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French Polishing for the complete beginner
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ธ.ค. 2022
- How to French polish from bare timber, get an unbelievable finish. Once you get the knack this could be your go to finish.
Things that you will need:
Shellac Flakes - amzn.to/3Wj61bT Steel Wool 0000 - amzn.to/3GfqUPO
P320 sandpaper - amzn.to/3Gfrq0c Methylated spirit - amzn.to/3vaZLae
Boiled Linseed Oil - amzn.to/3VoqFpQ
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Very interesting video, thank you.
You mentioned water marks can be a problem on French -polished surfaces.
I learned a trick to remove rings caused by drinking glasses or tea cups from a piano restorer.
Simply mix half a teaspoon of olive oil with the ash from a cigarette until you have a smooth paste. Rub this mixture on the ring for a few minutes with a soft cloth and the white marks will disappear.
I use butchers bowling alley wax on wood surfaces that are going to have items resting on them like flower pots, mantel pieces etc. If you can drop a bowling ball on wax and not dent. Easy to apply. Can do 4 or 5 coats a hr. I never use poly, too thick,smelly and its used for cheaper woods.
Awesome, I needed a reminder as its been 30 years since I last did this. There are 2 things I remembered that might help you that I was shown; 1, warm the wood on a windowsill or with a hair dryer before first coats. 2, apply first coat and immediately work the wood with fine wire wool (3 or 4 times). wipe down then brush in 3-4 coats and then do what you did. I cheat on gun stocks, I use Tru-Oil. Thank you for posting
SUPER video. I LOVE french polish finishes. As you say - deep, smooth, glossy. It is delicate to
alcohol and water but it is the most beautiful finish you can get. AND it is fairly easy to repair.
You do have to be able to buff with feel.
Thank you! Cheers!
Just a small addition: 200 ml alcohol is not 200 grams. The specific weight of alcohol is about 0.79 and that means that when you use a scale, you should use slightly less than 160 grams of alcohol for 40 grams of shellac.
Maybe not a big deal anyway. I am not yet a french polisher.
Thanks for this! I'd made the incorrect assumption the specific gravity of alcohol would be roughly 1, not 0.8! This would make it thinner than 2lb cut, as you say not disastrous but good to know!
I think it is a big deal , thanks
Time wise.. many other finishes take a LOT more time due to the long dry/cure times. A good french polish can be a few hours and done due to the very fast dry times.
For wood surfaces that are going to be used continuesly (fireplace mantel,tables etc i use bowling alley wax. Doesnt dent best maybe 10 coats. You can apply let sit for 10 minutes, buff with dry cloth repeat until desired effect. Must remember the oil seaps in the wood pores. Can apply over paint, wooden cabinets. Not as much sheen as french polish which is mainly applied to antiques that are for show only. The wax has a nice smell too compared to poly(I never use or lacquer. Polyurethan and lacquer finishes are for cheaper woods.
Sorry, another one I remembered, when it gets sticky we had pre-made made beeswax and paraffin goop to de-sticky the work, thank you once again. (I just subscribed)
What a lovely finish!
You just skipped one step that is mandatory to obtain the glossy - and glass like - finish of French Polish : you MUST fill the wood pores, either with fine pumice, or with pore filling lacquer. You should try, you will get a very different result that will amaze you! Pore filling is boring, but easier than varnishing. So I have no doubt that you can achieve a professionnal result with a bit of practice. Keep on the good work! Greetings from France.
Hey thanks for you comment, hope your day is going well.
I definitely think the step of filling pores with pumice is mandatory if you are looking for a glassy finish, have an open pored wood and want to reduce the time it takes to achieve this. If you do not have one of these constraints then it is quite optional.
I achieve a lovely glassy finish with out filling pores, like the oak show in the thumb by continually apply shellac until the grain is filled, for the complete beginner it's best to start this way and as you work on leger pieces when you want to be a bit quicker pumice is the way to go. Cordialement HTW
Thanks!! Fine pumice it is.
Das füllen der Poren mit Bimsstein ist absolut kein absolutes *MUSS* es sei denn, man möchte eine spiegelglatte Oberfläche erreichen.
Habe ich aber nun zum Beispiel ein älteres Instrument oder Möbelstück, mit charakteristisch vertieften Jahresringen oder Spuren seiner Geschichte, kann ich die nicht einfach "zu füllen"🙏🏻
@@deutsche_lyrik same with antique cabinets I guess , you really want the old injuries and not really glass finish .
Pumice will typically do a slightly worse job at filling than shellac alone. It's all about how finely you sand the first few coats of Shellac.
Really useful video, thank you
Thanks for commenting! Glad you found it useful!
❤ just what I needed
Very helpful thank you
I have watched this vid 3 times now (yes - I might be slow). But I have picked up more detail each time, like the shellac mix only lasts about 6 months and then goes sticky so that you can't sand it.... This happened to me. Many thanks for the tips. This is really informative and needs to be looked at over again for the best detail... I'll be back for more learnings :)
Thanks, glad it helped you! Any questions feel free to ask!
Awesome thanks
probably going to give this a try, trying to refinish a table I was given
Could you send some photos 📸 when you have finished? It will look 👍
Very nice video, any chance you could discuss about black french polish? I have a piano I would like to repair the finish. Thanks!
i would imagine to black is from staining the timber but i could be wrong. it would be how i would repair it without any research
A really useful video. How many hours of actual work would you say it took for that table?
Thanks for the tips! I've been reading around a bit and wonder about two options: have you tried a grade of shellac called "button lac" instead? (never tried this myself) Also, for my first shellac project I used isopropyl alcohol instead of denatured ethanol. Seemed to work well, but do you know if there are any positives vs negatives?
I was tought to use silica powder (Kisel) for the 3 final buffs. Just work a tiny amount into your pad and start working. It actually makes the surface a bit more resilient and to sone extent fills the pores. Still does not like a warm coffee mug 😳
Thanks and noted! I add some boiled linseed to the upper coats for extra durability, but for this video I thought it was getting a bit complicated...
Hi! I've been having a problem of stickiness after my 4th layer of shellac applied with foam brush, and it's a stickyness that never dries. What could be the issue here? I'm using a one pound cut. Thanks.
Another note if you want incredible flatness. After building a up the first 3-5 coats, sand with 800 grit wet paper on a sanding block, and lubricate with mineral spirits. The spirits will clean up any of the residual oils you used, and will keep the paper from clogging with shellac. Wipe clean, then polish your next layer. You can use this high grit/OMS lubricant between coats from here on out. Caution! This will result an an extremely flat and glossy finish, think piano.
wtf are mineral spitits, do you mean oil by any chance ?.
@@paul.alarner6410mineral spirits are labeled as such. It's a combination of various hydrocarbons derived from petroleum. C7HX through C12HX seem to be common.
Any clean non polar solvent may be employed instead, if one prefers.
And what is OMS lubricant? So many people teach by using language that would only be understood by people who already know.
Great video thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
What did you spray on the pad before the final polish? Thanks for the video!
pure alcohol, meths etc. to thin it down...
Hi
How do you remove small rubber marks from a antique French polished burr walnut table my partner put a plant pot in it which had 3 rubber pads
Thanks
In my experience, if you follow these steps you can make any surface good as new.
He stated in the video the ease of repair of a shellac finish.
The beauty of shellac is that the alcohol on the mix actually breaks down the top coat of the existing finish. This is why you have to pay attention to the cloth getting “sticky”.
I have done a few repairs and as long as the mar is not to wood depth, any imperfection can easily be fixed with another finish coat.
Really useful
Glad to hear that
What oil do we use?
How did the small piece of wood suddenly become a table top? Seriously though, what did you spray the pad with for the polish near the end?
methylated spirits
Very informative, thanx, is there a way to french polish and maintain the original color of the wood?
it really depends on the timber, but generally it will go a bit darker using shellac. epoxy resin would be a better choice to maintain colour
I'm trying to polish my antique Vienna Wall clock case that has various degree of curvatures and slits. Trying to figure out on how do I go about those crevices to make sure I cover every inch of the wood case 🥺
How’d it turn out then?
I have a Dining Room table which has a veneer top. There are white blemishes where somebody has placed something hot on the top of the table. Assuming the coating is French Polish, how can this blemish be taken out blending in the repair to the original finish or does the whole top need a final coat to level out the table top surface? How do you remove the old French Polish completely and refinish the table top with French Polish. The table top being a veneer, I am reluctant to sand the surface since I may go through the veneer. I have previously restored a solid Blackwood dining table made around 1880 that had been poorly refinished. Rather than have a soft finish which is easily marked by every day use, the table was stripped to bare timber, the cupped table top boards flattened, brush coated in a two pack clear Urethane, block sanded flat and buffed using a sponge mop on a disc polisher using an automotive cutting compound which exposed the colour and grain of the timber. The table was stripped 3 times to bare timber as the previous finish bled through the Urethane. I am very wary of finishes where you cannot tell through the layers of stain and poor refinishing, what was used.
Hey thanks for your comment!
It the white mark is in the shellac, it should lift out with the pad and mostly meths. I would want to be sure it is shellac first, maybe try to wipe with meths in a hidden area to see if it come off...
If it is french polish and the damage is into the wood veneer, I would think about taking it back to the bare wood, shellac sands easily so take off the furniture polish with white spirit and sand the shellac off by HAND until you are happy with the condition then build the shellac back up by brushing and flatting, brushing and flatting etc. then finally polish...you may also want to stain the timber when it is bare to get a consistent colour.
If this table is precious to you practice on something else first.
I always avoided shellac because I had been taught to believe it was a finish that was used by people when they didn’t have the technology of polyurethane.
Then I was trying to get a serious “piano” finish. Everywhere I looked I kept hearing the same answer. Shellac and French polish.
I was stunned by the results of my first attempt!
Do you have to brush it on first?
you don't have to, but its quicker to start that way
For a wide surface….say a piano lid….would you think that spraying the first coats on to build up the initial surface, is a logical way to start?
It may work but ive never tried, ive never had a problem putting coats on large surfaces...
Thanks for the Video, straight to the detail, I appreciate that. a couple of questions - what did you spray in the pad in the final step? does the colour from the meth's affect the shellac colour?
Iain, Thanks, no point in making it longer than it needs to be...I spray in methylated sprit / alcohol, I think I could have been clearer (like the shellac) that the shellac is formed in to a solution with alcohol, I'm spraying more in to thin it down when I start the final polish. The colour of the meths seems to have no impact on the finished coating, let put it this way, it's not noticeably blue...
hey one last question. I put the first coats of shellac onto the wood but in silhouette (i hope this is the right term im not english xD) are visible signs left by the pad, which are now hardened..what am i doing wrong? I tried diluting the mix but it keeps happening..should i add even more alcohol?
Yep, I do all that but when I'm satisfied with the shine, I give the surface a coat of spray varnish with something like Cabothane. Stops glasses from leaving a water mark. French polish is also a good undercoat for varnish.
Thanks, I'll have a look into that!
Once you put varnish on, that is the end of being able to maintain your finish. Shellac is so easy to apply and repair and can be done fairly safely with no bad fumes, washes off your hands with a little alcohol. Easy to clean up spills.
This is why i love 2k clear coats, cured, sanded, sprayed again, repeat til its a piece of glass ... and it goes rock hard especially for something being used regularly
I'll give this a go! I'll be interested to see how it ages, may need add some colour if you need it to match.
I read somewhere that isopropyl alcohol or culinary alcohol can be used, but elsewhere suggested denatured / methylated alcohol. What's your advice on using these solvents?
I used meths/denatured and have no problems. i've no experience with the other products but if they are circa 100 percent alcohol they should be fine! Always test when doing something new though!
@@HowtoWoodworking Thanks very much for your reply! I have some isopropyl alcohol at home, I guess I'll test it on some scrap wood first to see how it works out.
Found it very difficult to understand what you were saying when you weren't facing the camera but could see what you were doing.
You may need a hearing aid Sir.
Would you use this same process on a vintage sewing machine? Thanks
If the sewing machine is made from wood then maybe, if not I'd give it a miss!
My Irish mother in law bought me Douglas brand "brown french polish" not sure if this will work, I've never seen it, Im from Canada never seen it before.
Hey 👋, why not find a bit of scrap or an under side of the item to polish and test it out! That way no harm should be done...Good luck!
Hi, I have some old chess pieces where the wood has got grubby in places as the polish has worn through. I don't mind the polish wear, as the patina is good, BUT where that has got too grubby, what can I do to refinish just bits of the pieces - can I sand the wood back in those places, or bleach a bit and polish, or just polish over the top of the grubbiness. Normally I'd use some alcohol to clean, but this won't work with French polish. I normally then wax over the top at the end, but I'm not sure of a solution for this.
meth spirits should loosen the top layers, then just wire wool and recoat.
Thank you kindly, much appreciated! May I ask: for FP of my guitar. I might better have mixed new shellac, it being much older than three months, but the result is splendid, and I work with comparatively dry cloths, and many layers. Will old shellac tend only to stick, like you said, or will I also risk getting a softer result? Me being a bit worried now, having put in months of work here.
I would say...if has gone hard then all is OK. If I start with old stuff and it doesn't dry on the first coat or so then I'm sure it's bad so I throw it away. I only mix what I need.
@@HowtoWoodworking Thank you kindly!
You need to be careful using steel wool on raw oak. Oak, ash and elm contain tanic acid that can leave rust spots on the wood. Small pinhole dark spots.
good point, even when planing on a cast iron machine will leave marks, but at least you see them and can sand out.
Hi there just wanted to know can the wood be stained before polishing?
Yes, it would take it really well, few coats of shellac on top
I need some advice, we have a yacht with a dividing partition on one side is a water damaged highly polished wooden finish that has a 70cm x 7cm water damaged area, the whole panel is 180x110cm and lines up with another panel across a doorway! The source of the water damage is resolved but I want to repair the damaged area, how do I repair this?
Could I see a photo of the damage
@@HowtoWoodworking yes of course, not quite sure how to on this medium, do you have an email address or what’s app?
@@HowtoWoodworking I did reply to your message, but I simply don’t know how to send you a photo on You Tube
ok no worries 👍, shellac is not waterproof so i wouldn't be thinking about french polish in this case. Id probably go for a 2 part compound like an epoxy resin, followed by flatting and machine buffing.
What is the "flake"? I'm starting from the start, all i kow is sanding and varnishing
It's shellac before you add meths
@@HowtoWoodworking ok thank you, I'm refurbishing a table, chairs and coffee table atm I'm only on the sanding part still but want to know the polishing in advance. Thanks.
Hello! If I dilute shellac in pink colored alcool, will it affect the color of the finish?
i used purple, no impact!
@@HowtoWoodworking did you end up getting the classic yellowish solution? I'm counting on that amber finish 😅
i used blonde flakes, but oak will go a bit amber, if your using a lighter coloured timber, you can darken with van dyke or linseed oil then shelac
@@HowtoWoodworking thank you vm!
Do you use de-waxed or natural shellac?
i use de waxed, because i use as a sealer, but for french polish you can use shellac without de-waxing
@@HowtoWoodworking thanks for the reply and for the effort, good one
Diki: is it not necessary to sand down the wood, before staining
Stain was not used in this video, but yes i would be sanding before and then maybe a light wire wool after. thanks so much for watching, Subscribe to the channel, it really helps!
I have started to have a go at French polishing, and for some reason I can’t seem to get it as gloss as your finish, it comes out dull. I have tried different cuts, 1lb 2lb but still no luck. Any advice?
Did you add a little oil to the cloth at the end?
Yes,every time I recharged the rubber. If the mix is to thick or to thin could this make a difference. I’ve even today made a new rubber, and still no luck.
Did you add lots of alcohol, really thin it out and add less and less pressure as you go?
No I haven’t done that, I hardly put any methylated spirits to the mix, and I do think I press to hard. Will try that. Thanks
Alan, It's a skill / knack. Keep going you'll get it!
Hi , how can i make french polish to satin finish????
The way I would do this is to french polish as normal to a finish then give it a gentle rub over with 0000 wire wool until it it as you want it. You could even argue that you don't need a perfect finish on the french polish as being satin the imperfections will not show as much...
@@HowtoWoodworking Thank for the quick response.
I have a vintage Martin from 1917.
Interesting your 2 pound cut is thinner than America 2 pound cut.
Yes you must use filler
Meths
To avoid the blue coloration in the Alcohol, put it in the sun for a day or two... It will be transparent after that.
There is no affect from the blue in the alcohol, no need to leave in the sun 😎
What are you talking about? I have never seen any blue colouration from meths, lol.
can it be put onto waxed wood?,cheers
it can, but i would remove as much a possible with white spirit. that said with an old piece maybe do a test area to see how it looks first