Historical finishes expert Don Williams teaches the simple steps to make a traditional pad polish, or as we refer to it, French polish. Easier than you might think! To learn more about Don Williams, follow this link: bit.ly/WilliamsQA
I can't get the hang of this. When I try and apply a second coat a couple of days later it seems to lift the first coat in places so I end up with an uneven layer.
Is your rubber (the 'pad', as he calls it) too wet, or maybe the polish is too dilute (too much alcohol in it)? You should be able to apply the rubber at any time - not just waiting for a couple of days) without that happening. See ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Nu93hys1N58.html (The man maybe talks too much, but his information is good.)
Same question. The video seems to start in the middle of something else. What are the contents of the first bottle. The second bottle has Walnut oil, I caught that.
The first bottle is shellac flakes cut with alcohol to create a liquid form. The process to do that is indeed another process as multiple types of shellac can be used and the amount of alcohol used (the "cut") can be varied for different uses. For a complete look at this and other historic finishes: www.shopwoodworking.com/creating-historic-furniture-finishes-group
The oil is added as a lubricant because the varnish becomes tacky and will begin to pull out the prior layers you've laid down. So in essence as long as you dont drench the pad in oil, whatever is mixed into the shellac in the final coats will be negligible. I hope this makes sense.
Why is a good question. It's certainly not the easiest of finishes, but it is held in high regard by refinishers and purists. This finishing process became popular in the 18th century and produces a very high-gloss surface and brings out the figure and color of the wood. While beautiful, it's also softer than modern varnishes and lacquers, so somewhat fragile, but easy to repair.
