How to apply a French polish

Applicable to solid wood, marquetry and veneer quality cabinet making, French polish requires patience and thoroughness. The work is divided into three main phases, interspersed with 10 to 15 days drying, finely prepared surfaces. Ultimately, it takes three weeks to a month to get a movie like a polished mirror.

Prepare surface

If the wood is covered with an old finish, he must first lay bare. Remove the nail using a chemical stripper. Spread the handsomely produced and let stand 15-20 minutes before scraping the material with a spatula. Rinse thoroughly in clean water or alcohol at 95 °, to neutralize the action of the stripper.

In the presence of a waxed finish, use a décireur (a type of cleaner less aggressive).Rinse again with alcohol.

The small flaws surface may become clogged with wood pulp or shellac (melted with a soldering iron). A wood brightener will remove stubborn stains. Finish the preparation by a fine sanding in the direction of the wire, followed by a good dusting.

Filling

This first step is to plug the pores of the wood and polish the surface with powdered pumice applied with a swab of alcohol varnish. Try making the buffer by enclosing a piece of wool in a square of cotton fabric used, but clean. Fold the canvas with the triangle, to give it the shape of a mouse.

Sprinkle on wood and pumice, with the alcohol swab, describe circles smaller and smaller so as to fill the pores uniformly. End of filling, add a few drops of nail buffer and start turning until the fabric is dried . Leave the cabinet from 10 to 15 days.

Wood varnishing

Change the cotton wool but keep it moderate and soak varnish. Close the buffer, and then describe the small circular movements with a light hand . Regularly check the imbibition buffer on the back of the hand. Reload it in order to keep it moist but not soggy.

If the glaze is too thick, pour a little alcohol on wool and knead it and then close the buffer. 

Lift and remove the buffer of a soft gesture. Press describing your circles gradually, without stopping (the sticky pads at once) except to reload.

If the buffer hook, place a drop of Vaseline on the web to improve glide. As the pad dries out, increase the pressure and expand the circles to form eight. Finish by passes in the direction parallel veining.

Apply and five or six layers of varnish, four intervals, and let the furniture dry dust free for a fortnight .