| A finished french polished surface should be left at | | | | about half an hour's hardening time. |
| least a week to harden before you use it. Wax will | | | | Lubricating a french polish rubber with oil can be less |
| protect it, but reduce the brilliance a little; if you want | | | | controlled than just lubricating one sticky area of the |
| an eggshell or a flatter finish, apply pumice with a felt | | | | surface, which many professionals prefer to do. |
| pad and oil or rottenstone powder dry with a dulling | | | | Always be sparing with oil, and do not use it unless |
| brush (furni¬ture rubbing brush). Be extremely | | | | you really have to. Do not keep worrying away at a |
| gentle; if you use oil, wipe it off and buff the surface | | | | problem area, it will only get worse. Leave it to |
| with a clean soft cloth. | | | | harden a few minutes and then see whether a wipe |
| For awkward corners, mouldings and carvings, you | | | | with polish will smooth it out. If not, paper it back |
| can apply polish with a soft bear-, squirrel- or | | | | when it's hard. |
| sable-hair mop, or use glaze, which is easy to apply | | | | Make sure there is no dampness in the surface. |
| and quick-drying. In fact a spirit varnish (gum benzoin | | | | When repolishing an old piece, dismantle it as far as |
| in meths), glaze can be bought from trade suppliers. | | | | possible, taking off removable mouldings and marking |
| It is, however, less durable than polish itself. Lay a | | | | them so they go back in the same place. Mount |
| body of polish, then finish off with two or three | | | | them on a strip of hardboard and fix them to a |
| coats of glaze, allowing them to harden properly | | | | board to work on them, so the edges are held away |
| between applications. | | | | from the surface. If you have stained a repair to |
| For the insides of cabinets and desks, where you | | | | match in and it lightens under the polish, tint some |
| want to seal and protect the surface but do not | | | | polish and brush that over the area, let it harden and |
| need a full french polished finish, use dry shining. This | | | | seal it with a thin coat, then continue over the whole |
| is basic polishing, without the grain filling or the use of | | | | surface. If you are making panelled doors, try to |
| oil. Fad and body enough just to fill the grain, using | | | | polish the panel before you glue up the frame - the |
| straight then circular strokes; after three or four | | | | glue will not adhere to the polish, and there will be no |
| applica¬tions, charge the rubber slightly more fully | | | | problem getting your rubber into the corners. |
| than usual and finish off with long, even strokes. Oil | | | | Other¬wise you must use the pear-shaped point of |
| would have to be spirited off, defeating the whole | | | | the rubber. |
| object of speed and ease, so do not use any, but be | | | | Make up felt- or blanket-covered battens to protect |
| extra careful to prevent the rubber sticking. | | | | a polished surface when you have to do the other |
| 'Stiffing' is a technique for cabinet interiors and other | | | | side; pad vice (vise) jaws like this too. Do not trail |
| areas where you cannot glide on and off the edges. | | | | your shirt-buttons, jewellery or a loose edge of rag |
| Start at the edges and work towards the middle, | | | | from the rubber over the work; keep your hands as |
| lifting the rubber as you get there to overlap a | | | | free from flaky dried shellac as possible; pour polish |
| stroke you have made from the other side. It takes | | | | and oil well away from the work; and, above all, start |
| a lot of practice to be able to do this without building | | | | on small, unimportant surfaces and move on to more |
| up ridges; if you do get some, they can be | | | | ambitious projects as you get the feel of the rubber |
| smoothed very delicately with a spirit rubber after | | | | and the polish. |