Restor-A-Shine
- , by Trudy Chuoke Trudy Chuoke
If you have ever used Restor-A-Finish you know that it is an excellent product. It removes white heat rings and will blend out light surface scratches. It will restore color to faded wood finishes. It is a unique finish penetrating product that will restore the original color and luster to wood finishes. You can use it on furniture, wood floors, cabinets, paneling, and stained wood trim. And it does all that without removing any of the existing finish. But the other day a customer brought a piano bench into the store, and I wanted to try a different product. Restor-A-Shine!
Restor-A-Shine is a polishing compound. It goes a step further to restoring furniture finishes. Restor-A-Shine contains extremely fine micro polishing powders. They are blended with select waxes and oils to produce a polishing compound. It will buff out scratches, dullness, oxidation, and haze. And then as you polish, you will get a beautiful high gloss finish. It is great on antiques, bar tops, tabletops, and yes, you guessed it …. pianos.
Start by cleaning your piece of furniture. This bench was dirty, so I suggested using Clean-A-Finish. If your piece is not that dirty, use Holloway Wood Cleaner. Once your piece is clean and free of dust and dirt you are ready to start using Restor-A-Shine. Some professionals like to use a buffer. But you do not have to, just a little elbow grease. Apply the Restor compound on a lint free rag. Use about a couple of quarters size of product on the rag and work in a circular motion on the surface of the piece. Then use another rag and buff out the area on which you are working. Step back and look at the surface, if there are still obvious scratches, repeat the process. Restor-A-Shine might take a little longer than Restor-A-Finish, however, if your furniture needs 911, Restor-A-Shine is what you need.
After you finish your product, apply a polish. I like Feed-N-Wax. For one, it has no silicone, which will build up on furniture and look dull. And two, it smells so good. It is a mixture of bee’s wax, carnauba wax, and orange oil. Use a lint free cloth and polish the surface. Use about a dime’s worth at a time. Buff out with a clean rag. The surface of your piece should feel clean, not sticky. If the surface is sticky, keep buffing it out.
My customer’s bench looked great. She went home to tackle the whole piano. Do you have a piece that needs a little love? Give me a call or drop me a note and let us talk about it.
Now to the email….
Question: Trudy the water level in the toilet bowl is extremely low. Why is that”
Answer: Lift the lid on the tank. Flush the toilet. Now look and see if the water from the ballcock is going into the overflow pipe. It might have come loose. Reconnect it. Or it might have become clogged with hard water. In that case, replace it. You should find replacement tubes in the plumbing section of the hardware store.
Question: I have some cracked mortar in my fireplace. While it is summer, I want to fix it before we start using the fireplace later this year. Is this something I can do, or do I need to call a pro?
Answer: No, you absolutely can do it yourself. Meecco makes a Furnace Cement and Fireplace Mortar. Chip out any loose mortar. Dust off any loose material. Cut the tip of the mortar and place it in a caulking tube. Dampen the area in which you will need to add mortar. Then using the caulk gun apply the mortar. Smooth it out with a wet rag. I do not think I need to say this. But...let it cure for 24 hours.
Question: I recently had my house painted. Well, I did not notice that there are paint splatters on the sidewalks around my backyard. I have tried to scrape it off, but it is not working. I guess I can power wash it off, but I will have to call someone to do it. Is there a product that I can use myself?
Answer: Use Goof Off. Apply it to the paint stain and give it a scrub with a stiff bristle brush. Rinse with water. Let dry. If there is a shadow, repeat the process.