Auctionwally's secret to restoring dark wood furniture in 10 seconds!

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August 12, 8:05 PM

by Auction Wally, Auctions and Antiques Examiner

 

 

     Before the application of Old English Scratch Cover

I've got a secret for you so, sshhh! Don't tell anybody. It's one that auctioneers use on the floors of auction houses across the country from the lowliest country sale, to the most hoity toity gallery. This trick is used to cover accidents, hide dry spots, scratches from artistic children and other unsightly blemishes that appear on dark wood furniture. I refer to the miracle that is Old English Scratch Cover. You can literally ad dollars to a beat up piece in seconds with this wonder worker!  

Take a look at this piece of furniture I "restored" just before this article. See that nasty scrape near my index finger. Now look at the photo below. It took me 5 seconds to go from before to after, that's not an exageration. That's how easy it is to use this magic juice!

                           5 Seconds Later

Voila! El Presto, chango. I"ve been using Old English Scratch cover for years in my home and at virtually every auction at which I've sold furniture for years. When something works like this, you stick with it!

Old English has been around for a long time and I know many of you reading this have probably tried it, but I want to let you in on another part of the secret. Most people use it wrong!  It's not that it's difficult to use at all, it's that people mistakenly use it as a polish, which it is not.
 

You see a polish is meant to  be wiped on wood without any residue or excess needing to be wiped away. Old English Scratch Cover  is meant to be wiped into the scratches and dry areas. It's crucial that the excess which hasn't seeped into the intended scratches be wiped away. OESC doesn't evaporate like a polish, so if the residue is left atop the surface you will get a greasy black sheen that just sits there. It wont hurt anything until you inadvertantly touch it and then pick up Gramma's fine Irish linen. Then you'll have a permanent dark brown stain on it that will far outlive your ability to kick yourself in the butt for not reading the directions on the bottle. 

Other things to keep in mind:

• I'm talking specifically about Old English Scratch Cover for dark woods here. The company does make  other products for differnt shades, so know which you need and the different applications.
• OESC should not be used on surfaces that you plan to refinish. It does such a good job, that when you strip a piece of furniture you've used it on, you'll find a permanent brown application. The result of trying to re-finish such a piece will be a blotchy uneven finish.
• Suggested woods to use OESC for dark woods are, Mahogany,Cherry,Dark Oak,Walnut, Chestnut, or any very dark wood. Of course, it works just as well on veneered surfaces as it does on solid wood.
• Do not use on maple, pine or any type of wood that had a yellow or gold tinge.
• Don't tell anyone else about this, let's just keep it our little secret!

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