Protection Polish for Wooden Furniture

Written by CatherineJ Monday, 27 April 2009 13:21

After using the cleanser-conditioner, and for occasional polishing, mix equal parts of boiled linseed oil and gum turpentine and apply to the wood surfaces with a course, lint-less cloth, such as cheesecloth. Rub briskly until the wood is completely dry and a sheen appears. Let the oil soak into the wood. Reapply if necessary.

For new furniture, apply once a month for three to four months, then apply twice a year or as needed.

For older furniture, use a mixture of two parts of boiled linseed oil and one part gum turpentine every six to eight months. Rub especially on the tops of tables, and to the underside of table leaves to prevent warping.

For All Hard Finishes:

Lacquers, varnishes, shellacs, polyurethane/polyester finishes, as well as painted surfaces can all be protected with waxes or polishes. Select the wax or polish according to the level of gloss or sheen you desire. Do not mix products as a dull film may result. To remove an inappropriate wax or finish, clean the piece with cleaner-conditioner, then apply the appropriate finish protection.

A paste wax or an aerosol or liquid polish containing silicone will create a high gloss.

Paste waxes offer the best protection and with consecutive applications and a lot of buffing, provide a beautiful high gloss. Paste wax is recommended for fine antiques with a hard finish. It is available made from beeswax, a softer, more nourishing wax, and carnauba, a tougher, harder wax. Paste wax comes in various shades, from dark to light, to blend in with the tone of the wood. Clear waxes are also available for painted surfaces.

Aerosol or liquid polishes which contain silicones offer high gloss with very little buffing, clean as well as shine and give the wood a durable protective finish. However, silicones are rather difficult to remove and, therefore, can complicate the process of refinishing in the future. They also tend to show finger smudges more readily and need more frequent applications to maintain the gloss, causing a heavier silicone buildup.

Satin-gloss and low-gloss finishes are best achieved and maintained by the use of cream waxes or liquid cleaning polishes which do not contain silicones. Oil polishes can be used as well, but require more rubbing and attract dust quickly.

7 Steps to stain your wooden furniture

Written by Grace Denoncourt Monday, 27 April 2009 13:00

Tools Needed to Stain Wood Furniture
For this project, you will need:

•      a painter's drop cloth
•      a pair of vinyl gloves
•      a few 1- to 2-inch foam brushes
•      fine grit sandpaper
•      a tack rag
•      a couple of soft work towels or rags
•      an oil-based wood stain
•      an oil-based satin varnish

1.  Prepare the Work Area

Clear the area where you will be working and lay down a painter's drop cloth to avoid leaving stain marks on the floor. Also, remember to open a window or turn on a fan so there is plenty of ventilation while you work.

2.  Sand the Wood Furniture

Make sure that the wood is nice and smooth before staining it. To do this, take your fine grit sandpaper and lightly sand the surfaces and the edges of the area you want to stain.

3.  Wipe Down the Wood Furniture

Take one of your work rags and completely wipe off the sawdust from the piece of furniture. Once the majority of the sawdust has been removed, go over every area of the furniture that needs staining with your tack rag. Make sure you remove every little particle with the tack rag before you start staining the wood.

4.  Apply Stain to the Wood Furniture

Next, using your foam brush and stain, load your foam brush with stain just about halfway up the brush. Apply the stain to the wood in long, smooth, even strokes across the surface and edges of the furniture.

5.  Avoid Dark Spots in the Stain

Avoid creating unwanted dark spots in the stain, try not to dab or overlap each brush stroke. If you do wind up with a darker area in the stain from overlapping, or have created a hard edge from overloading the brush, use one of your clean, soft rags to lightly blend the stained area with the rest of the area around it.

6.  Lighten Up the Stain

After applying the stain, if you want a softer look to your stain, go ahead and use your soft rag again to very lightly wipe over all of the stained areas on the furniture. Allow the stain to dry.

7.  Varnish the Stained Wood Furniture

Now it's time to apply our protective varnish. It's important to note here that whenever you apply a varnish to a stained or painted surface of furniture, you'll want to use the same base of varnish as you used for staining or painting the furniture. Just remember-- never mix oil and water.

So, with a clean foam brush, load the brush about halfway up the brush with your oil-based satin varnish. Apply the varnish with the same long, smooth, even stroke pattern that you used to apply the stain. Allow the varnish to dry before touching any of the surfaces.

 

via www.about.com

6 Good Things to Buy this Recession

Written by CatherineJ Monday, 06 April 2009 19:31

1. Women's Clothing
According to the Consumer Price Index, women's outerwear, shoes and accessories have all seen lower prices in February compared with a year ago. Recently, women have begun flocking to "value" retailers, according to Piper Jaffray retail clothing analyst Jeffrey Klinefelter. That means less expensive clothing stores can lower their prices through lower production costs, and more expensive clothing stores will be forced to have more sales and clearance racks.

2.  Laptops
Paul Ryder, vice president of consumer electronics for Amazon.com, says laptop prices have dropped thanks to the interest in netbooks. Although the Consumer Price Index does not break out laptop computers from others, it seems to broadly support this claim, with personal computer prices falling 13 percent in February from a year earlier.

3. Toys
Parents can breathe a sigh of relief: More affordable toys are on their way for the holidays. According to the Toy Industry Association Inc., toy manufacturers are responding to the economic climate by developing low-cost toys. One toymaker, Wild Planet, has priced their entire 2009 line under $25. Look for lower-priced toys starting to hit stores this summer.
 

4. Televisions
Each year it seems as though TVs get cheaper and cheaper, but this year those decreases are starting to make larger flat-panel TVs far more affordable. The radio/television category in February's Consumer Price Index was down 9 percent from a year ago as more manufacturers get into the flat-panel business, driving prices down.
 

5. Furniture
With fewer people buying houses, fewer people are buying new furniture. Jim Sluzewski, a spokesman for Macy's, says furniture demand across the industry has noticeably decreased over the past year. That's driven many furniture retailers out of business, according to John Baugh, an analyst who covers the furniture industry at Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Inc. Retailers still in the market have to respond to those liquidation sales with price cuts and clearance items of their own. Baugh also noted that consumers with good credit can also often obtain very attractive financing.
 

6. Diamonds
Don't wait for the economy to improve before popping the question. Diane Irvine, chief executive officer of leading online diamond retailer bluenile.com, says that the recession has quashed demand for diamonds, creating deals. According to Ken Gassman of the Jewelry Research Institute, prices for polished diamonds are down 14 percent, on average, from their highs last summer.