French polish is so nice and relaxing. I've just polished a little box to give to my mom for Christmas and I'm waiting for it to cure so I can buff with wire wool and wax it. I really like your videos. Cheers!
I'm so so please iv found this channel ,iv been a carpenter for 35 years so I'd like to think I know wood inside out ,but me and my wife have just opened a little curio shop and iv been restoring a lot of beautiful old furniture but the finishing has always been an area I don't know a lot about ,this channel and your knowledge is going to be invaluable cheers pal ,and it also helps you're a fellow Yorkshire man 😉
Robert, your videos are so helpful and east to watch. I know most of them are years old, but I love your quiet, humble, encouraging approach. Thank you for taking the time to record the videos.
All your videos are excellent but this is the best video on the subject that I have found. Using your instructions, my results went from horrible to pretty good in one evening. Obviously much practice is still required on my part but now I'm inspired to do more polishing. Thank you for sharing your methods.
Just Fabulous. I've been teaching myself French Polishing for years, and can now get a good finish. But, all the lessons and teachings I have found use a small "manuca", doing a big table with one is a LOT of work. Your instruction on how to fold the Fad, is marvelous, and I also marvel at how much shellac you use. I've been using drops... So, I'll have to go and practice.... and see what I think, but my impression is that this will be a big step forward for me. Thank you very much for providing this.
You make it look easy I remember watching my dad 30 or more years ago doing there table and now I have some nice old furniture so I am going to do my table wish me luck thanks I found this very useful
Thank You so much for this video . I've seen seemingly everyone making the tiny balls to apply polish , this seems right and more natural . Thank You so much !!!
What a brilliant video and talk through. Awesome, thank you so much. Loved the slow-mo and piano score gave me time to make notes. Please keep this going, thank you.
Hi English polisher, really enjoy your videos, you're a great teacher :-) I've just finished a minor refurb' on an old writing slope i came across and from your inspirational videos my first foray into french polishing is about to begin. Thanks again, peter
Stripped and steel wooled a Queen Anne low boy ... very nice mahogany ball and claw piece...so came back to review your instructions before I French polish... thanks so much.
Thank you mr polish , Your videos have helped me so much, I think im hooked and am looking for more projects, Made my own shellac to .. Great stuff mate
Hello again mr polish . Just finished my 6 seater solid hardwood table and chairs, Followed your steps and well pleased .. made me own of course.. Your a star mate , thanx alot dude.
Hi Adam it's probably my weird yorkshire accent but on the video I mention that you should not change your fad and that it's only the outer cloth you will need to change, you can do this when it starts to ware out, if you don't use it much you can bring it back to life with some meths first then french polish,some people like to pore a little meths in the bottom of the jar but that your choice,every now and again if not used you can just re charge it with some polish and pop it back
Hi okay cowboy my dads an old shiny too we use your method depends on what I'm working on and the quality of the piece.. I liked your ask a 100 polishers? Made me laugh my videos are just simple qui des to help people enjoy the old art of french polishing ..
Thank you. That was helpful. If the oil tends to dull the finish over time, why add oil? Wouldn't a cleaning wax polish on top give a good feel and preserve the gloss?
Im currently self-learning how to french polish in preparation of a project. You said that this method is simple and straightforward with simple tools etc which i agree with but i also read others saying that its a difficult process and should only be really done by actual french polishers. Is there anything particular difficult about the process? Any amateur mistakes to look out for? Tips to abide by etc?
Hi there Honey ... I have watched your vids as i'm restoring an old clock pre - 1900 which was originally french polished . I've found your info great and very user friendly , Your a star . I have needless to say notice you don't sand inbetween coats . Is this an essential part of french polishing as a want a completely smooth finish .. I am starting from scratch so right back to the bare wood & grain , As someone criminally painted this clock . Must I sand between coats ?????
Hello there and thank you for the videos which are extremely informative and relaxing to watch. What a fantastic skill you have you lucky devil! Lovely music too! I have recently purchased a lovely smokers cabinet which unfortunatley has suffered some over-zealous cleaning by someone. This has resulted in the polish resembling a kind of 'crackle' finish with lots of micro bubbles too. Almost like someone has used some kind of caustic substance to clean it? It feels grainy and rough to the touch and I'm very keen to restore it to its interior beauty which, thankfully, is untouched. Any advice? Or should I just bring it to you and have it done professionally? x
Hi from OZ, I have a More&wright machinists tool box which was my late farther in laws. I would like to restore it with out resorting to sand paper, is there away that i can test to see if it has shellac or linseed based. I thought of using some meths to test in a small spot. great watching how cool the furniture turns out. Cheers.
Hi, many thanks for the videos, they've helped a lot. I am hoping you can advise me with a problem. Having made a new fad and stored it overnight in an airtight jar, the following day it was covered in small black (mouldy looking) spots. I can't find any definitive explanation for the cause although I suspect it may be from small particles of fine wire wool that I used in-between coats. Should I just replace the cotton cloth? Any ideas as to the cause? Thanks again.
Did you have to sand the surface before you apply the stain? And what is white oil? I’m googling and recipes suggest adding dish washing liquid. Doesn’t sound right
Hi Mr Polisher, I'm in Preston who do you recommend to buy the Shellac and white oil.. you've inspired me, my grandad was a master cabinet maker over in Padiham many moons ago, think he would doff his flat cap to you for the videos, if he knew what a video was or computer .. lol
I have read 3 to 6 months. I have also heard one fella say he never throws any away-just uses it on less conspicious spots. I think at some point it won't fully cure. Trial and error I suppose. But I also think that if you mix your own there would be no waste.
Robert, across the big pond, we yankees don't use the same words as you Brits; for instance, meth is a forbidden drug that does terrible things to people, but denatured alcohol is the stuff that melts shellac flakes.But he real question is what is "Cotton wool" that you use to make your rubber? My wife an accomplished amateur seamstress has no idea-- except she says its wool--the stuff that comes from sheep. So please let us yanks know. Many thanks.
hi thank you for your videos I've been watching and I have to say you demonstrate every thing exactly the same way my teacher taught me but I have to ask two questions i was taught with linseed oil. In your video you use sage oil. Is there a lot of difference between the two? And the other question is have you ever come across a spot on a piece of furniture that seamed to repel the polish and it was a real problem spot but the rest was fine? How would you deal with that?
Maybe a silly question this, but is it possible to french polish MDF particle board as I want to use this on some cheap instruments and I am wondering if this might be an easier way to get a shine on the surface without resorting to paint spraying? Bach's Well tempered clavier! Book 1 Prelude C Major! Very nice choice for music background! And really fascinating info. I need to do this soon with some musical instruments.
Hi Tech Tins... probably way too late for you, but MDF polishes up OK... It absorbs a lot of shellac at first coat, and it pops up... so let the polish set, and sand, and then polish again, then you can get it smooth. You might like staining the MDF first, do that and polish it well and you can get it nice, and people might not notice that its MDF.
What is cotton wool?Is it a blend of cotton and wool? Is I just a ball of cotton? Or is it a ball ofwool shaped into a cotton like ball? Where does one find this?
Rob peter king again sorry to be a pain ive just done my first polishing on a table I bought to practice on ive done about 4-5 coats but have notice when its dry ive got flat patches in with nice polished areas please can you tell me what I'm doing wrong many thanks peter
