Revitalizing Cetol

[JRich]

Is there any way to revitalize a coating of Cetol? I've washed the coating, but it still looks dull. There are no scratches at all- so it really doesn't need another coat of Cetol. I would rather not put coat after coat on to avoid the build-up and loss of wood grain.

I rubbed a little mineral oil on a small section one time and it really gleamed afterwards. Would some Armorall do the trick? Are there any products made specifically for this?

[Alan Wheeler]

You need to treat it just like a car paint job. A little cut and polish. To protect the finish, a light car polish every few months will help keep it good for a long time. Don't put Armourall on it. It is silicon based and leaves a nasty coating that will need re-doing regularly.

[Pblais]

JRich,

What you are seeing are the effects of UV light.

If the surface its otherwise OK then you could scuff it up and add a top coat of Cetol Clear to make stay shiny longer.

The clear won't stand up as long to UV as the pigment layer of Cetol does, but since the UV breaks it down faster you can just maintain a clear layer until the bottom pigment layer starts to break down and darkens. The clear goes away faster but stays clear. Of course at the point the pigment layer darkens you take it all off and start over. The clear costs the same as the pigment and applies about the same way as well.