Best polish/oil for L60T cabinets?

G'day! I'm in the process of restoring a pair of L60Ts I bought at a garage sale and I'm curious about what people are using for polish/oil on the walnut veneer. I've been using lemon oil (furniture oil) on my 4410s for years and it seems to be OK.

I did read in the manual I downloaded for the L60Ts that "The surface should be treated only with wax specifically formulated for use on oiled finishes. Conventional furniture waxes, polishes, or cleaners are not recommended".

It appears that the L60Ts have never been touched. As the veneer is in pristine condition, I'd like to start off on the right foot. Any ideas appreciated.

OK... I've just checked the forums and it looks like this posting is a bit redundant... The solutions seem to be:

- 3 parts boiled linseed oil to 1 part pure gum turpentine OR
- lemon oil OR
- Howard “feed-n-wax” OR
- Danish oil

Unless someone has had a bad experience with the mix, it looks like the 3 parts boiled linseed oil to 1 part pure gum turpentine might be closest to what they were originally finished with…

Yup, a good bet. :yes:

Never mentioned here yet that I've seen, but Herman Miller provides gunstock oil for periodic use on Eames chairs and walnut stools.

Wipe before dry for matte finish.

Says to apply with fine steel wool, but I use a swatch of 3M Scotch-Brite wood finishing pad instead. That removes any built-up film and dirt in the process.

[It comes in little no-nonsense military-looking cans.... :p ]

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Originally Posted by lauries2

OK... I've just checked the forums and it looks like this posting is a bit redundant... The solutions seem to be:

- 3 parts boiled linseed oil to 1 part pure gum turpentine OR
- lemon oil OR
- Howard “feed-n-wax” OR
- Danish oil

Unless someone has had a bad experience with the mix, it looks like the 3 parts boiled linseed oil to 1 part pure gum turpentine might be closest to what they were originally finished with…

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My favorite on the oiled cabinets is Watco Danish oil. It's available in both a natural or walnut color.

For cabinets with a varnish...Howards "Restor-a-Finish" or Formby's "Finish Restorer"...applied with a fine ScotchBrite pad. It will "reflow" the original finish and help clean out any dirt built up.

I'd stay away from waxes for this kind of finish....save it for the laquer.

After they're cleaned up...it's nice to maintain with pure lemon, orange, or almond oil to keep the wood nourished....and smells nice too.:applaud:

These products are all very easy to use and available at Lowes, Home Depot, independant Ace Hardware.

Believe it or not, I've used Scotts Liquid Gold with amazing results, even on repairs!! Right now, I've got a stock cabinet sitting right next to its mate that I had to sand the finish on, and I cannot tell the difference between the two. I'm sure the JBL formula is best, but in a pinch, this works.

John

OK. I've just done the first oiling using the 3 linseed oil to 1 turpentine mix and both the L60Ts and the 4410s have come up particularly nicely. I'll do at least one more application (or 2 if needed) and I'd say I'm pretty much done and happy.

Thanks for the info!