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| French Polisher |
| The do's and don'ts of the craft. |
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The art of French polishing is making a comeback. With old timber pieces growing in popularity, people are leaving their lacquer cans on the shelf and turning to more traditional treatments. French polisher, Alan Lambert shows us the do's and don'ts of the craft.
Alan is a French polisher in the true sense of the word. The shiny surfaces of his pieces are created by hand, rather than using a spray can of lacquer. French polishing is renowned for its natural high sheen, where as lacquer gives a synthetic coating.
Many modern timber pieces aren't solid, so people are becoming aware of the importance of older goods. With this in mind, French polishing is on the rise.
General Tips:- Try to keep original finishes — maintain the French polish rather than using lacquer.
- Until you start, it's difficult to know the best method so you need to remain flexible.
- Avoid using a sander — it will destroy older pieces by removing signs of age (bumps, bruising and colour).
- Bees wax is the best way to maintain the finish. Simply rub the piece with wax every 12 months to fill in scratches and protect the timber.
- Don't use varnish — it is too thick and takes away the grain of the timber. Auctioned pieces are devalued by a glossy coat of varnish.
- The role of the French polisher is to make a piece look its age. The finish gives it a firm body so it will look like it has been well kept for the past 100 years.
- Never French polish in high humidity because the water in the air will become trapped beneath the surface. As the water tries to evaporate it turns white and marks the finish.
If you want to try a French polish for yourself, buy shellac (made from beetle dung) from a hardware store in dry flake form. Put the flakes into a container and dilute with metho. You will end up with a full, thick mixture that you should let stand for 10 minutes to dissolve. You can then dilute the mix a further 50% by adding more metho.
First, brush a couple of coats onto the raw timber to seal it. You can then do as many coats as needed using a polish rubber, which softens the finish. Between each coat, lightly sand with fine steel wool to smooth the top. You can make a polish rubber by wrapping cotton wool in a hankie or a lint free cotton cloth. Form a half pear shape and don't press too hard or you will mark the surface. If you don't put enough shellac of the polish rubber it will be too try and you won't have a shiny finish.
Before starting, test a small patch on the back of the chair. Rub in a circular motion and make sure you like the finished result. For a flat top you will need to rub for a couple of hours. Leave the piece for a week then start again. This gives the metho time to evaporate and your first finish may have changed.
If you're nervous about polishing a piece yourself then you can always turn to the professionals for help. Alan Lambert will polish for a fee or you can join one of his classes and learn the art for yourself.
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More Info
For more information or to join one of Alan's classes contact AGL Polishing.
Ph: 02 9629 5507
www.aglpolishing.com.au
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Disclaimer
All Fact Sheets and other material on the Our House website are provided as a general information service only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of a properly qualified tradesman. Neither ninemsn nor its licensors (including the Nine Network) assume or accept any responsibility for, and will not be liable for the accuracy or appropriate application of any information whatsoever in any Fact Sheet or other material on the Our House web site. Your use of the Our House web site is governed by this disclaimer and the ninemsn's Terms of Use.
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