I recently aquired a Bruno Hansen rosewood high board and it's in great condition. The previous owner said he maintained it with a spray of Murphy's oil and a rag. Its my first vintage wood piece and I really don't know how to look after it. I have read conflicting info on the Internet like not to put any oils on rosewood, only soft wax. Others say oils. Some say damp cloth while others NO water at all, not even damp cloth. What do you think about murphys oil? What would you recommend using to clean and maintain the wood in good condition and how often?
Murphy's Oil Soap is great for cutting through built-up grime but you would not need it on a regular basis. I had a rosewood dining table that needed some cleaning and I used the spray form of Murphy's on it---BIG mistake. It left water spots immediately and nothing could get them out.
I think Murphy's is pretty drying, too. I would avoid it. But I'm not sure what the best method is. It seems like oil and a soft cloth couldn't hurt.
Most wood care is simple prevention. If it's in good condition, all I would do is carefully use trays, trivets, felt pads, doilies etc. and NOT SPILL THINGS ON IT.
Also, keep it out of the sun if possible. And no touching. And no kids. Maybe put up one of those little gates in the doorway to keep creatures away. That's about it.
(I ❤ plastic)
I have a Jakaranda dining table. I looked it up and it seems to be called Brasilian Rosewood. Does that count?
I am not very reverential about this table. I spill water and spaghetti sauce on mine. I also use a damp cloth on it all the time. Seems to hold up fine. It has a nice coat of Luberon finishing oil on it as protection. I think it is oil plus a little lacquer. But Luberon puts too high a shine on most surfaces. Particularly if you repeat the oiling often. So you might try boiled linseed oil cut with a little turpentine. Some furniture guy told me about this once and I like the finish it put on teak chairs.
I have sanded my table quite a bit. I used 600 grit wet sanding paper w/o water. I had some left over from bodywork on the car. Works fine. Just be careful not to work exclusively in one direction like with the grain. This wood is softer that you think.
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