French polishing

[Lijongtao]

Hi everyone and seasons greetings

A question on ratios. When starting French polishing on a piece of wood, a jewellery box, what is the process? Do you use neat FP or mix with Meths and if so at what ratios? I am a little confused as to what to do. I am using Rustins FP.

Thanks so much

 

[Lijongtao]

Can anyone please help?

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Can anyone please help?

YouTube search “french polishing basics”

Watch a few videos,
practice on some scrap,

then if there are still questions ask again.

It isn’t difficult time, practice, errors, correcting them and hardwork will give ok to excellent results.

 

[Cabinetman]

Hi, sorry I don’t know how I missed your original enquiry. If you put the word French into the search facility at the top right hand corner there is loads on here and then as above if you still have questions come back to us please. Ian

 

[Lijongtao]

OK Thank you

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

Hi Lijongtao.
The wood will need priming before you start the French polishing. You can put neat shellac on as a primer or you can dilute it with meths, the ratio is not really important but as a rough guide 70% shellac to 30% meths, mix then wet a rag or sponge and work into the grain with a fair amount of pressure, allow to harden then cut back with 240g. Another way is to use sanding sealer in the same way.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Hi Lijongtao.
The wood will need priming before you start the French polishing. You can put neat shellac on as a primer or you can dilute it with meths, the ratio is not really important but as a rough guide 70% shellac to 30% meths, mix then wet a rag or sponge and work into the grain with a fair amount of pressure, allow to harden then cut back with 240g. Another way is to use sanding sealer in the same way.

There is nothing that is qualified as neat shellac apart from the solid flakes.

A sanding sealer dilution is a ½lb cut. You absolutely do not want to seal with a heavy cut of shellac as it will not have time to absorb before it flashes off so won’t seal once you have sanded.

there is no need for the rag application or the pressure as the alcohol will carry the shellac into the wood, but if you like doing that good for you.

here is a dilution table for you to prepare the cut you want, though I usually make a 4lb or 8lb cut then just mix in alcohol to bring it down to the one I want

one of the joys of shellac is that it’s a universal primer and the dilution is not at all critical, so almost everything gets sprayed with ii as a starter.

 

[xy mosian]

I, a long time ago, took classes in French Polishing. From memory, as above, the actual mix was not critical. There again as a beginner I tend to like some guidance in the absense of someone to say "Add a bit more of this, or that.".
Luckily my last purchase of flakes, from www.minerals-water.co.uk, had instructions on the packet.
"For sanding sealer, 1 part shellac to 6 parts methylated spirit.
For French polish, 1 part shellac to 4 parts methylated spirit. (This I take to be by weight, it works that way.)
Allow 24 hours to disolve, orbital shaking now and again."
These days, mostly sanding sealer, the orbital shaking is when I pass the jar. The mix is dependant on how it looks when I shake it.
Don't be anxious about it, just get on with it. Seriously the hard part is starting.
xy

 

[Lijongtao]

Hi Lijongtao.
The wood will need priming before you start the French polishing. You can put neat shellac on as a primer or you can dilute it with meths, the ratio is not really important but as a rough guide 70% shellac to 30% meths, mix then wet a rag or sponge and work into the grain with a fair amount of pressure, allow to harden then cut back with 240g. Another way is to use sanding sealer in the same way.

Thanks so much for the help. I've terrible memory loss and when I think I've remembered, there it goes again. I am trying to find out once sealed the ratio pure Liberon to meths I use when FP wood and what to do at the end. Problem is I am always up late because I cannot sleep through the pain and I end up forgetting by the morning. I am going to try to search on here and Youtube but just doing that is frustrating as hell.

Thanks for the help though, I really do appreciate it. Li

 

[Lijongtao]

Sorry guys lost in translation. I am not using flakes. It is too complicated for me. I have some Liberon French-Polish in a bottle. I was wondering after I've sealed the wood how much Liberon do I use to Meths. Is it 50/50 or what? And when I am happy with the piece what are the finishing stages, ie. burnishing after ? days etc. Like I;ve been told I could do with watching YT for help, they are just different depending on what you watch.

My Apologies, I think I've caused some confusion as to what I am asking.

 

[Lijongtao]

Ah, Found this How To French Polish Furniture (How to Guides and Projects) | Liberon wood cares and products.

Thank you all for the help, sorry about the confusion, apologies for my Chemo-brain too. It isn't what it used to be. 'Non sum qualis eram

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Sorry guys lost in translation. I am not using flakes. It is too complicated for me. I have some Liberon French-Polish in a bottle. I was wondering after I've sealed the wood how much Liberon do I use to Meths. Is it 50/50 or what? And when I am happy with the piece what are the finishing stages, ie. burnishing after ? days etc. Like I;ve been told I could do with watching YT for help, they are just different depending on what you watch.

My Apologies, I think I've caused some confusion as to what I am asking.

All of those questions are answered in various YouTube videos this one is reasonable