French Finish

[Derekkest]

Finishing is my weakest point in woodworking. As of late I have just been goofing around with differnt materials, and techniques trying differant things.

I came across an article regarding a "french finish" and BOY did that thing shine!!! So I have been doing some research on the web about it and it seems EVERYBODY has their own way of doing it and everybody claims it's an original french finish.

So, my question to you guys is, what exactly is an actual french finish and how is it achieved?

[Jim DaddyO]

If you are refering to "french polish", then the process is one of building up micro layers of dewaxed shellac. It is a long process (if someone shows you a 1 day method, it is not the same). Grain filling is acheived by useing pumice after the initial coats of shellac. I did my guitar with a french polish and, though time consuming, came out nice and is easy to fix any errors you make as one layer of shellac actually melts into the other. As a guide I primarily used a you tube video. Check out "Steves Guitar Building" on you tube, there is a series of videos on his finishing of the project. Listen to him when he says use the 4F pumice instead of the 2F. I used the 4F and had good results.

[Bombarde16]

So, my question to you guys is, what exactly is an actual french finish and how is it achieved?

French polish is nothing more than a set of techniques for applying shellac. It sounds wildly exotic but it's not, nor is it today the only way to get a high gloss finish on a piece of furniture. But, it was the best they had before the advent of lacquers.

In a nutshell, you're going to build layer after layer of shellac. Since shellac redissolves in alcohol, the challenge is to lay down each new layer without leaving tracks or smudges in the previous layers. (Right of the bat, this is no longer an issue in an age of power sprayers) To do this, you add a few drops of mineral oil to the pad used to apply the shellac: the pad lays down fresh shellac while slipping across the previous layers. The alcohol "spirits off" and the shellac settles to the bottom (under the oil left on the surface) and fuses with the previous layer. Pumice is then used to get rid of the oil while acting as a very high grit abrasive to polish the surface.

Again, a lot of this boils down to what our forebears had technology-wise. Nowadays, a good spray gun and a few sheets of automotive grit sandpaper will get you there just fine.

[iSawitFirst]

Shellac isn't the most protective finish by far. It would be a shame to put so much time into a French Polish only to have it marred.

I agree with Rob. Contemporary lacquers and even poly's, properly applied, can give the same high-gloss finish and do a much better job protecting the piece.

[bois]

Shellac isn't the most protective finish by far. It would be a shame to put so much time into a French Polish only to have it marred.

I agree with Rob. Contemporary lacquers and even poly's, properly applied, can give the same high-gloss finish and do a much better job protecting the piece.

While I agree a French polish, because it is shellac, won't have the same durability as a lacquer or poly, but I still think there is no product out there that can match the final look and feel of a well done French polish. For special applications, such as a jewelry box that doesn't need the same protective finish qualities but benefits from a quality gloss finish, I'll still go with a FP every time. Here's a picture of one project I did in bubinga with a FP on the top. The finish almost gives the wood a three dimensional look that I haven't been able to replicate with any other product or technique.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/D4DdevOH-DWfXWQJT0ixSg?feat=directlink

[thewoodwhisperer]

I watched a DVD recently that started to change the way I think about shellac. http://shop.shellacfinishes.biz/product.sc;jsessionid=EB5A4BB03DF866F1C93FD07B9431D23A.qscstrfrnt05?productId=8&categoryId=1

Vijay says that shellac is much more durable that people make it out to be. He did a few tests where a French polished surface was exposed to standing water for several hours with absolutely no detrimental effect. Then the did the same test with whiskey and took several hours before the finish started to show a dull spot. Pretty surprising. He even used the finish on his bathroom cabinets and says its holding up very well.

As far as lacquer goes, I do believe you can bring lacquer up to a "French Polish-like" shine. I've done it several times on large conference tables. But it doesn't seem like any less work to me. Instead of padding on layers of shellac, you are buffing the heck out of a thicker layer of lacquer. Of course on larger surfaces you can always use a buffer or polisher to save on elbow grease. I would love to see some extensive comparative durability tests between a finely polished lacquer and a French polish. And also a repair comparison. Who wants to do it?

[iSawitFirst]

Marc, did he do a scratch comparison?

The great thing about FP is that it can be repaired easily while lacquer/varnish can't.

[thewoodwhisperer]

He didn't demonstrate it, but he mentioned it in a discussion about repairability.

[PaulMarcel]

While certainly not a scientific durability test, my assembly table base is shellaced (not French polished, non non non). I did it to practice spraying inside corners, etc. I'm still surprised it looks like new. Isn't like I'm gentle with it. Still has that glass smooth shellac feel, too. That surprised me so I thought more of its durability. Much later, I quickly made a rolling table so my dad could eat while in bed. I wanted the post black and just black shellaced a 1/2" iron pipe. I since dismantled the table, but the pipe has fallen over countless times. The only time it fell and left a mark was went it hit the edge of a metal object.

Now, I give it credit to being much more durable than reading about its durability ever instilled.