I have an antique grandmothers clock.
by
Thomas P
+3
It is in the shop to be repaired. The owner told me to use English Oil to bring back the grain. Any idea where I can purchase this? It is not Old English Oil.
6 answers
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He was probably talking about "Old English Oil", which is a brand name of regular furniture polish, usually found in grocery stores, retailers, etc. However, I owned an antique shop and my Father owned an antique shop and repaired antique clocks, as well. You should never use oil on a piece of antique furniture, even lemon oil, which is what Old English Oil has in it. Oils, when exposed to heat from ducting nearby, or to sunlight can actually discolor a piece of antique furniture. Read this article, it has good advice. http://fiskeandfreeman.com/PolishingAntiqueFurniture.aspx. Waxing is always better than oiling.
Leslie D
on Apr 03, 2012
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Sorry, missed the last line of your post saying it wasn't "Old English Oil". Regardless, oil is not appropriate for antique furniture. It will make it look good temporarily, but can do more harm than good.
Leslie D
on Apr 03, 2012
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Leslie, thanks for the info. I added the article to my favorites, it covers many topics. Is there any one particular wax you like best? The clock I am working on was my granparents wedding present in 1896 so i really do not want to mess it up.
Thomas P
on Apr 03, 2012
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I'm a big fan of "Briwax" http://www.briwax.com/ Another product I use a lot is Howard's "feed and wax" http://www.howardproducts.com/prod-feed-n-wax.php
KMS Woodworks
on Apr 03, 2012
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Yep, KMS nailed it, Briwax is what we used. I've also used Rennaissance Micro Crystalline.Wax. Juist make sure it's a high quality wax, use cheesecloth to apply and wipe away 90% of what you put on. Less is more.
Leslie D
on Apr 03, 2012
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The Renaissance wax is some pricey stuff...about 30 bucks for 7 oz. I never "sprung" for it because the briwax "works" for me...I have about 5-6 colors of the briwax...these tins have last me for years and years.
KMS Woodworks
on Apr 04, 2012
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