Your simple guide to

French polishing

With over 100 years experience of treating wood Liberon’sheritage lies in the manufacture and development oftraditional finishes for furniture makers and cabinet makers.Over the years the products have changed, however thequality of the Liberon brand remains the same.

Designed to help beginners to French polishing understandthe technique and develop the necessary skills, this leafletexplains the processes taken to achieve beautifully rich andstunning results. Follow our easy steps and you’ll soonbecome proficient in the art of French polishing.

Manufacturer ofquality finishes

Types of French polish French polishes are made up from flakeshellac dissolved in methylated spirit. The type of shellac used can vary incolour from a light clear colour to a dark brown colour:

• Special Pale French Polish is a de-waxedshellac and is suitable for use on bothlight and dark woods. It will enhance the natural colours of the timber.

• Button Polish is light brown in colour and is ideal for use on light woods such as elm and light mahogany.

• Garnet Polish is deep brown in colourand is mainly for use on darker timberssuch as walnut and dark mahogany.

• White Polish has a milky appearance and can be used on light timbers suchas ash and natural light oak.

• Black Polish is a jet black polish and is used in the ebonising process.

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Practice makes perfect French polishing requires patience andpractice and should first be tried out on a spare piece of flat wood, with the polishing area in a warm, dust freeenvironment. There are many methods of French polishing and every Frenchpolisher has his or her own method which is developed over time. The method described in this leaflet will give you the basic skills to further advance in your own time.

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Once you have mastered the art of Frenchpolishing you may wish to make up your ownFrench polish. This will allow you to adjustthe strength according to your own personalpreference and produce your own uniquefinishes. To do this you will need shellacflakes of the colour of your choice,methylated spirit and a glass jar.

How to make your own French polish Tip the shellac flakes into a jar and cover with methylated spirit. Replace the lid andshake the mixture then leave it for 24 hours,shaking occasionally until the flakes have fully dissolved.

A typical recipe for French polish is mixed at a ratio of 250 g shellac flakes to 1 Lmethylated spirit. If a thicker polish isrequired this can be increased to 500 gshellac flakes to 1 L methylated spirit.

Once the French polish has been made it willhave a shelf life of approximately six months,after which it may start to deteriorate. Wetherefore recommend that you only make upsufficient polish to complete the job in hand.

Making French polish

Types of shellac flakes• Blonde De-waxed Shellac Flakes

Produce a light transparentcoloured French polish. Used forantique restoration and on lightcoloured woods.

• Lemon Shellac FlakesProduce a pale gold colour and can be used for furniturerestoration and light to mediumcoloured woods.

• Button Shellac FlakesWill produce a golden brownpolish that is suitable forrestoration work and darkertimbers.

• Garnet FlakesProduce a dark brown Frenchpolish ideal for dark woods and restoration work.

LibtipShellac flakes should bestored in a cool dry areato keep them fresh andready for use.

Preparation & materials

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MaterialsFrench Polishes

Cotton Waste and Cotton Rag

French Polishing Mops

Preparation Preparation of the surface to be polished is extremelyimportant and to achieve the best results it is necessaryto remove any slight imperfections which may not benoticeable under a varnish or wax finish. This may involvestripping off an old varnish with Liberon Fine WoodStripper or removing a wax or oil with Liberon Wax andPolish Remover. Once stripped you will then need to rubthe surface down with fine abrasive paper to obtain asmooth finish.

If the wood is open grained and a mirror like finish isrequired the grain should be filled using a suitable grainfiller. Alternatively extra coats of polish may be appliedand then cut back between coats with Liberon Ultra FineSteel Wool (0000) until the grain has been filled.

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The French polishing “rubber”

How to make a French polishing rubberFrench polish is applied using a French polishing rubber.The rubber is made by wrapping a piece of lint freecotton cloth around some cotton wadding or cottonwaste. Place a hand full of cotton wading into the centerof the cotton rag, bring in the four corners of the rag andthen twist to form a pear shaped pad, ensuring that thebase of the pad is flat and free from creases or defects as shown. The size of the rubber can vary according to the user or the size of the job to be completed.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

How much polish is needed?

Too much polish

Not enough polish

The correct quantity

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How to apply the product Load the rubber by pouring the French polish directlyonto the cotton wadding. Do not pour the polish directlyonto the face of the rubber.

Bring the corners together and twist as before squeezingthe polish to the face of the rubber. Any excess shouldbe squeezed out before you commence polishing. If thereis too much polish on the rubber this will cause ridges onthe work. These ridges will then have to be rubbed downwhen the polish has dried and the process restarted fromthe smooth surface.

How to hold the rubberHold the rubber in your hand keeping the bottom areaflat and free from intrusions.

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Applying the French polish

1. Fading upThe first applications of polish are made bypassing the rubber up anddown, working along thegrain of the wood andslightly overlapping theprevious pass. These firstfew coats will act as a sealready for further coats andare known as fading up.

If the rubber feels as if it isdragging squeeze the sidesvery gently to push morepolish onto the face, orease up on the pressurebeing applied to therubber.

2. Bodying inFurther applications are made by using the rubber in acircular and figure of eight motion. The final pass in thesequence goes with the grain, passing fairly quickly andlightly over the surface. Always finish the sequence alongthe grain.

The rubber should always be slid onto the work from oneside and off the other during the polishing stroke. Placingthe rubber on the work and then starting the stroke willcreate a mark, which will be very difficult to remove.Likewise the same problem will arise if the rubber isstationary on the surface, this is because the alcohol willimmediately start to reactivate the previous coating.

After several applications therubber may not slide so freelyover the surface. To rectify thisadd a drop of Linseed Oil to thebase of the rubber, ideally bydabbing it on with the tip of yourfinger. This will allow the rubberto move freely once more. Takecare not to apply too much oil asthis will leave a smearing effecton the surface and will have to be removed at the end.

1. Fading up 2. Bodying in

Circular Figure of eight Passing along the grain

3. HardeningAfter every 4 or 5 applications the workshould be left to harden for a couple ofhours before applying further coats. Werecommend lightly rubbing the surfacedown between coats with 320 gritabrasive paper or Ultra Fine Steel Wool(0000) to remove any blemishes.

4. Spiriting offOnce a sufficient layer has been achievedon the surface spiriting off can commenceto produce the final high gloss finish. Anew rubber must be charged with Frenchpolish that has been thinned down withmethylated spirit. Approximate ratio: 2parts French polish to 1 part methylatedspirit.

Apply this polish as before in a circular orfigure of eight motion and again finish bygoing along the grain.

Finally, pour a small amount ofmethylated spirit and a small amount ofFrench polish, at approximately a 50/50split, into the rubber and rub this up anddown the work to remove any high spots.Move the rubber lightly and quickly overthe surface to achieve a gloss finish.

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BurnishingA French polish finish does not have tobe a high gloss mirror finish every time,sometimes a softer level of sheen isrequired. To achieve this all you have todo is to allow the polished surface toharden for a few days then cut back thepolish using Liberon Ultra Fine Steel Wool(0000) to remove any imperfections.Finally finish with a coat of Liberon BlackBison Fine Paste Wax.

For a mirror finish you need to leave theFrench polish to fully harden for about aweek to ten days, then cut the surfaceback with Ultra Fine Steel Wool (0000) andremove any dust with a tack cloth. Nextapply Liberon Burnishing Cream with aclean cotton cloth, polishing vigorouslyand occasionally turning the cloth until the deep mirror finish is achieved.

Storage and cleaningTo keep your rubber in good conditionstore it in an air-tight container with asmall amount of methylated spirit. YourFrench polishing mop should be cleanedafter use with methylated spirit and stored as above.

LibtipIf Burnishing Cream is used before the polish hashardened it may causesmearing.

NotesFor areas where a rubber cannot beused, i.e. carvings, a French polishingmop is recommended.

The basic steps and principles are still the same:

• Apply thin coats of polish workingwith the grain where possible.

• Never let the mop stick or stop onthe surface.

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Instructions for ebonising (using Black Polish)

Whether the wood is new or reclaimed the process is basically the same. On areclaimed piece you will need to removeany previous painted or varnished finishto get back to the bare wood, on a newpiece of timber simply sand down using240 grit abrasive paper.

Step one Stain the wood using Liberon PaletteWood Dye (Ebony) or Liberon Spirit WoodDye (Ebony). If the piece is reclaimedtimber then it is better to use LiberonSpirit Wood Dye. Apply the stain with abrush or cloth, wipe off excess and allowto dry thoroughly.

Step two The next step is to seal in the stain andbuild up the depth of colour and sheenusing Liberon Black Polish.

To apply Liberon Black Polish use thesame method as any French polish usinga French polishing rubber, or Frenchpolishing mop or fine brush on moreornate pieces.

Apply the first two coats of Black Polishand allow to dry, then rub down usingUltra Fine Steel Wool (0000). Apply furthercoats of the Black Polish to build up thesheen, rubbing down between coats.

If a high gloss finish is required then allow the Black Polish to harden for atleast ten days. Rub down withUltra Fine Steel Wool (0000)and burnish with LiberonBurnishing cream.

Polish will not dry The most common cause for this is that the Frenchpolish is too old. Discard the polish and start with a fresh batch.

Trouble shooting

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If you start experiencing any problems as you are working then the best advice is tostop. Allow the polish to harden, rub back the error and restart from that point.

Below are some common problems which may occur. Follow the instructions and youcan continue on your way to a beautiful finish.

Ripples appear on surface

Too much polish has been applied.

Allow the polish to dry then sand back and restart.

Polish appears to have been removed(rubber burn)

Caused by too much pressure. Allow the polish to hardenthen cut back and restart.

Bloom The polish appears to have a milky film on the surface.This is caused by dampness in the air or on the surface.Allow the polish to dry then cut back and restart.

Finger marks If these appear then the polish has not had time toharden before being handled. Allow the polish to harden,cut back with Ultra Fine Steel Wool (0000) and then eitherre-apply a coat of French polish or burnish withBurnishing Cream.

Liberate the spirit of your home

Liberon Limited, Learoyd Road, Mountfield Industrial Estate, New Romney, Kent TN28 8XU Tel: 01797 367555 Fax: 01797 367575 Technical advice: 01797 361136 www.liberon.co.ukA V33 Group company.

We’re as effective throughout the home! For details of our comprehensive range call us on 01797 367555.

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