Do you have an old bit of furniture at home that needs reviving? Or it might not even be old; it could just need that little something to put the spark back into it. French polishing is the perfect answer for this; it’s a finish for wood that is made to revive furniture. It is easy to damage but at the same time it is simpler to repair than any other finish. The finish is a lengthy process and very repetitive (french polishers must have the patience of a saint!), it is obtained through a specific combination of different rubbing motions; waiting for a considerable time and building up the layers of polish. French polishing is considered to be one of the most beautiful ways to finish highly figured wood, and I would agree with this statement.
Where French Polishing Came From
When I started writing this blog article I decided to do some research on french polishing to see where it came from and how long it’s been around for, here is a paragraph that I found to be quite interesting from Wikipedia, let me know what you think:
"French polishing became prominent in the 18th century. In the Victorian era, French polishing was commonly used on mahogany and other expensive woods, and was considered to give the best possible finish to exclusive furniture. The process was very labour intensive, however, and many major manufacturers abandoned the technique around 1930, instead preferring the cheaper and quicker techniques of spray finishing nitrocellulose lacquer and abrasive buffing. In Britain, instead of abrasive buffing, a fad of "pullover" is used in much the same way as traditional French polishing. This slightly melts the sprayed surface and has the effect of filling the grain and burnishing at the same time to leave a "French polished" look."
If you would like to see the full article click here.
AJ’s French Polishing is just round the corner to the local people of Basildon! They are efficent and can make furniture turn into beauty! Click here if you would like to know more about AJ’s.
