I'm really intrigued by the use of 200 proof Ethanol as a medium, but it's very, very expensive
If you're that serious about French Polishing you could apply to HMRC for a user's permit for Industrial Denatured Alcohol (IDA), sometimes called "Industrial Meths". The permit is free, you can apply on-line, and you don't even need to be VAT registered. I've never known anyone be refused one of these permits.
Armed with this permit you can then buy 99.5%, uncoloured, Industrial Meths. I buy mine from Astor & Williams, but there are plenty of other suppliers.
I should point out that opinions vary, even amongst professional finishers. Some say 99.5% Industrial Meths is essential to make a decent polish.
Others will buy good quality 96% meths and leave it on a south facing window ledge for several weeks, the purple dye is fugitive so it'll fade in the sun. Here's an example, the bottle on the right was every bit as purple as the bottle on the left until it spent a sunny summer in a south facing window in my workshop,
Then there are others, including some extremely talented polishers, who just use the cheapest 94% meths from their local hardware store, and still deliver impeccable French Polished work with all the brilliance and clarity that you could wish for.
I guess what I'm saying is that finishing lends itself to alchemy, myth, and out and out BS. You'll hear lots of different prescriptions for how the job needs to be done, most of them mutually incompatible! But over the years I've seen beautiful work done with just about every technique you can imagine. The only thing I would say though is that polishing different woods tends to favour different approaches, so keep an open mind.
