Need advice on restoring a Witco bar - Collecting Tiki

TL Tiki Lee's Tiki Socialite Las Vegas Joined: Aug 23, 2003 Posts: 798	TL Tiki Lee's Posted posted on Thu, Jan 5, 2012 6:54 PM Hi Matt, The best thing you could do to this bar is burn it... Seriously! Well, maybe not the whole thing, but the places where the wood has been broken off and/or gouged out. That's how Witco finished their furniture back in the day. Burn the "raw" areas or the gouges/scratches with a torch just enough so the wood turns black and becomes like alligator skin. Then brush off the char with a semi-stiff plastic bristle brush. After it's all clean, get some Howard's Orange Oil w/Beeswax and rub everything down hard with a thick coat or two. That will bring everything back as good as it will ever get. As for he crack, you'll have to use your own judgement, but plenty of these stools are cracked like that and they are still sturdy enough to sit on. Hope that helps!

Hi Matt,

The best thing you could do to this bar is burn it...

Seriously!

Well, maybe not the whole thing, but the places where the wood has been broken off and/or gouged out. That's how Witco finished their furniture back in the day. Burn the "raw" areas or the gouges/scratches with a torch just enough so the wood turns black and becomes like alligator skin. Then brush off the char with a semi-stiff plastic bristle brush. After it's all clean, get some Howard's Orange Oil w/Beeswax and rub everything down hard with a thick coat or two. That will bring everything back as good as it will ever get.

As for he crack, you'll have to use your own judgement, but plenty of these stools are cracked like that and they are still sturdy enough to sit on.

Hope that helps!

Post #619954 by Tiki Lee's on Thu, Jan 5, 2012 6:54 PM