different ones for it and they make similar claims through all of them.

I'm just wondering because I've come across vintage speakers from time to time with water rings on them from potted plants and stuff.

There's really no easy way to get that kind of stuff out of a veneer that most vintage speakers are covered in. But if stuff like this Amish Secret actually work and aren't just snake oil (literally, or maybe yak piss or something) then it could be an easy solution to speakers that are in otherwise good shape.

The wax sticks are nothing new though. You can get them at any home improvement store or supermarket or even department store like WAL*MART. All they do is fill a nick or scratch with a tinted wax. Then you rub it smooth and shiny with a cloth. The next time you use a cleaner or something else that uses a wax removal solvent on the piece of furniture or floor that you filled that scratch in with, you're gonna hafta reapply it. It's an inexpensive, non-permanent fix that will mask a problem well enough that a casual glance will not notice it. You want it fixed right though, gonna take a bit of work.

dkg999

I've been using this stuff for many years, and it does work: http://www.kramerize.com/natural_way.htm

F1nut

You can find the ingredients by looking at the material safety data sheet (MSDS), but I'm sure it's not much different than products such as Amish Wood Milk and Dutch Glow. They will all contain petroleum oil, wax and various solvents.

Save your money.

Jstas

Yeah, good luck finding the MSDS!

TeleBRANDS sites are excessively vague and "Amish Secret" doesn't even pop up on MSDSonline.com

dkg999

The Kramer's Antique Improver works good for cleaning up a piece of furniture, giving a nice glow, and making it smell like someone who knew what they are doing worked on it. It's really good for selling antiques to soccer moms with an empty minivan.

Jstas

Hmmmm....these soccer moms you speak of....do they have yoga pants?

Phasewolf

Oh yea yoga pants..... Very nice most of the time but there are people that should not be anywhere near a pair of them.

Moose68Bash

Anybody ever tried plain old olive oil?

F1nut

Moose68Bash wrote: »

Anybody ever tried plain old olive oil?

Don't do that.

Moose68Bash

F1nut wrote: »

Don't do that.

I won't argue with you, because I suspect you know what you're talking about.

But I can't resist recounting a story out of my past: Once I was fortunate enough to be invited to the home of a very wealthy rare book collector. While I was enjoying a good helping of very good hors d'oeuvres from the dining room table (a rare 18th century mahogany antique), I observed another guest dribbling some salad oil on the table top (couldn't possibly have been me!). The housekeeper quickly advanced and rubbed the drippings into the finish. I asked whether that was a good idea, and she replied that olive oil was the best thing for the antique finish. Never knew whether she was correct, but I've always wondered about it!

By the way, I dribbled (I confess) because I was noticing a very fine drawing that was framed and hung on a nearby wall when a fellow guest observed, "That's an original Rembrandt." I practically choked.

But, I didn't notice any particular sound system! :-)

trav0810

Moose68Bash wrote: »

Anybody ever tried plain old olive oil?

I've used linseed oil and had good results from that

F1nut

Good story, Phil :cool:

The problems with food oils such as olive or vegetable oil is that they build up, become gummy and turn rancid. Now, the rare 18th century mahogany antique table would have some sort of finish on it, most likely shellac, which will prevent the olive oil from penatrating into the wood, so the olive oil isn't doing anything but sitting on top of the finish being oily. No thanks.

Linseed oil is a different story. Boiled linseed oil is preferred over raw because the raw never really dries. That said, as a finish it's not really a good choice as it offers very little protection. It was used back then because they didn't have a lot of choices. For a period finish, shellac is a much better choice.

dkg999

I love a good padded on and rubbed out shellac finish. I've got several buckets of shellac flakes of different colors.

halo71

Most guys enjoy a good shellac-ing!

Moose68Bash

F1nut wrote: »

Good story, Phil :cool:

The problems with food oils such as olive or vegetable oil is that they build up, become gummy and turn rancid. Now, the rare 18th century mahogany antique table would have some sort of finish on it, most likely shellac, which will prevent the olive oil from penatrating into the wood, so the olive oil isn't doing anything but sitting on top of the finish being oily. No thanks.

Linseed oil is a different story. Boiled linseed oil is preferred over raw because the raw never really dries. That said, as a finish it's not really a good choice as it offers very little protection. It was used back then because they didn't have a lot of choices. For a period finish, shellac is a much better choice.

Thank you!

At least, I was right about one thing: You know what you're talking about!

My questions are: How did you learn all the "stuff" you know, and better yet, how can you pull it up out of your memory banks? :-)

txcoastal1

That's his job

He even designed the wood background for the website


















































Just kidding

Jstas

I would certainly hope he knows what he's talking about. He does it for a living.

I've known the guy since 2002 or so and when I have a question about furniture or other wood finishes that my father can't answer, he's the first person I ask.

txcoastal1

Jstas wrote: »

I would certainly hope he knows what he's talking about. He does it for a living.

I've known the guy since 2002 or so and when I have a question about furniture or other wood finishes that my father can't answer, he's the first person I ask.

Absolutely, he helped me out a few weeks ago on a project and always has great advice