Help4diy.com®>French polishing

Help4diy.com^®

Pages:

1- Introduction

Encyclopedia of Furniture Making

French polishing

Page: 1-

Cleaning: Before you start work make sure the piece of furniture is as clean as possible. Use linseed oil and turpentine in equal measure to clean off any dirt and grease. If that doesn't work you need to strip the piece.
Stripping: Apply methyl chloride stripper using an old paintbrush.
Repairing: Carry out any repairs necessary at this stage.
Sandpapering: Use Grade 80 garnet paper. Always choose the right paper for the job.
(see also Sandpaper)
Staining: Apply stain working from the bottom upwards. Work fast and always coat in the direction of the grain. Choose the colour of the stain as near to the original wood as possible.
French polishing with a 'rubber': This is the most important part. Make the rubber with polisher's wadding covered with an old cotton cloth. It should be absolutely smooth in order to polish with 4lb button polish diluted with 10% methylated spirit. Polishing should be continuous. The rubber should never lose contact with the wood. Some pieces of furniture have been french polished over 200 times to achieve that great shine!