Is Howard Feed N Wax Good for Antiques

**Posted:** Jan Thu 25, 2007 6:48 am

Hi,

While at the hardware store, I came across a proucts Howard's Feed-N-Wax Wood preserver - Beeswax & Orange Oil. Says Does not contain silicone or linseed oil.

My question, would this be an appropriate preserver for original finish antique radios? If so, what's the best way to prepare the surface, if anything, for application?

Keyop · **Posted:** Jan Thu 25, 2007 9:52 am

Cliff, et al...

I can't answer your question directly nor say anything positive or negative about the Howard's product you mention but will pass along two comments with regard to topical "treatments" of finished wood surfaces.

First, oil as found in after-care products is not of any real benefit to "feeding" anything...Not the wood under the finish nor the finish itself...In fact, oil can be problematic for finishes that have tiny cracks or other discontinuities in the film...Over a period of time the continued application of oil can contribute to the further deterioration of the finish as it seeps into and under the finish film at the fracture...Oil as found in after-care products is suitable for some oil finished woods that have open pores and an absence of finish film except for a thin sealer coat...Woods such as walnut or teak.

Second, wax--often shunned by folks who have a bias against elbow grease and a commitment to furniture or cabinet maintenance--is a GREAT finish enhancement for most finished wood surfaces and some unfinished wood surfaces...It is often described as the "first" wood finish (??)... Particularly suited to lacquer, varnish and shellac finishes as may be found on radio cabinets.

As I said, I cannot comment directly about the Howard's product but if you are inclined to apply wax, Minwax or Briwax are two good brands of paste wax that are easily applied, reasonably priced and widely available...A tub will last a lifetime for any radio cabinets to which you may want to apply wax.

FWIW, that's my take.

Bruce
WC5CW

Peter · **Posted:** Jan Thu 25, 2007 12:47 pm

I usually wax my cabinets after they've been refinished, rubbed out, etc. I think I'm using Antiquax or something like that. If you don't get it out of the crevices, etc, it will turn white.

Peter

Dave Mc · **Posted:** Jan Thu 25, 2007 1:19 pm

I have found that the best way to prepare a finished surface is to clean with GoJo (plain - white) hand cleaner and 0000 steel wool. This removes all the dirt and grime, and also most paint spotting if careful. I follow this with a soft paste wax for protection. This works (for me) even if the radio is missing the finish in some places.

Dave

Frank G · **Posted:** Jan Thu 25, 2007 3:03 pm

Hi Cliff,
I wax most of the furniture that I refinish with a paste wax, I use minwax, but most other paste waxes will provide the same results. The only thing the wax does is provide a deeper richer look, and protect against wear by friction, an item will slide over rather then dig into a finish. Wax doesn't feed wood, wood doesn't need food, and will not penetrate thru your finish. It will not shield against strong lights such as sun. I have never used the howard product, but I guess it will do the same as other waxes. What I look for on the label is that it doesn't contain "toulene" I found that it dissolves many finishes, see what the orange oil consists of. Frank

Keyop · **Posted:** Jan Thu 25, 2007 3:41 pm

Cliff, et al...

Looking at the webpage you have referenced above, the Howards product seems to be made of paste wax diluted with orange oil...That is, it has the same beeswax and carnauba wax as paste wax with the addition of orange oil...So what is orange oil and its benefits?...I'm not particularly sure, except that it is pleasantly aromatic...Used in various household cleaners to impart a citrus-like fragrance.

And with reference to my earlier remarks and those of fellow contributors, I'd be inclined to just apply paste wax as it has been commonly formulated and available from those suppliers so far mentioned...The pre-cleaning with GoJo, as suggested by Dave, applied by cloth or 0000 steel wool works well and may be a good step to perform if the finish of your cabinet is in good condition but somewhat grungy in appearance...And btw, you can gently apply the paste wax with a small pad of the same 0000 steel wool...It, with its petroleum distillates as solvent(s), will also act as a cleaner during the first application of wax.

FWIW

Bruce
WC5CW

Stan Ski · **Posted:** Jan Thu 25, 2007 4:34 pm

Have used the feed and wax stuff made by Howards. Have no use for it at all. Don,t care how many times you wipe it off everytime you touch your radio you will leave finger prints. Just use a good carnauba paste wax without any cleaners. I like Mothers besides it smell nice
Stan

Frank G · **Posted:** Jan Thu 25, 2007 4:41 pm

Stan stated that using the product that it left fingerprints. A few years ago I bought a can of Beewax at an estate sale, that I thought was the greatest find, because you very rarely see it any longer, after using it found the same problem that Stan has, always finger prints. After doing some research, found that beeswax doesn't harden as much as other paste wax, which was the problem.

Alan Douglas · **Posted:** Jan Thu 25, 2007 5:16 pm

Beeswax is great if you're a bee storing honey. For protecting furniture finishes, carnauba wax is the hardest one available, and the most water-resistant. It should be: the carnauba palm spent maybe a million years developing it, for just that purpose, protection against tropical weather.

radiorich · **Posted:** Jan Thu 25, 2007 6:53 pm

[hello="cliff_marsland"]

well i have not used that product on my antique radios but i do own lot of oak furniture that i have used that product for the past 15 years or more i have had very good luck with it.
far as having Silicone far as I know i don't think so .
sincerely Radio Rich

Alan Voorhees · **Posted:** Jan Thu 25, 2007 7:34 pm

The orange oil may be in there to keep the wax softer for application, but a splash of naptha or mineral spirits will do the same thing and not affect the final hardness of the wax after it has evaporated. Since they are a solvent for waxes can also be used for removing wax from the surface.

btw, since people seem to be bothered by having a topic moved, I'll mention that I moved this one here because it's discussing cabinet restoration and if someone were looking for the information in this thread they'd be more likely to look for it in this section than in the general category.

Author	Message
	Post subject: Question about Howard Product - Feed-N-Wax Posted: Jan Thu 25, 2007 6:48 am
Member Joined: Apr Wed 26, 2006 4:41 am Posts: 1686 Location: Cinci, OH	Hi, While at the hardware store, I came across a proucts Howard's Feed-N-Wax Wood preserver - Beeswax & Orange Oil. Says Does not contain silicone or linseed oil. My question, would this be an appropriate preserver for original finish antique radios? If so, what's the best way to prepare the surface, if anything, for application?
Top

Keyop	Post subject: Posted: Jan Thu 25, 2007 9:52 am
Joined: Jan Thu 01, 1970 12:00 am Posts: 1455 Location: Austin Texas USA	Cliff, et al... I can't answer your question directly nor say anything positive or negative about the Howard's product you mention but will pass along two comments with regard to topical "treatments" of finished wood surfaces. First, oil as found in after-care products is not of any real benefit to "feeding" anything...Not the wood under the finish nor the finish itself...In fact, oil can be problematic for finishes that have tiny cracks or other discontinuities in the film...Over a period of time the continued application of oil can contribute to the further deterioration of the finish as it seeps into and under the finish film at the fracture...Oil as found in after-care products is suitable for some oil finished woods that have open pores and an absence of finish film except for a thin sealer coat...Woods such as walnut or teak. Second, wax--often shunned by folks who have a bias against elbow grease and a commitment to furniture or cabinet maintenance--is a GREAT finish enhancement for most finished wood surfaces and some unfinished wood surfaces...It is often described as the "first" wood finish (??)... Particularly suited to lacquer, varnish and shellac finishes as may be found on radio cabinets. As I said, I cannot comment directly about the Howard's product but if you are inclined to apply wax, Minwax or Briwax are two good brands of paste wax that are easily applied, reasonably priced and widely available...A tub will last a lifetime for any radio cabinets to which you may want to apply wax. FWIW, that's my take. Bruce WC5CW
Top

cliff_marsland	Post subject: Posted: Jan Thu 25, 2007 10:07 am
Joined: Apr Wed 26, 2006 4:41 am Posts: 1686 Location: Cinci, OH
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Peter	Post subject: Posted: Jan Thu 25, 2007 12:47 pm
Joined: Jan Thu 01, 1970 12:00 am Posts: 5190 Location: Indianapolis, IN	I usually wax my cabinets after they've been refinished, rubbed out, etc. I think I'm using Antiquax or something like that. If you don't get it out of the crevices, etc, it will turn white. Peter
Top

Frank G	Post subject: Posted: Jan Thu 25, 2007 3:03 pm
	Hi Cliff, I wax most of the furniture that I refinish with a paste wax, I use minwax, but most other paste waxes will provide the same results. The only thing the wax does is provide a deeper richer look, and protect against wear by friction, an item will slide over rather then dig into a finish. Wax doesn't feed wood, wood doesn't need food, and will not penetrate thru your finish. It will not shield against strong lights such as sun. I have never used the howard product, but I guess it will do the same as other waxes. What I look for on the label is that it doesn't contain "toulene" I found that it dissolves many finishes, see what the orange oil consists of. Frank
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Alan Douglas	Post subject: Posted: Jan Thu 25, 2007 5:16 pm
Joined: Jan Thu 01, 1970 12:00 am Posts: 25381 Location: Pocasset, Cape Cod, MA	Beeswax is great if you're a bee storing honey. For protecting furniture finishes, carnauba wax is the hardest one available, and the most water-resistant. It should be: the carnauba palm spent maybe a million years developing it, for just that purpose, protection against tropical weather.
Top

Alan Voorhees	Post subject: Posted: Jan Thu 25, 2007 7:34 pm
Joined: Jan Thu 01, 1970 12:00 am Posts: 10172 Location: Baguio City, Philippines	The orange oil may be in there to keep the wax softer for application, but a splash of naptha or mineral spirits will do the same thing and not affect the final hardness of the wax after it has evaporated. Since they are a solvent for waxes can also be used for removing wax from the surface. btw, since people seem to be bothered by having a topic moved, I'll mention that I moved this one here because it's discussing cabinet restoration and if someone were looking for the information in this thread they'd be more likely to look for it in this section than in the general category.
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