Cameron Cates French Polishing
Free French Polishing Questions:
a deep black stain
Q: The TV remote was left on a valuable piece of french polished furniture for some time.
Although the battery does not appear to have leaked it has left a deep black stain on the surface.
I would greatly appreciate your advice as to how to knock this stain back a little.
Thank you
Ethan
A: If polishing does not relieve the condition then cut away, touch up, build, and polish.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
the best oil
Q: Hello, Cameron.
Thank you for your helpful questions and answers page.
I am retired and have taken up French polishing as a hobby, which I must say I find very satisfying.
My question is, which do you consider the best oil to use when applying shellac?
I am currently using virgin olive oil, but wonder if this is the best choice?
Thanks.
Eric
Luton, England.
A: Olive oil is excellent as well as raw linseed oil.
Use sparingly because it must all be removed.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
an all original finish
Q: I have an 1870 Broadwood piano that appears to be finished with shellac.
The finish is all original and has very fine "checks" on the entire case and lid.
Under the fall board you can see that the finish is very smooth and all most mirror like.
Is it possible to restore case and lid back to this state by French polishing over the existing finish?
What would be the procedure?
A: I recommend having your piano french polished as it is the most suitable conservation technique on an original finish.
The case and lid will not look like the fall board but overall the effect will be very uniform.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
drink rings
Q: how do i get rid of drink rings?
A: Polish using a comercially available product for removing drink rings.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a white shadow
Q: Please could you help us.
We have damaged the surface of our polished table with steam.
This has left a white shadow.
How could we fix this?
A: Do the entire table top with a commercial polishing cream from your hardware store or try a cotton pad charged with alcohol.
Don't let the pad sit on any one spot, always glide on and off.
If it is working but you are getting streaks, apply a small amount of a vegetable oil to the pad.
Remember the alcohol technique is a professional one and is best handled by the professional.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a vanity cabinet
Q: I sanded down a vanity cabinet too deep to try to fix machine marks. How do I fix this?
A: You have to start all over by re-surfacing your cabinets.
Use bondo and paint or wood.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a cork mat
Q: A cork mat has partially stuck to the table and when removed left some cork and marked the french polishing.
What is the best way to treat the mark please?
Many thanks for your help.
A: This sounds like damage to the finish.
Could be the finish was not as hard as it should be or there was something hot that pressed the cork into the finish.
In any event the whole table has to be re polished.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a small side table
Q: I have a small side table, about 45cm square.
The top is badly stained I think simply from liqids, tea water etc.
I want to re-polish it, but have never done any french polishing.
How do I prepare the surface, and what is the easiest way to do it?
(I know - it's a please tell me everything in one sentence question - but any brief hints would be gratefully accepted).
A: Start by cleaning the top with a pad of cotton charged with alcohol, not too wet.
Tamp the pad into the palm of your hand to distribute the alcohol and the face of your pad.
Move quickly over the entire surface around and around don't stop on the table but glide on, rub, rub, rub, and glide off.
Look at your pad.
Dirty?
Make a new surface and do it again.
Add a little flick of olive oil or raw linseed oil to the charged pad and rub and feel the surface being cleaned and revived.
That's enough for starters.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
some antique jewelry boxes
Q: Hi, i have just bought some antique jewelry boxes for my daughters, i would like to polish them, two are rose wood and one is walnut.
these boxes have i think a veneered surface.
What would be best to do to get out the scratches and polish them to a high standard.
i don't want to ruin the veneer, also one of them has mother of pearl inlay, how would i polish this one.
thanks
A: Small items should be dismanteled by their hardware or drawers and loose pieces.
Try not to dismantle any joints.
Have them all nearby and ready to be polished as one job.
Use a small pad for polishing and move from one piece to another.
Address scratches by their unique nature.
If you see the polish making some scratches magically disappear then this is good.
If they are still obvious a filler of some kind will help.
On rosewood and walnut go dark, maybe touch up with an artist brush, color and shelac and polish over.
Mother of pearl inlay should be checked for any loose pieces before polishing.
Try a cotton pad over it to see if it catches or is smooth.
Use the clearest possible shelac so as to not ruin the look with any dark toning.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a damaged finish
Q: Hello any many thanks for your service.
I have a dining table that has the finish damaged by cat vomit (yuk!).
It has eaten into the french polish, but not back to the wood.
Any suggestions as to how to proceed with a repair would be gratefully received.
I did some successful french polishing at school about 45 years ago but have not attempted it since and my memory of the process is poor!
A link to the basics would also be appreciated.
A: You are going to have to polish the whole table top.
Even if it is in two pieces because uniformity is the rule.
You can build more body to the damaged area by applying shelac with a proper sized artist brush and letting it set while you polish the rest of the table.
You may have to let the direct application dry for a day depending on how deep the damage has gone.
After 45 years remember that polishing a large surface area takes physical stamina and a good pacing just like a runner doing a marathon. If you become frustrated hire a professional.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
black marks
Q: I have a solid oak dining room table which has been penetrated by water.
As a result i now have black marks in the table.
Is it possible to remove them and if so what would i need to use.
A: Water will turn oak black if it has penetrated the finish.
The top must be stripped, sanded, color rematched and a finish that fills the open pores of oak is recommended to avoid this problem in the future.
Or, touch up your black marks with an artist brush, color and a skill at deftly making the marks unnoticable, then polish atop the whole thing.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a white stain
Q: Hi There
I have a white stain on a wood table, through a damp item being left on it *kids*.
Please can you advise the best course of action.
It is a solid wood table not veneer.
With Hope!
Af/West Midlands
A: You may have children causing damage to your furniture so please be careful with polishes that repair rings and white damp marks as they contain potentially harmful spirits that need responsible handling. Health, happiness and elbow grease.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a lovely mahogany table
Q: We have a lovely old mahogany table that has white marks on from hot things been left on the table.
What's the cheapest and best way of removing this marks, please.
A: There are many polishing creams that will remove rings and marks from damaged finishes available from a good local hardware store. Consult the propriator and do it yourself.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a sewing machine top
Q: I have polished the wood (sewing machine top) and find that after a week or so, it has dull areas and smears.
If I rub a finger across it there is a kind of smear as though I put too much oil on (quite probable).
Should I just keep on polishing without oil or is there some other way to cure this. I assume it is oil.
thanks
A: Dear Polisher,
Sounds like too much oil and you don't know the right feel.
Remove the excess with a cotton pad that has been charged with alcohol not wet, not dry. Polish as you remove the oil until there is a uniformity and you feel a pull on the pad.
Correcting mistakes is your learning task.
Be patient, and don't overwork a small sewing table.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
an oak dining table
Q: I have an oak dining table that I think was french polished, but is now looking very bad, do I need to strip the whole thing and start again?
Is french polish the best finish for a dining table used daily?
A: Answers to this two part question:
Part one - No.
Part two - Of course!
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
some bookcases
Q: Hi and thank you for offering free advice.
I am restoring some bookcases and have been succesful with using a fine haired brush to apply the shellac on Oak.
However with Mahogany I have not been that successful, perhaps because the shellac has been tainted with a dye?
I am thinking about using a rubber and see what the effects will be in comparison to the brush.
As the Shellac is meth based it dries very very quickly and I just want to know how this effects using a rubber?
Also using a rubber means a lot of the shellac will end up on your hands, normally I do not like wearing gloves as I need to feel what I am doing.
Any advise on what gloves to use?
Thanks for you advice.
Paul
A: No success with Mahogany, is because this beautiful wood needs to be french polished with skill and tradition.
So does the oak but oak's character is more forgiving to a quick shellacking finish.
Shellac dries quickly, but it can be rubbed into a previous layer of itself which is what french polishing is about.
Gloves to wear?
Whatever feels comfortable to you.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
bloom
Q: how do I remove bloom?
A: Make a clean cotton rag pad, and lightly charge with spirits.
Work the entire area while focusing on the defect.
If the area needs extra work, use a little oil for lubrication.
Finding and keeping?the right balance of spirits as they cut clean and clog the pad while eliminating the bloom takes practice.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a fine mahogany federal table
Q: I am restoring a fine mahogany federal table.
The top was so badly and extensively stained with ink that I took the cabinet scraper to disguise them.
After sanding thoroughly the result is good.
The staining I used after was a mixture of rosewood and red mahogany. When dried, although is a quite satisfactory and deep colour, there are some darker patches along some lines of grain.
Can I use french polish to obtain a more uniform finish?
I have got the right patina, but perhaps you could tell me what to add to the shellac to deepen a darker finish.
Javier
A: You may add aniline stains to shellac but only make enough to blend to your desired shade.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...a french polished table
Q: Recently, I spilled Eucalpytus Oil on a french polished table?
Do you have any reccommendations for removing the oil stain?
Thanks very much, Danielle
A: First wipe with a damp rag and some furniture polish, if there is no improvement: Strip, re-stain?and re-polish the table; or try cutting into the finish with a cotton rag pad charged lightly with spirits.
Both later methods require skill and patience.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a waxed wooden chest
Q: how to achieve a french polished finish on waxed wooden chest?
A: Remove wax with spirits and cotton rags.
Work the entire chest.
When there is no waxy whitness or slimy color, wipe?chest with spirits and shellac?using a fresh?polishing rubber.
Go lightly at first.
Looking good?
French polish away!
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a beautiful shaker bed
Q: Hello there. Thanks for reviewing my question.
I have a beautiful cherry, four post, shaker bed.
I disassembled it this weekend for a steel wool and danish oil treatment and noticed a crack running down one of the posts.
It's about 3 inches long, but starts at the corner of the post about 1' from the top, so two sides are affected.
It's not in an area that's affected by weight, but I would like to repair it. Is there something I can inject into the crack somehow, then clamp it off?
This bed has been in my family for about 70 years so you can imagine it's treasured.
Any advice you have is very much appreciated.
john NYC
A: Wood glue or hot hide glue will do, but the clamping must be precise and economical.
Have your clamps and clamp blocks all ready before gluing.
If the crack is tight try to move it.
You want the glue to vacuum into the crack.
A slightly watered down wood glue will sop in more easily.
With your?tools and action mapped out,?do the job.
Remove?excess glue?that has skinned over in ten minutes.
Clamps come off in a day.
Not sure you want to risk ruining you valuable heirloom?
It might be time to call in a professional.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a mission rocker
Q: I used to do furniture restoration, but it's been a long time (fifteen years).
I'm about to attempt a French polish on a mission rocker.
The dark finish on the arm has chipped off in places, and under the wood is lighter.
As I recall, the French polish melts the previous finish into a smooth one.
I was planning on doing a bit of touch up with a stain (since I no longer have access to pigments) and then appying the polish on top.
Do I need to do something else, or will the polish take care of the uneven layers where the finish has chipped off?
Thanks for your advice, Martha
A: French Polishing is is an excellent conservation method because it saves the original finish and patina.
Shellac mixes with analine stain and makes a good touch up.
If the stain you have is oil or water based then touch up with the stain alone?first and let dry.
Then touch up with a dark shellac.
Touch up with shellac to a desired build up and let it dry.
The heavier the touch up, the longer the dry time.
Chair parts such as arms have natural wear spots and it is hard to touch them up without a good analine stain.
Be carefull polishing over touch ups.
They melt quicker than the surrounding areas and need a quicker, lighter touch?plus longer dry times.
Don't overwork a touch up!
Skip it, and come back fresh.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a clock case
Q: Hi, I have just started French polishing, but its not turning out quite as I expected, so I'm sure I am doing something wrong and hopefully you can point me in the right direction.
I am using wool for the fad covered wwith fine woven cotton cloth and sqeeze out any polish before putting the rubber to the wood.
I am howver, but perhaps this is how its meant to be prior to cutting out, getting lines on the surface from the cotton covering.
It looks like fine brush marks and whilst this can be cut back, it makes a lot of hard work trying to bring the shine up.
I am also getting streaks on the suface as I work the rubber on the surface.
I have read that the rubber should be moved in figure of eight, circles etc. But when I try this or course the lines are formed in which ever way I push the rubber, so when appling the next coat these lines can be seen. I have therefore kept with following the grain so any crossed lines underneath don't show.
I think I must be doing something wrong to get these lines and don't know how apart from cutting back to get rid of them.
Is this something to do with the rubber or the way I am appling it to the wood?
I am completely baffled how to rectify this, so any ideas would be a big help.
Otherwise I am enjoying doing the clock case which is what i am trying to do, in English Walnut and its really looking great and far better than trying to varnish.
Many thanks.
Ian.
A: Trial and error is a big part of the French Polishing process.
You must balance the number of pieces and their sizes with an appropiate dampness to your rubber.
Don't squeeze!
Tamp the polish and spirits into the rubber with your one hand holding the pad and the other with fingers touching at the tips to tamp with. Apply the polish with the rubber as damp as a dog's nose.
After getting an even application move on and come back quickly.
Soon you'll have to press harder to get more polish out of the rubber or you'll have to recharge and tamp the rubber.
In any case, you'll have to dab on some oil on the face of the rubber to polish evenly without streaking.
This takes practice and oil has to be worked off and not left on the surface.
Patience.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a pair of oak candle sticks
Q: I have been given a pair of oak candle sticks.
They are 4 feet high.
I have just sanded and washed them down, but how can I achieve a glossy finish on them?
A: You?will achieve a glossy finish?if your "sanded and washed" wood has been:
1) Properly fine sanded or burnished
2) Open pores filled
3)?And then a suitable glossy finish applied.
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a crack in a mahogany top
Q: Due to inexperience, I carried out an inexpert repair to a crack in a mahogany top.
Repair not entirely even, also colour match not great.
The repair is coming through no matter how many coats of french polish applied.
I have stripped and redone the repair half a dozen times, to no avail.
Any suggestions.
Regards.
Seamus
A: Dear Seamus, thank you for your inquiry.
A crack in wood needs to be repaired with glue and clamps whether it is solid or veneer.
Filler is for pores and scratches.
Color requires a light touch and a good eye.
French Polish is a finish, which means the start of your project has to be correct.
1) Isolate your problem.
2) Remove all filler and junk from the crack.
3) Repair the crack with glue and clamping.
4) Fill, if necessary.
5) Color to match, if necessary.
6) Polish overall.
7) Evaluate your progress.
8) If all looks good, polish again to your heart's content.
If not, there is more to this problem that needs to be addressed. Sincerely, Cameron Cates
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a chest of solid oak
Q: How do I go about polishing a chest of solid oak which I have already sanded down?
This is not an expensive item but i was going to varnish it and was advised otherwise.
Thankyou
A: Solid oak is very nice.
Try burnishing the wood with 0000 steel wool and some muscle.
Take your time.
Then wax the piece.
Oak will french polish but the open pores must be filled and they will absorb the polish in a week, and that means you have to polish again. Cameron Cates
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a french polished cabinet
Q: what finish do you recommend to apply on top of a french polished cabinet for added durability?
A: French Polish is the last word in finishing.
There is nothing that needs to be applied over it.
If it is damaged by water, alcohol, or scratching it accepts another French Polishing and thereby deepens it's beauty.
Cameron Cates
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...
a few books on the subject...
Q: What book is the most thorough and developed on the art of french polishing?
A: There are many books on the subject of French Polishing and while the best ones burned at the Library of Alexandria long ago, here then are a few I know of to begin your search.
Staining & Polishing Edited by Charles H. Hayward
This is a good British book published in the US by Drake Publishers in 1969, ISBN 87749-0708-7
Classic Wood Finishing by George Frank
Mr. Frank tells lots of tales.
Look him up by name.
French Polish by Jeff Jewitt...published by Taunton Press.
Taunton has excerpts from everyone including George Frank and others. Thank you for your query.
Cameron Cates
Ask Cameron your own free French Polishing Question...