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French Polish is an ancient technique for putting a fine finish on fine furniture. People are very often intimidated at the prospect of attempting a French Polish but with care and patience you can do this! It’s not like rocket science or brain surgery. The preparation and process must be done with care, patience and the understanding that this is not a fast finish; it takes time.
The basics of french polish can be learned with a lot of practice but do not start with prized objects. Wait until you have confidence in the finishes you produce. It is not as easy as YouTube makes it appear!
French Polish, being a shellac/alcohol based finish, is subject to damage from such things as spilled beverages and spilled water that is not promptly removed.
Shellac resin is sold as dry flakes and come in many different shades from a deep brown and up to a pale amber Shellac flakes can be found for sale online.
To Start, assemble the following:
Shellac flakes, Denatured Alcohol, a few large, glass, “Mason” type jars; a litre size would do nicely, No METAL CONTAINERS! You also need rotten-stone, vegetable oil, gauze, gloves, clear-coat filters or cone paint strainers. ( white T-shirt material will also work)
Work in a dust free room at standard room temperature. (70f) Cold will make the shellac cloudy. Grind up the shellac flakes and mix 3 ounces of shellac flakes into1 pint of denatured alcohol, shake well. Keep the mixture in a tightly sealed container and allow it to rest for at least 24 hours, after which, you must filter the mixture into another clear jar. If straining through a T-shirt material, be sure the piece is large enough it will not fall into the jar. The shellac is now ready to use. This mixture can be stored in the air tight container for a maximum of 3 months.
The surface to be polished must be very smooth and absolutely dust free. Any imperfections will obviously, mar the finish. I sand surfaces by going from 100 grit and work up to 600 grit, wiping with a damp cloth between sanding to raise the grain. The final sanding needs to not be damp wiped but be sure all dust is removed. Go all the way to 800 grit if your aim is a high gloss finish. For a guitar finish go all the way up to 1000 grit.
Pour a small amount of the prepared shellac into a small glass or china bowl and refill as needed. Soak a wad of gauze in shellac, then place it inside a a piece of your white T-shirt material. Tie up the ends of the cloth with cord and squeeze it out to remove most of the shellac. Then, using an eye-dropper, add a few drops of vegetable oil to your pad; this will prevent the shellac from sticking and drying out as you apply it.
Shellac dries very quickly so hesitations in movement will leave ugly mars on the surface. Use a smooth, sweeping motion to apply the shellac pad to the surface. Work about 2 square feet at a time, then change to a circular pattern and then finally, a figure 8 pattern. Every pass of the shellac pad leaves a thin layer. You want to leave at least 100 layers in the first session.
Next session: Soak a fresh wad of gauze in shellac, then place it inside a a piece of fresh, white, T-shirt material. Tie up the ends of the cloth again. Add a few drops of shellac and a few drops of alcohol to your pad. This time you will do the application in long even strokes from side to side. This application will insure the shellac is even on the surface. Be careful not to remove any shellac.
Leave the work for a few hours to allow any and all oil to rise to the surface, then soak another fresh wad of gauze in shellac, then place it inside a piece of fresh, white, T-shirt material. Tie up the ends of the cloth again. Add a few drops of shellac and a few drops of alcohol to your pad. This time you will do the application in long even strokes from side to side. Repeat this step several more times, leaving a few hours between applications.
After several hours,you are now ready to rub the finish with rotten-stone. Again, a fresh wad of gauze placed inside a piece of fresh, white, T-shirt material. Tie up the ends of the cloth again. DO NOT SOAK IN SHELLAC! Sprinkle the surface lightly with rotten-stone and a few drops of vegetable oil. Working along the grain pattern, keep rubbing the surface in long even strokes until you reach the level of gloss you want to achieve.
Finally, apply a thin coast of furniture paste wax to help protect all that hard work. You have now applied a French Polish.
Notes:
Shellac can be purchased ready mixed, but freshly made is devoid of commercial additives, the finish will be easier to work and produce a nicer result. Use gloves when working with shellac.
French Polish ideal coating for dining room tables tops, fancy boxes and cases. It is only suitable for interior surfaces.
It is important that all traces of previous finishes have been removed.
French Polish should never be applied to kitchen or bathroom surfaces
The basics of french polish can be learned with a lot of practice but do not start with prized objects. Wait until you have confidence in the finishes you produce. It is not as easy as YouTube makes it appear!
French Polish, being a shellac/alcohol based finish, is subject to damage from such things as spilled beverages and spilled water that is not promptly removed.
Shellac resin is sold as dry flakes and come in many different shades from a deep brown and up to a pale amber Shellac flakes can be found for sale online.
To Start, assemble the following:
Shellac flakes, Denatured Alcohol, a few large, glass, “Mason” type jars; a litre size would do nicely, No METAL CONTAINERS! You also need rotten-stone, vegetable oil, gauze, gloves, clear-coat filters or cone paint strainers. ( white T-shirt material will also work)
Work in a dust free room at standard room temperature. (70f) Cold will make the shellac cloudy. Grind up the shellac flakes and mix 3 ounces of shellac flakes into1 pint of denatured alcohol, shake well. Keep the mixture in a tightly sealed container and allow it to rest for at least 24 hours, after which, you must filter the mixture into another clear jar. If straining through a T-shirt material, be sure the piece is large enough it will not fall into the jar. The shellac is now ready to use. This mixture can be stored in the air tight container for a maximum of 3 months.
The surface to be polished must be very smooth and absolutely dust free. Any imperfections will obviously, mar the finish. I sand surfaces by going from 100 grit and work up to 600 grit, wiping with a damp cloth between sanding to raise the grain. The final sanding needs to not be damp wiped but be sure all dust is removed. Go all the way to 800 grit if your aim is a high gloss finish. For a guitar finish go all the way up to 1000 grit.
Pour a small amount of the prepared shellac into a small glass or china bowl and refill as needed. Soak a wad of gauze in shellac, then place it inside a a piece of your white T-shirt material. Tie up the ends of the cloth with cord and squeeze it out to remove most of the shellac. Then, using an eye-dropper, add a few drops of vegetable oil to your pad; this will prevent the shellac from sticking and drying out as you apply it.
Shellac dries very quickly so hesitations in movement will leave ugly mars on the surface. Use a smooth, sweeping motion to apply the shellac pad to the surface. Work about 2 square feet at a time, then change to a circular pattern and then finally, a figure 8 pattern. Every pass of the shellac pad leaves a thin layer. You want to leave at least 100 layers in the first session.
Next session: Soak a fresh wad of gauze in shellac, then place it inside a a piece of fresh, white, T-shirt material. Tie up the ends of the cloth again. Add a few drops of shellac and a few drops of alcohol to your pad. This time you will do the application in long even strokes from side to side. This application will insure the shellac is even on the surface. Be careful not to remove any shellac.
Leave the work for a few hours to allow any and all oil to rise to the surface, then soak another fresh wad of gauze in shellac, then place it inside a piece of fresh, white, T-shirt material. Tie up the ends of the cloth again. Add a few drops of shellac and a few drops of alcohol to your pad. This time you will do the application in long even strokes from side to side. Repeat this step several more times, leaving a few hours between applications.
After several hours,you are now ready to rub the finish with rotten-stone. Again, a fresh wad of gauze placed inside a piece of fresh, white, T-shirt material. Tie up the ends of the cloth again. DO NOT SOAK IN SHELLAC! Sprinkle the surface lightly with rotten-stone and a few drops of vegetable oil. Working along the grain pattern, keep rubbing the surface in long even strokes until you reach the level of gloss you want to achieve.
Finally, apply a thin coast of furniture paste wax to help protect all that hard work. You have now applied a French Polish.
Notes:
Shellac can be purchased ready mixed, but freshly made is devoid of commercial additives, the finish will be easier to work and produce a nicer result. Use gloves when working with shellac.
French Polish ideal coating for dining room tables tops, fancy boxes and cases. It is only suitable for interior surfaces.
It is important that all traces of previous finishes have been removed.
French Polish should never be applied to kitchen or bathroom surfaces
And that's the truth! Now, not a man alive would use the term for a pad or wadding! 
