I restore a lot of things & I couldn’t do it without the help of many products. I wanted to use this section as a resource for those people looking to restore items themselves & maybe are not certain what to use. The products I list are products that I have found great uses for and use often. I always recommend you read product directions so that you understand each product. Please feel free to let me know of anything you use that has worked well for you.
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I use this stuff all the time. It lives up to its name and can remove so many different kinds of stains. I buy it from the 99 Cent Store so don't let the price turn you off. When you buy it you usually get a concentrated amount so you may have to dilute it.
This stuff is great when combined with car wax to remove hard water on glass, surface rust on metal and even smoothing the surface of polyurethane. Steel Wool comes in numerous grades to be used in all kinds of applications but in this case I am only talking about 0000 steel wool. This is a great item to have in your resto tool kit for numerous applications.
I use Tung oil as an alternative to polyurethane on finished wood pieces. There are Tung Oils that have some different finishes (Gloss, High Gloss, Low Gloss). When you apply this stuff you will just be amazed how it makes the wood grain jump out.....you may never use anything else.
There is regular wax and special wax (used with darker woods). Wax really helps nourish the wood and darken the grain. I use wax on wood pieces that have no real finish besides a stain. It really is a remarkable item.
Rust-Oleum Specialty Appliance Epoxy is an ultra-hard, moisture resistance enamel that is specifically formulated for indoor metal surfaces. It provides a smooth, washable surface for refinishing the exterior of appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, laundry machines, and other indoor metal applications. I use this stuff all the time and it a great product to use on metal pieces. The finish is remarkable!
This is a fast-drying Polyurethane semi gloss aerosol. It provides superior durability that makes it ideal for use on all wood surfaces. This new fast-drying formula reduces project time by allowing re-coats within 2 hours after application without sanding. Aerosol application makes it easy to get a smooth finish on any surface. It dries in 24 hours. I use the spray instead of the can because it is easier to get a uniform finish.
I have used this stripper on a lot of my restorations. I have used other citrus based strippers and I find they are not aggresive enough. This is a very powerful stripper and I highly recommend wearing gloves and I use a brush to apply it. They make a few different ones that are to be used as recommended.
Thanks Hepcat. I’m printing this out to keep for future reference. Also, is the Awesome from Dollar Tree or 99 Cent store because you first told me Dollar Store so…???
Good!
I think it was the 99 cent store.
Hi from Canada: with the 1950s style lampshades, is there any way to get dents or wrinkles out?
It depends on the sharpness of the dent. Most of the time they dents have a memory and return to its damaged form. You could try starch or ultra hold aqua net hairspray and use a blow dryer. It is hard to say what will happen but give those ideas a try.
Hello , I know this is a old post here, But I have had a lot of luck with 50′s lamp shades over the years by using steam in the shower . Also those 50′s Ribbon lamps come up great if you take the wiring out & fill the bath with dishwashing soap & than rinse under the shower . I think its always better to save the original shade than buying a Repo Shade that will always be a Repro .
All the best Peter
Thanks for the info!
I have a Majestic lamp and the black paint is chipping/cracking off of the base. To refishish, would you recommend Klean-Strip to remove the old paint and then Minwax Polyurethane spray paint to repaint it? It seems like an easy job, but I don’t want to use the wrong paint and damage or hurt the lamp or even devaluate the lamp in any way.
Klean-Strip works great on wood but can mess up plastics. If there are any plastic surfaces that may come in contact use one of the lesser harsher strippers like a Citrus Strip. I hope this helps. Best of luck!
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