The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Has anyone ever tried using Howards Restore-A-Finish? I have a very dull white-ish looking oak case to an Edison Triumph machine and was thinking about trying it out - golden oak version. the case was already cleaned with Go-Jo but looks really blahhh but solid, no loose veneer, lifing, slivers, or cracks. I heard it is a good product?

I'm just curious.....does anyone even bother to use our forums "search" anymore...??. There are pages of threads regarding Howard's to be read....

The "Restor" part of the name Restor-A-Finish is a bit of a misnomer. It really just hides scratches & blemishes with color, and shines up the existing finish. If you have a finish that is in really bad shape, it
is not going to make it look new again.

Here is a link to an example member moxiemama posted (scroll down to bottom).

I've used it to make finishes look much better while knowing it relies on a decent existing finish. So far it has not produced bad results for me on the machines I've cleaned up with it. Keep in mind it does darken the surface somewhat so go with a light shade and go darker if needed.

The SEARCH for restor-a-finish

Retrograde wrote:The "Restor" part of the name Restor-A-Finish is a bit of a misnomer. It really just hides scratches & blemishes with color, and shines up the existing finish. If you have a finish that is in really bad shape, it
is not going to make it look new again.

I've always felt the same. It does a good job of hiding surface scratches and light scuffs without having to do more major finish work like attempting to re-flow a finish. It also can re-vitalize color fading to a certain extent and make the proverbial flower pot ring a little more inconspicuous, but don't expect any miracles.

I'm glad this thread was started as I too find it amusing that anyone is asking about a product that appeared to me at least, from years of reading this forum, to be almost ubiquitous in its use by phonograph collectors. I had begun to think that the acquisition of a second machine meant automatic inauguration into the Holy Pantheon Of Phonoland which comes with a complimentary box of "Howard's Restore-A-Finish"!

Careful application must follow the use of Go-Jo as a basic cleaner first of all. I had begun to think that "Howard's" must be something of a revelation and possibly a "trade secret" as its uncanny powers to transform even the most worn surfaces were near mythic.

Looking at the link provided above I see that it appears to be little more than a "quick cheat", in other words perfect for dealers, as it looks similar to a product we have in the UK called "Scratch Cover". This works better on mahogany cabinets that have heavy shellac or french polish finishes that have not been scratched too deeply. On the other hand, it is terrible on oak coated with thin varnishes. It simply "colours" scratches to a variable degree but does not restore anything whatsoever. Personally I would recommend using something like it in preference to "re-floating the original finish". The latter sounds like a terrible idea: you might just as well strip the finish off and start again if you're going to eradicate the naturally aged colour and sheen of the surface by effectively making it look new again by dissolving the substrate and re-floating it.

I haven't used Restore-A-Finish on oak, but it did do an amazing job on the lid of a Columbia 710 I picked up that had been in a garage for decades and was badly scuffed. If you catch it in the right angle of light all the flaws are still there, of course, but they visually disappear to casual observation.

Oak, being much lighter, may be another matter entirely, as another commenter suggests. I would try it on an inconspicuous area to test it before applying to your entire case.

Clay

I've used Howard's Restore-A-Finish on one of my earlier acquisitions. It did hide the scratches but at the cost of making the finish darker (the light version didn't do much at all). In retrospect, that was a machine that should have been reamalgamated. I know Steve doesn't think much of it. I think reamalgamation preferable if used as a method of salvaging an already beat finish. I really don't know if Restore-A-Finish is reversible.

Regards,
Martin

martinola wrote: I think reamalgamation preferable if used as a method of salvaging an already beat finish. I really don't know if Restore-A-Finish is reversible.

That's my line of thinking as well. I never re-amalgamate any finish unless it is too far gone to be restored otherwise. Patina and tone changes due to age are fine and appreciated; however, big sections of missing finish are not!

Someday, when I'm Dictator, it will be a crime against the State to apply an oil based finish over shellac or lacquer

wjw wrote:Someday, when I'm Dictator, it will be a crime against the State to apply an oil based finish over shellac or lacquer

Hopefully you'll have an Ediphone by then.

-Martin

(Sorry - couldn't resist)