Thread: My First Attempt at French Polishing.

As previously posted I am doing a course in furniture restoration and french polishing at my local neighbourhood house with an experienced tutor. The item I chose to do was an old small side table that we have had for over 20 years. We have four of them, 2 small and 2 large. The table legs and frame is made of teak and the top is teak veneered chipboard.

After having been stored in a shed for a number of years they were resurrected and in a room that was smoke and heat damaged from a fire in an adjacent room.

The process involved first stripping of the lacquer (Col it wasn’t your famous brand ) then using a scraper and hand sanding to 400 grit. Whilst doing the scraping I was thinking how some of you will have a chuckle when I admit that hand tools sometime have a place in woodworking.

Then I stained it with a spirit stain and a brush coat of shellac. After rubbing this back I started the process of bodying up and staining the parts where the veneer was damaged. Finally I rubbed the finish down with English whiting powder and applied a coat of wax.

The time spent on the table was the equivalent of six full days and well worth the effort. The finish is very smooth and sensual. It is a 100 % improvement on what it looked new. The shine is mirror like as the photos show.

The first 3 photos show the table and the final photo shows the condition of the other table top which is not quite as bad as the one I did.

This table and the other three I am only doing to gain experience before I start on our other furniture.


Peter.