| In spite of the modern advances in finishing | | | | surface must be leveled. Today, uneven finish |
| technology (or perhaps because of it) the mystique | | | | surfaces are leveled and polished with fine sandpaper |
| of French Polisihing endures. Antique dealers speak of | | | | and abrasives.The result of the abrasive rubbing |
| French polishing as if it represents the pinnacle of | | | | process is called a hand-rubbed finish. In the |
| finishing mastery. Antiques dealers are fond of saying | | | | seventeenth century, sandpaper was made with fish |
| that French Polishing is a rare and difficult art to | | | | scales and sand and was hardly fine enough or |
| master. | | | | consistent enough to rub out and polish furniture |
| Nothing could be further from the truth. With a little | | | | finishes. Three hundred years ago, French polishing |
| practice, anyone can learn the technique and it can | | | | was the only way to get a beautiful finish onto a |
| be mastered with just a few hours' practice. | | | | piece of furniture. |
| Moreover, once one understands the process and | | | | The Drawbacks of French Polishing |
| why it was developed, one will understand why | | | | French Polished surfaces are very beautiful but very |
| French polishing fell out of favor. Today's restorers | | | | fragile. Shellac is soft, so it scratches easily, and it is |
| will tell you that French Polishing is a very beautiful | | | | not resistant to heat, cold, or moisture. Most of the |
| but very bad finish. | | | | old wives tales about never placing drinking glasses |
| The Essentials of French Polishing | | | | on furniture were developed over hundreds of years |
| French Polishing is a process used to apply a coat of | | | | of dealing with shellac finishes. If you like the look of |
| liquid shellac (shellac mixed with alcohol) onto wood. | | | | a shellac finish and insist on having one, there are |
| The shellac is applied with a pad made from a ball of | | | | better ways than French Polishing to get the same |
| wool wrapped in fine cotton or linen. Shellac is poured | | | | result. The polishing process takes a long, long, time |
| into the pad, absorbed by the wool, and squeezed | | | | to build up significant layers of finish. Allowing for dry |
| out as the pad is moved across the surface of the | | | | time between coats, one could spend an entire day |
| wood. The skill in the technique is to apply the shellac | | | | French Polishing the top of the average sized coffee |
| evenly, leaving no pad marks. Depth of finish is | | | | table. Spraying or brushing shellac to the same |
| achieved by repeatedly applying thin coats of shellac. | | | | surface and then hand-rubbing and polishing could be |
| To fill the grain of the wood, pumice is sprinkled onto | | | | accomplished in less than two hours. |
| the surface prior to each layer of shellac. It is helpful | | | | Its Not Even French |
| to apply a little mineral spirits to the pad to keep it | | | | The romance of French polishing will likely remain, |
| lubricated and help keep the finish smooth. | | | | especially in the antiques trade. After all, anything |
| So Why Not Just Use A Brush? | | | | French is considered to be artsy-craftsy. I dont have |
| Brushes will leave brush marks in a clear, shiny shellac | | | | the heart to tell antique dealers that French polishing |
| finish. Even today, modern spray and application | | | | isnt even French; it was developed by the Chinese |
| systems will leave an uneven surface. Brushes and | | | | about 7,000 years ago. |
| sprayers distort the liquid finish; after application, the | | | | |