# Streaks in my french polishing



## frugal (14 Oct 2010)

Ok, so I have been wanting to have a go at french polishing for a while. SO I figured that I would mess up the first few attempts, so I should start on a sample piece rather than do my usual trick of trying something new on an almost finished piece and messing it up.

It all seems to be going okay, except that I always end up with track lines int the surface like this: 




IMG_0040 by frugal10191, on Flickr

(Yes I know that the veneer should have had the small holes filled, but this was an experimental piece and I wanted to see just what the hole filling ability of the polish was).

I tried to let the surface dry for a couple of days like I am supposed to and then perform the stiffening process with a mixture of polish and meths. I get the drag that I think I am supposed to get, but I still end up with lines.

I do not think that it is the polishing cloth as I got the wadding and the cloths from Smith and Roger so they should be alright.

I have read lots of articles and chapters on french polishing, but none of them come with a trouble shooting guide to explain what migth be going wrong when you do not end up with the highly polished surface that you are expecting.


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## AidanB (14 Oct 2010)

You need to do what is called spiriting off. 
Very lightly cut back the polish with 0000 steel wool.
Squeeze out the pad you have been using and pour plenty of meths on it along with a tiny bit of linseed oil. 
Starting off Very lightly doing figures 8s, very gradually increasing pressure, still be careful not to use too much pressure as you will tear the polish. 
You are pretty much softening the surface with the meths and then smoothening it with your pad

Also looks like those ridges you have are probably from having too much polish in your pad


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## frugal (15 Oct 2010)

AidanB":1x0nofl6 said:


> You need to do what is called spiriting off.



Unfortunately that photo was after the spiriting off (I have seen it called stiffening elsewhere which is why I used that term)



AidanB":1x0nofl6 said:


> Also looks like those ridges you have are probably from having too much polish in your pad



I think that must have been the problem. 

What sort of surface look should you get after a body coat? Shoul it be perfectly smooth each time? Do you need tosand it back after each coat?

I guess that they only option at this pout it to sand it back to a smooth surface and start the bodying process again from scratch. Ho hum...


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## Lardman (15 Oct 2010)

> What sort of surface look should you get after a body coat? Shoul it be perfectly smooth each time? Do you need tosand it back after each coat?



I've only polished pine (don't ask  ) so I stand to be corrected but it does look like your rubber was far too wet. 

I have the rubber damp, no liquid polish can be seen even when squeezing it but when you dab the back of your hand with it you can feel the polish. Its then just a matter of lots of figures of 8 and then flatten with a few long strokes.

Looks like you've got a lot of dust in the layers too, the thinner the polish layer the quicker it drys and those specs can be wiped off the surface. 

It won't feel smooth until the bodying up is finished, I let the coats go off a little 10-15 minutes and then run my hand over the surface, only lightly knocking it back with 000 wire wool if it feels dusty.

It may not be right - but thats what I do


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## Crooked Tree (15 Oct 2010)

Not seen streaks that large before, but I too would suggest that you have tried to apply too much polish too quickly. With French polish it is best to apply lots of thin coats - this is not too arduous because it dries in minutes sufficiently to be able to apply another coat, and if you have several small surfaces to do you can alternate.

I use the text book approach of alternating straight lines along the grain, figure eights/circles etc. etc. and finishing off along the grain lightly.


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## JWF (15 Oct 2010)

I too had problems with "streaks" using ready made shellac polish. I changed to making my own using "buttons" and meths but using a less concentrated solution. I did a Google search and found the norm is a "1lb mix", that is 1lb of shellac to 1 gallon of meths (?). I made up a small amount of less concentration and although I had to apply more layers it was much easier to use and less "streaks".

Hope this helps
John


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## frugal (15 Oct 2010)

Hmmm... I am using a 2lb cut that I have made up myself from blonde flakes and meths. I did it this way rather than buying a ready made polish as I have heard that the blonde shellacs only have a shelf life of about 6 months, so I figured that I was better off making my own.

I have sanded the piece down smooth to start again and I will see where this takes me.


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## AidanB (15 Oct 2010)

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by body coat, the terms i use are obviously different to the ones you use.
I wouldnt be worried if you dont have a perfectly smooth finish after coats, I would normally have to cut back with steel wool after every few coats.
And i wouldve said there was no need to sand that right back and start again, a good rub with steel wool surely wouldve gotten them out? or are they worse than they looked?


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## frugal (15 Oct 2010)

AidanB":1s1q4l28 said:


> And i wouldve said there was no need to sand that right back and start again, a good rub with steel wool surely wouldve gotten them out? or are they worse than they looked?



First rule of issues resolution: get rid of as many variables as possible. If I sand it right back, then any problems I have this time must be to do with the current attempt and not a hold over from the previous attempt.


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## [email protected] (16 Oct 2010)

your polish is too thick. Also, you're putting it on too wet. When you pour it into the back of the wadding after peeling back the cotton covering, the polish should vanish into the wadding instantly, if the polish takes a while to soak in its too thick. Wire wooling the ridged finish won't make any different as you'll just be following the ridging. You need to flat it with finishing paper.


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## JWF (16 Oct 2010)

I use 400/600 wet and dry "wet" using my hand and not a sanding block,when flattening off. I slso agree with Matt it sounds as oif your polish is too thick.

John[/quote]


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## frugal (16 Oct 2010)

[email protected]":1n80zwhx said:


> your polish is too thick. Also, you're putting it on too wet. When you pour it into the back of the wadding after peeling back the cotton covering, the polish should vanish into the wadding instantly, if the polish takes a while to soak in its too thick. Wire wooling the ridged finish won't make any different as you'll just be following the ridging. You need to flat it with finishing paper.



When you say that the polish is too thick, do you mean that I should be using a 1lb cut rather than a 2lb cut? I thought that 2 or even 3 was standard for french polishing?


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## [email protected] (16 Oct 2010)

its ages since I mixed my own. I went through a spell of doing it but its such a faff and I'm not convinced that its that much better than a trade supplied product so long as its supplied by one of the main suppliers who have high turnover of stock eg Fiddes, Mylands etc. What I wouldnt do is buy from an independant retailer or an online one where you dont know how long the polish has been hanging around for.

Back to cuts, what I buy isnt designated as pound cut etc but as a rule of thumb, yes it is probrably around 2lb. A standard trade supplied french polish is erring on too thick in standard form so needs to be thinned I'd say about 20% with meths and 50% when final finishing. The thicker the polish, the more skill you need to put it on but go too thin and it'll rip previous coats off unless you're careful. Classic mistake is french polishing a small surface area say 2 feet square where its easy to put on too much too soon with no breaks between series of coats so you end up pulling off what you've just put on. (this could have contributed to the problem you are having. - instead of effectively burnishing, you're softening the finish and pulling it up ie getting nowhere fast!!)

So back to your prob, I'd say add 20% meths to the mixture you have and start off having the rubber hardly moist on the face then add minute quantities until its wetter but not wet and dripping and go from there. You need to be laying a film of polish on with the rubber rather than a coat if you're not used to it.


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## pivwani (20 Jan 2017)

I have tried many times to get my French Polishing technique right and I used to get a similar result. I found that I was putting too much polish on in one go. More light coats are needed to build up the depth.


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## custard (20 Jan 2017)

frugal":3vgx7uma said:


> Ok, so I have been wanting to have a go at french polishing for a while. SO I figured that I would mess up the first few attempts, so I should start on a sample piece rather than do my usual trick of trying something new on an almost finished piece and messing it up.
> 
> It all seems to be going okay, except that I always end up with track lines int the surface like this:



As has been pointed out, you're dousing the job with way too much polish.

But in addition starting out on a burr isn't making things easy on yourself, a burr jumps from long grain to end grain and back again, with consequent shifts in absorption. The sweetest timber to polish is Mahogany, if you can't find any get something like Sapele. You want a straight grained, boring piece to begin with, avoid timbers that are too tight grained (like Cherry or Maple) or too open grained (like Ash or Elm). When you've cracked them (and it really won't take long, _basic_ French Polishing isn't remotely difficult) then move on to a more challenging timber.

Good luck!


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## nev (20 Jan 2017)

Thanks for the advice gents but the OP was in 2010


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