Howard set out to find a solution, and the results of his efforts in the test lab culminated in the product you can still buy today: Restor-A-Finish®. It’s a one-step wipe-on blend that can be used over any traditional wood finish, including shellac, lacquer and varnishes other than polyurethane. Restor-A-Finish penetrates through the finish without removing it, according to the company’s product description. It blends away white heat rings, water marks, sun fade, oxidation and smoke damage — many of the usual forms of deterioration and damage that can lead to stripping and refinishing.

The safety data sheet for Restor-A-Finish on Howard’s website reveals that it’s a mixture of several solvents, including isopropyl alcohol, acetone and xylene, plus asphaltum and other petroleum distillates.

Justine Evans, national sales manager for Howard Products, won’t reveal its actual formula, “but I like to say it is exactly what it says it is: it’s a restorer,” she clarifies.

Evans says the unique formula contains “just the right amount of solvent blended with a small amount of stain and mineral oil.” And, the application process is simple: wipe the fluid on and wipe off the excess. Restor-A-Finish is formulated in nine wood-color shades to approximate the tones of most common furniture hardwoods, including maple/pine, oak, cherry, walnut, mahogany, and darker stained walnut or oak, plus an ebony brown.

Most of us have probably heard the warnings offered by antiques experts that stripping off original finishes can devalue them at auction, sometimes significantly. Evans says Restor-A-Finish provides a safer form of preservation for these heirlooms. “(Since) it will not remove or soften the existing finish, Restor-A-Finish maintains the original ‘patina’ of an antique finish and its character and value as an antique,” she says.

In addition to Restor-A-Finish, Howard Products manufactures 14 other products that provide do-it-yourself solutions for various wood care needs. For instance, Woodworker’s Journal often receives reader questions about how to finish and maintain wood cutting boards and butcher block surfaces. Consumers want food-safe finishing solutions that are both easy to use and also enhance the natural beauty of the wood. Howard Products has three options that can help: Cutting Board Oil, Butcher Block Conditioner and Cutting Board Cleaner. The first is a clear food-grade mineral oil enriched with vitamin E. It’s intended for raw wood surfaces as an initial finishing step. Evans says at least two coats of oil should be applied to saturate the surface, with 20 minutes to an hour’s drying time in between, depending on wood thickness and how quickly the wood absorbs the oil.

“After a good seasoning with Cutting Board Oil, you can then maintain the wood with our Conditioner (a blend of mineral oil, beeswax and carnuba wax). The conditioner helps protect the wood by keeping the mineral oil in and the moisture out,” she says.

The company’s Cutting Board Cleaner, Evans reports, is a new product. “We were getting the same question over and over again: ‘How do I clean my cutting board before applying the conditioner or oil?’ There weren’t any quality cleaners we could recommend, so we decided to make one that we would feel good about selling.”

Evans explains that the product is formulated with lemon oil and coconut soap to safely clean any wood surface that comes into contact with food. It’s made to be used in tandem with Butcher Block Conditioner — clean, then condition as a two-step process.

Howard Products’s other wood care options include citrus-based cleaners, wood polishes, paste waxes, fill sticks for repairing blemishes and a conditioner with UV protection for patio furniture. The company also makes a powdered additive for water-based paint, called Chalk-Tique, to simulate the look of today’s popular chalk-style and milk paints. Then there are various options for polishing metal and cleaning and conditioning leather or upholstery.

“Our mission has always been to enhance our customers’ living environments, and we strive to offer a full line of the highest quality polishes, waxes and restorers available,” Evans says. “We’ll continue to pursue new and creative ideas that have the potential to make any living space someplace you are proud to call home.”

Learn more about Howard Products by clicking here. You can also watch videos about product application and expected results by clicking here.

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Electronic feedback circuitry enables the motor to maintain optimal speed power under load. Double-sealed ball bearing construction shields the critical moving parts from dust and contaminant damage. The motor’s 4.2-in.-dia. housing fits JessEm Mast-R-Lift router lifts, plus other lifts that accept Porter-Cable 7518 motor packs.

JessEm’s Pow-R-Tek Router with Remote Control Box (item 05200) includes two self-releasing 1/4- and 1/2-in. collets and a pair of offset wrenches. It sells for $349.99.

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Weighing less than 2 lbs. with battery installed and measuring 5.1 in. long, it is about 1/2 in. shorter than other comparable drivers. The 1/4-in. hex chuck provides single-handed bit insertion.

In kit form, Milwaukee’s M12 FUEL 1/4-in. Hex Impact Driver (model 2553-22; $169) comes with two M12 REDLITHIUM 2.0 Ah Compact Batteries, charger, belt clip and carrying case. It’s also sold as a bare tool (model 2553-20) for $119.

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Tim Inman: The best short answer for your question is a one-word answer: glaze. Glazes enable the blending, masking and enhancement of color tones. They can also be used to minimize color variations. Get some professional furniture glaze materials, read up on the subject and then begin practicing! One word of caution when you do your homework: Glazes to a furniture finisher are opaque. Glazes to a fine arts person are transparent materials. When you do your reading, be sure you know whether the author is speaking to the furniture trades or to the fine artists out there. Learning to glaze is well worth your time. It gives you a complete new level of control in your work.

Michael Dresdner: Start with a stack of cutoff scraps from each of the three walnut color variations, all sanded to the same level you plan to sand the final project. That includes the plywood as well – sand it through the same grit sequence as you sand the solid wood, which will help it take stain more consistently and aggressively. Obviously, go easy on the coarser grits so you don’t sand through the veneer.

There are a couple of staining strategies you can use. One is to buy stain the same color as the darkest of the three, and use it to stain the other two to match. You may have to dilute the stain, which is where the scraps come in. Also, you may need a different dilution for each of the two lighter segments.

Another technique is to start with a fairly weak, light orange water-soluble dye on everything. Flood it on liberally and wipe it off completely right away, leaving only what the wood has absorbed. This will help eliminate the gray, add background highlights and will bring all three somewhat closer together in color.

Follow that with a pigment stain to get back to the color you want. This two-stage coloring technique adds some highlights where they are lacking and does a surprisingly good job of bringing together different tones of the same wood without obscuring them or turning them into overly dark walnut.

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The desk and bookcase are finished with gel stain and hand rubbed poly finish. After the finish dried I applied wax and buffed out the dust boogers that always seem to settle in the finish. Next is a multi-shelf unit to go on top of the bookcase. I decided to build it in two sections because of weight and the ability to move it easier.

– Greg Little
Prairieville, LA

See the Gallery Below:

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“ Made one [baseball bat] for my son-in-law who loves the game. Biggest problem is finding plans. Also made a baseball bat hat stand with my grandson that turned out great.” – Jeff Stikeleather

“I’ve made a couple of baseball bats from maple. I gave them to my neighbors, a family of baseball nuts. I’ve made various toys, and every year I make tops for the Marines Toys for Tots program. Last year I made over 100 tops. Any cut-off large enough becomes a top. I’ve gotten to where I can turn them out in five minutes each — six if I decorate them.” – Barry Saltsberg

“As a former member of the American Association of Woodturners, I attended several symposiums, and the turning of hats was a new thing in those days.  There was a fellow from Pennsylvania who turned cowboy hats and a few other kinds, but the one that stood out to me was the baseball cap.  He had done an old-school Pirates hat. I decided that a ball cap was the thing to do, so I set about finding a green blank and turning a cap that reflected my preferences. I turned a cap from magnolia and carved the Texas Ranger logo on it along with the seams and the button on top.  It took me three days and several failures to get there, but get there I did. Here’s the result.  This was in 1996. I wore it to a game at Rangers Stadium, and the only person that asked me about it was a 10-year-old kid!” – Frank Clements

“I haven’t turned a baseball bat either, but it figures to be a pretty simple project. Have you ever turned a pool cue? I have not.” – Moh Clark

“A couple of Kubb games.” – Riley Grotts

“In the spring and fall, I like to sit on my deck with a fire going in the chimenea and sip on a favorite beverage.  Now, there was no convenient place to set the drink.  I just completed what I hope is a solution to this problem.  I call it my drinking table.” –  Vince Granacher

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