Turpentine: gum vs rectified essence for JBL finish

I am re-veneering a pair of JBL 4312As in American walnut and I'll need to put a finish on soon. I've read about the original formula: 3 parts boiled linseed oil and 1 part pure gum turpentine. My problem is I'm in Spain and I'm not finding 'pure gum turpentine' here. The closest option is on amazon.es but it is 1 oz for 12€. I found 'rectified turpentine essence' at an art supply store, probably for thinning oil paint. It's this stuff:

https://www.amazon.es/TITAN-ESENCIA-.../dp/B00R33D4ZK

Will this work? I have some veneer scraps I can test the mix on, but I'm curious if anyone knows (or thinks) it will be suitable.

BTW, I bought these speakers with plans to make them like new and hold on to them for a long time. But a sudden change of plan means we are moving in the next few weeks and so I'm scrambling to get the speakers done so I can sell them (probably at a loss). Oh well...

Why don't you use Watco danish oil, or Osmo?

Watco isn't available here (Spain) as far as I can tell. Which Osmo product are you referring to?

Boiled linseed and gum turpentine is the original JBL recipe, so I thought I'd go with that. I don't have a lot of time to get these finished and sold, so I'm hoping to go with what I already have at hand.

It's called Osmo Polyx. If you don't have Watco in Spain, you probably don't have Osmo. In Canada there must be 10 different brands of wood finishes that basically do the same job. I'm assuming there isn't a local Home Depo or Lowes near you?

No Home Depot or Lowes in Spain. We have Leroy Merlin and Bricomart and I'm sure they would have something. But we live in the middle of Valencia and don't have a car (or bikes because we sold them already), and the big hardware stores are a 10€ taxi ride away. There are danish oils on amazon.es so I can use them if I need to.

Osmo is available in Europe generally. Just need to find the place that has it. Good product

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Originally Posted by macaroonie

Osmo is available in Europe generally. Just need to find the place that has it. Good product

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I see Osmo products on amazon.es, but is there a specific one you guys are referring to? I see Osmo TopOil, PolyxOil, UV Protection Oil, ...

But no Osmo danish oil. If I need to do a danish finish there are some well rated brands over here.

BTW, is there a reason you recommend these other finishes over the original JBL recipe?

I'd suggest not to overthink it. They aren't a prized museum piece and you're about to sell them. If you get a single can of oil finish as opposed to 2 cans of Linseed oil and Turps, that's one less can of something that's effectively hazardous waste that will have to be disposed of when you're through. It will not effect the value of the speakers either.

How durable is Osmo compared to say lacquer or poly?

I found Osmo on amazon.es here but there are many versions of Polyx, they're pretty expensive, and they're way more than I can use. There are a lot of tung oil options but fewer danish and teak, and none that will (for sure) get here in time. The teak brand I found comes in 'natural', 'honey' and 'teak'.

Back to the original question -- can 'rectified turpentine' from an art store stand in for gum turpentine?

The veneering is done, I just need a last sanding and wiping before applying the finish:

Attachment 88913

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Originally Posted by jmpsmash

How durable is Osmo compared to say lacquer or poly?

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All three also give a very different look. Polyurethane on an open grained wood like walnut looks pretty DIY if you don't fill the grain first with something like a sanding lacquer sealer.

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Originally Posted by booja

I see Osmo products on amazon.es, but is there a specific one you guys are referring to? I see Osmo TopOil, PolyxOil, UV Protection Oil, ...

But no Osmo danish oil. If I need to do a danish finish there are some well rated brands over here.

BTW, is there a reason you recommend these other finishes over the original JBL recipe?

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I would buy a locally available Danish oil finish and try it out on a scrap. You may want to also add a light walnut stain on the veneer before finishing it. I assume you have scraps left over from veneering. I would experiment to get the color and finish you desire.

As to your question about not using the "original recipe", it is a lot of bother and will likely require some additional experimentation.



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https://ardec.ca/en/p/523/polyx-oil?...BoC8esQAvD_BwE

I used this before, 125 ml is more than enough. It's made for floors so I am assuming it is durable enough for speakers.