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| The following string of email
messages between a customer and David Foster contains useful advice for
all. Email from John D K..
Hi there.
I am interested in your orange tung oil as a possibility for a finish on a guitar I am currently making. I have researched your web site and tung oil sounds like it could be what I am after.
I have come across other reference to tung oil as a guitar finish on the net. The timber of the guitar is ash? (not sure of what species) but I am led to believe it is a very porous timber.
My aim is to have a natural wood finish that will allow the grain of the timber to show through.Will the orange tung oil give any colouration? I also plan as a final finish to coat in a two pac polyurathane. Will this react with the tung oil? Any suggestions on preparation and application would be greatly appreciated. Would I need to start with a filler/sealer?
Thank you for your time.
John D K
Response from David Foster Howard Products (Aust)... Hi John: Orange Tung Wood Oil is a blend of golden coloured tung oil and orange coloured orange oil. Yes it does leave wood with a golden hue. Orange Tung Wood Oil IS the final finish, you cannot coat over it with polyurethane. You make the decision to go natural or go plastic, that’s about all I can say on that point. If you want to go ahead the natural way with Orange Tung read on. Make sure you have sanded your guitar and have clean, dust-free wood in front of you, this is the way to go: Orange Tung Wood Oil has become a fairly popular choice for DIY furniture makers over traditional shellac or varnish finishes. Tung Oil is itself an essential ingredient that is used in most varnishes. Orange Tung is a blend of pure Chinese tung oil and pure orange oil. Most commercial tung oils are thinned with very toxic chemicals and artificial dryers: Instead of adding those dangerous toxins we simple add natural orange oil in just the same way that the Chinese added citrus oils up to 600 years ago. Orange oil accelerates the drying time and thins the very viscous tung oil down to make it easier to hand rub into the wood. For your job you would ask for the ‘Furniture Blend’ which is 70% tung oil. The other blend is called ‘Deck Blend’ and its only 30% tung oil and is made for easy penetration into large areas. The thicker blend is ideal for hand burnishing. You do this by making yourself a ‘rubber’ in just the same way as the old style French polishers used to. You cut slivers of soft cotton cloth and place them into an outer casing of the same material and wad it up into a tight ball which fits comfortably into the palm of your hand. You have your orange tung oil in an open container next to your job and by dipping your rubber into the container and then using good friction rub the oil into the wood you’ll find that it penetrates deeply and provides a good look to the surface. When you’ve covered the entire surface, take a clean cloth and wipe away any excess oil and then let the job sit for a few hours before returning to it and give it another coat. You can repeat this procedure three times for a nice result and more if you want to build the coat up further. It is highly recommended to give your job a final coat of Feed-N-Wax which is a gel-like combination of carnauba wax and beeswax. This keeps the tung oil from going brittle and leaves a beautiful finish which brings out the natural grain and leaves a low sheen protective coat. For a higher shine and a wood tint which highlights the natural colour of wood I would recommend Howard Citrus Shield which when dry can be hand buffed to quite a nice low shine. It is a blend containing a high proportion of Carnauba Wax possibly the most durable and moisture resistant natural wax on the planet. One litre of Orange Tung Wood Oil is $35 480m mls of Feed-N-Wax is $33.00
340gm tin of Citrus Shield $45 (Golden Oak would be good for Ash but we
do have it in neutral)
Response from John D K..
Thanks David for your quick reply. The information you have given me is inspiration enough to take the job on using your products. I will try and source them locally. If not successful I will purchase from you. I did read on a forum whereby the person with a similar project applied 7 coats over a week allowing 24 hrs between coats . Is this excessive? Cheers. PS: You sure are in the right place for guitars.
Response from David...
Hi John
Yes Tamworth was literally chock-a-block with guitars during January. Probably not all were in excellent tune or in expert hands, but there you go. We recommend a minimum of three coats as being sufficient but I have old timers talk about ten coats. I guess it depends on the finish you want. Some people use straight tung oil with no solvent added and each coat of that will be thick and resinous but will take a long time to dry and cure properly. We add the orange oil as the solvent to ensure better penetration and faster drying. Commercial manufacturers of products “containing” tung oil only use about 15 to 20% pure tung oil, the balance being polyurethane, kerosene and other chemicals, solvents and dryers. We satisfy the niche in the market which demands a pure,. Non-toxic product.
Regards David
Response from John D K..
Hi David...Here are the pics of my beautiful new guitar and I am pleased to say she sounds as good as she looks.I don't think the pics do her justice,but on that note I would like to sincerely thank you for your fantastic range of products. As I may have said to you I applied ten coats of the tung oil.I sorry I did;nt take photo;s of each successive coat.Ten coats has darkened the ash considerably but that is exactly what I was after. I allowed three weeks of drying before giving her a wet sand (1200 grade wet and dry) using your orange oil as the medium ,a further week of drying and then an application of wax n feed.I am absolutely stoked. Please feel free to use the pics in any promo,s for your products if you so desire.Thank you once again....cheers John D K
Response from David... Hi John
What a
great set of photos and what a magnificent look you ended up with.
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THANKYOU VERY MUCH , used "Restore a Finish" at weekend
using a little bit a friend recommended to me. It is amazing! |
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I recently used Restor-A-Finish on my ugly, faded-out
kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Structurally the cabinets were sound
inside and out. My husband is a contractor, and was opposed to tearing
out cabinets that were not falling apart. He could have redone the whole
kitchen at a fraction of what it would have cost a consumer. But, it
still would have been a goodly sum and a lot of work and inconvenience,
as I have a 6 bed 'board and care' home for the mentally impaired
elderly. Feeding and caring for them during remodeling would have been
difficult and upsetting for them. A friend recommended Restor-A-Finish;
In less than 2 hours I had my 'new' cabinets. Thank you for saving me
thousands of dollars. |
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A few months ago you were kind enough to help me with
some advice about using Restore-a-Finish on my Malaysian hardwood dining
table. I bought the product and used it – the results were terrific: the
surface scratches were vastly improved and the shine on the table was
better than when I bought it, so thank you for the advice and the
product! |
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I would just like to say a BIG thank you for the prompt
delivery of my order which I only ordered yesterday. I would also like
to say OH MY GOODNESS!! If I had not seen it myself I would not have
believed it. I wish I took before and after shots. I have a dining table
I bought on ebay which was in OK nick but 2 days after getting it my
husband managed to create a big heat mark on it. I think it is just a
veneer with a polyurethane finish, I just don\'t know what it is but I
tried everything. Bicarb soda, leaving it in the sun, a towel with an
iron - you name it every single old wives tale. Anyhow 10 minutes of
restor-a-finish and voila - perfect. A shine with feed and wax and
you\'d think it was never there. I\'m going to go over it again in a few
months as I have barely touched the bottle it is so economical and I am
sure the kids will rough it up again. Plus as I was so fixated on the
heat mark I didn\'t do the rest of the table quite so carefully and
missed a few minor scratches. But can I say once again that I am simply
amazed at how easily I got rid of that heat mark. Thank you once again.
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Dear David, |
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I attend Doug Minty's clock classes each Monday evening
and have been working on restoring a chime clock. I had been having
trouble finding a suitable product to rejuvenate the case. Doug provided
me with your product Resor-A-Finish Neutral. I was amazed at the result
with a little elbow grease and 0000 steelwool the case looks like new. I
am anxious to buy the product and will use it on all further
restorations. Congratulations on a product that actually works. |
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I put up with white rings on 2 of my dark timber tables i
rang a french polisher he quoted me 200.00 dollars each to take out, i
was reading House and Garden magazine when i spotted your ad. i
purchased your product yesterday being a bit skeptical as not all
products deliver what they claim but i was blown away with the result my
tables look brand new, why dont you put your product in Hardware shops
or even Supermarkets as i was always on the lookout for something i
could use. Thanks for delivering on your claims does it work on
cellulite? |
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My wife and I have used your Orange Tung oil to good
effect on a timber floor and are very pleased with it, thank you. |
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Greetings/ I am pleased that at last I have come across
this wonderful product! I run woodworking activities with groups. Could
you please provide me with MSDS sheets for my students? |
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Thank you for all your assistance. The floors look great
already with just one coat of Orange Tung so they are going to be
brilliant when finished. |
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I have had my floors sanded & coated with the Orange Tung oil & it looks fabulous! I really like it, so thanks for your advice with this. Thanks again, Kath |
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Hi David, thanks for the information you emailed me. I purchased 5 litres of orange tung oil. It looks lovely on my new benches and smells great - much better than the Danish oil I have used on the bathroom cabinetry. Thanks, Lyndell |
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I have found Howard Products work so well that they are
mostly all I use. I experiment and mix and match the various products to
get the result I am looking for and I have never been let down.
For a quick seal and timber grain brightener the Orange Oil always
works. Mike - Sept 09 Canberra |
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Restor-A-Finish worked so well on a Saturday that I
bought some more in a different colour on the Sunday! |
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Howard's Naturals |
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MY WIFE LOVES ORANGE OIL AND WAX |
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I have found Feed-N-Wax the easiest and most effective
product of its type. |
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| I would just like to say a BIG thank you for the prompt delivery
of my order which I only ordered yesterday. I would also like to say OH
MY GOODNESS!! If I had not seen it myself I would not have believed it.
I wish I took before and after shots. I have a dining table I bought on
ebay which was in OK nick but 2 days after getting it my husband managed
to create a big heat mark on it. I think it is just a veneer with a
polyurethane finish, I just don't know what it is but I tried
everything. Bicarb soda, leaving it in the sun, a towel with an iron -
you name it every single old wives tale. Anyhow 10 minutes of restor-a-finish
and voila - perfect. A shine with feed and wax and you'd think it was
never there. I'm going to go over it again in a few months as I have
barely touched the bottle it is so economical and I am sure the kids
will rough it up again. Plus as I was so fixated on the heat mark I didn't
do the rest of the table quite so carefully and missed a few minor
scratches. But can I say once again that I am simply amazed at how
easily I got rid of that heat mark. Thank you once again. V. Sharma |
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| I purchased one of your Woodcare kits at the Brisbane Timber and
Wood show last week. I wanted to use it on my dining table to remove
heat marks, and marks from black oil felt pens. While the person who
served me did not know if the felt pen marks would come off, let me tell
you it did. I had virtually ruined the table by tracing a pattern off a
master using the felt pen, and it had marked the table all over. With
that and the heat marks, and one of those was as large as a saucer, as
coffee had been spilt on the table, I thought I would have to have the
table completely stripped and renovated. This is a wonderful product, as with about an hour's work, I have a table top like new.I have recommended this to friends of mine via e-mail tonight, one in particular is waiting to hear how it went with me, as she has a Queenslander full of lovely furniture that needs a little restoration. Thank you, again, I'm very impressed - going to try it on the piano stool tomorrow! Delia Priest - Walkerston...Q 4751 |
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| Hi, I am writing to you from the United States, in the state of
Maine. My grandfather had only used Howard's orange oil on his
furniture, and before going to the nursing home, he had given some of us
grandchildren the extra bottles he had left. The address on these
bottles is in New Jersey. I called the phone number on the bottle and it
is no longer in service. We all love this oil, but as you can probably
guess, we are getting low. Do you have any one in the States that we can
purchase this through, or can we purchase it directly through you? Thank you for your time. Rory L Cookson Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 |
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| Greetings I would be pleased if you could advise me as to the suitability of Feed-N-Wax for red cedar , parts of which are exposed to direct sunlight for several hours each day in summer. ( I have a bottle of the product which was purchased at a furniture show in Canberra earlier this year and the initial effects upon a hardwood table with rainwater stains was very pleasing. ) I would appreciate your advice. Thankyou David Howes |
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| Hello I have recently had the pleasure of a local removalist who kindly used your brand of orange furniture oil on my furniture. He was very proud to show the difference the polish made to my furniture, in particular, my piano that is over 80 years old that desperately required some 'moisture'. It is very rare to find a removalist who shows so much care.
Many Thanks |
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| Dear Sir, I am having a local French polisher do a small job for me and he recommended Howard's Furniture Polish as the best polish I could get to use to keep the finished article in good condition.. (He was most enthusiastic about its qualities) He does have bottles of the polish at his workshop but they are the large bottles and I would prefer a smaller bottle of the polish. I live in the Gosford area (my home address is below) so could you inform me where I might buy a smaller quantity of the polish and the cost, that is. if you make the smaller bottle. Yours sincerely, Cec. Hynes Point Clare 2250 |
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| I’m one of your naughty customers, I told my husband that I had
purchased the products and he asked me to cancel. He told me none of
these products work and if they did they would be world known. Well I didn’t cancel, the order arrived and I quickly used it before he got home to see what would happen, and guess what I am sooooo impressed. I had my coffee table and side tables imported from India 7 years ago which had the white water marks on it (from once storing in moist area) and k-a-boom the table looks new. And yes we are still married and he said I am lucky …………….. This weekend cannot wait to get stuck into the side tables. Thanks Again Velinda Letters |
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| The following email correspondence is more than just a glowing
testimonial. It is also contains useful advice for all customers Question from customer I have a very old oak sideboard which was made by my grandfather, belonged to my grandparents, my mother and now myself. I'm not sure of the age but it must be at least 70 years old. It is very dark with the accumulation of the years, and the top is badly marked. I have purchased some Restor a Finish and started work on it today. On the sides and doors the Restor a Finish is amazing - I couldn't believe the effect it had. It was like using an eraser to clean away the dark accumulation. However I am having trouble with the top. I have the 0000 steel wool and have scrubbed and scrubbed with little effect. The colour of the wood has come somewhat lighter, but I can't get the marks out. Do you have any suggestions for me? Should I try a coarser steel wool? I thought I would continue with the doors and drawers and when I finish try the top again, in the hope that I have loosened some of the grime and marks. I would really appreciate some advice. I am taking before and after photos and it is quite amazing. Thanks for your time. Vera |
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| Response from Howard Products. Hi Vera, The difficulty you’re having with the top is very likely because the top, unlike the sides, has suffered a variety of treatments and potions in its long and varied life in service to your family. These layers of detritus must be cut through to get to what was there originally, unless it’s been stripped away. Even if the original shellac has been stripped away, it’s still there in essence and can be brought back to life in a limited way. Here’s what I suggest …. But take courage... it will take nerves of steel: Take a tin of Neutral Restor-A-Finish. Take a pack of Howard 0000 steel wool. Take a pack of rubber surgical gloves. Now … set about stripping the surface of your sideboard. Don’t panic, you won’t really be stripping it, you’ll just be pretending to. Saturate your pad of steel wool with the Restor-A-Finish and get stuck into the top of your sideboard, use good firm pressure and work in fairly long, even strokes going back and back over the surface until it gives and begins to break-up. Wipe away excess gunk as you go with clean cloth. Discard it as it becomes filled with gunk and replace with fresh cloth. You will begin to see a nice, satiny, mellow surface emerge, keep it going until you begin to see the look that you know is as good as you’ll get beginning to make itself clear to you. Stand back, take a breath, grab fresh, clean cloth and wipe the surface dry. Go to bed or go out, forget the job until the next day. Next day: Apply a good even coat of Feed-N-Wax to the whole surface and let it dry for an hour or so. Come back and buff it dry. Burnish it, rub it until it looks good. Then repeat the process if you feel it needs it. Give it the works, you will be rewarded. What you end up with will be so much better than that dark, unforgiving accumulation of old polish, caked shellac, dirt and silicone. Regards, David
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| Update from customer Hi David, Just to update you on the progress of my sideboard. I have used a whole can of Restor-A-Finish, and still have one side to go. However that side is against the wall and can wait till I get another can. I still cannot get the marks off the top of the sideboard - I've got the gunk off, the colour is right, but there are still marks, one of which is, I think, a burn. I've polished it all with the Feed-N-Wax, and it is looking a whole different piece of furniture. It gave the term "distressed timber" a whole deeper meaning! I am attaching some photos to show you the difference. Photo 1 is the sideboard before any work. In photo 2 I have used the Restor-A-Finish on the centre panel only - see the difference. Photos 3 & 4 show the sideboard polished and gleaming! When I get another can of Restor-A-Finish and do the hidden side, do you think I should go over the rest of it again? Is it likely that more will come out? And what should I do with the top? Even if I leave it and do no more, it is SO much better, but if possible I would like to get more of the marks out. Thank you so much for taking the trouble to give me advice. I would be more than happy to endorse these two products, I think they are just fantastic. Vera (Please view pictures….) |
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| Further Response from Howard Products. I bought some Orange oil and Citrus Shield for our redgum kitchen
benches on a recent trip to Melbourne and both my partner and I LOVE the
outcome. They look terrific and I am so pleased that I have used these
natural products.
I’m an industrial arts teacher, my students and I use your unique
products in class. My HSC boys are using your products in their senior
years projects. I have restored an old kitchen table using Restor-A-Finish and it
came back like new. We rescued an old cedar book case from a blue bin by the road. Your
Restor-A-Finish took off all the rubbish and the colour of that lovely
old wood came to life again. It was really unbelievable! I use a ton of your Restor-A-Finish in all colours. I also use a lot
of Citrus Shield wax and Feed-N-Wax for restoration work. They are
brilliant products.
I scratched an old walnut table really badly. I used Restor-A-Finish
on it and it came up brilliantly. I paid $12 to come to the Sydney Wood
Show just to tell you. I used Restor-A-Finish on my 1897 Singer sewing machine. At first I
just wanted to repair a small area but the results were so amazing I
just couldn’t stop. It’s compulsive! I’ve got several projects on the
boil now. I love your orange oil. I used it on an old cabinet held together
with metal surrounds. I’m converted! There are really no other products that come close to
Feed-N-Wax and Orange Oil. I clean my furniture down with Orange Oil and
follow up with a quick coat of Feed-N-Wax. It looks as though I’ve spent
hours looking after my stuff but it only takes minutes. Hi, I live in Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast, Everything gets mouldy
very quickly here in the wet season. I used your Orange Oil before when
I lived on Phillip Island and I don’t want to use anything else. Can you
please send me more? I'm going to be desperate soon as the climate here
is not wonderful for my antiques. Thank you for your wonderful help. The first time I bought [and got
addicted to] your orange oil was in Mildura. I found it in the orange
shop, where just about everything was orange flavoured or scented. We
now love this unique cleaner and polisher and we’d never use anything
else on the furniture or woodwork in our house. I was really surprised at how easily your Restor-A-Finish removed
felt pen marks, heat rings and scratches from our dining table. I did as
you suggested and followed up with a coat of Feed-N-Wax for protection.
So easy compared to the usual beeswaxes! Last year I saw your talk at the Brisbane Wood Show and bought your
little trial kit. Well, everything worked exactly as you said it would
and I’m back to buy some more. My job is with Bunnings who don’t yet stock your product but I’ve
been using your Tung Oil and Feed-N-Wax on my Tasmanian Oak flooring in
our new house in preference to any of the usual brands available. The
result is beautiful. It gets quite a thrashing with my two little kids
but we can cover most marks with a bit of your fabulous Feed-N-Wax.
By far the most important purchase I made at the recent Gardening
Show at Homebush was your Feed-N-Wax. It certainly revitalises my
furniture but just as importantly it revitalises me. I’m 86 years old
and Feed-N-Wax has enabled me to do things that only hired help could do
in the past. Feed-N-Wax has indisputably revived my furniture but do you know that
it is also wonderful on shoes, handbags, metal ornaments and a whole
range of odds and ends? |
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