French Polishing Furniture Finish

Cabinetmakers' most beautiful finish. Revives the richness of the wood colour and grain.
Distinguish between flat surfaces such as furniture tops , doors etc.. and non flat surfaces such as furniture bases, mouldings, and sculptures.

A- With Applicator Pad on flat surfaces (tops, doors..) :

Proceed according to the following three steps:

1- Base preparation: filling the pores.
Impregnate the Varnish Applicator LOUIS XIII with Varnish with Pore Filler LOUIS XIII and pour a small quantity of Pumice Powder LOUIS XIII onto the wood. Move in circles with the applicator. Add more pumice powder if needed. If small varnish and pumice powder balls develop under the applicator add Polish Thinner LOUIS XIII. If the applicator gets too dry, add  pore-filler varnish. Once the pores are well filled, allow to dry for 4 hours and lightly sand with Steel Wool LOUIS XIII N° 0000 and dust off.

2- Varnishing :
Impregnate a Varnish Applicator LOUIS XIII with French Polish Varnish Louis XIII without excess. Make the applicator glide regularly by drawing circles and eights. If the applicator is too dry add French Polish Varnish. Finish in the sense of the wood fibres. Allow to dry for 2 hours and start again until obtaining the desired result. Favour a room temperature from 18 to 20°C. If it is difficult to move the applicator and for easier spreading of the varnish, dip one finger in Oil Varnish LOUIS XIII and wipe it regularly on the  exterior cloth of the applicator. Never leave the applicator immobile on the varnish. Between the application of different coats, keep the applicator in an airtight jar. Allow to dry thoroughly between coats and touch ups.

 3- Finish : Lightening
To add transparency to the varnish, after a complete 24 hours drying, soak a new Varnish Applicator LOUIS XIII with Polish Thinner LOUIS XIII and lightly and quickly pass over the varnish while following the wood fibres. Polish Thinner, which has a higher degree of purity than 95° ethyl alcohol, will increase the transparency of the varnish and its shine while avoiding the development of whitish veils.  

B- On non flat surfaces with the Applicator Pad (base, mouldings, sculptures etc...) 

Two steps must be respected :

1- Base Preparation :
Apply Insulating Wood Finish LOUIS XIII with the help of Cottonstock LOUIS XIII. Allow to dry for 4 hours. Apply 2 coats, then lightly finish with Steel Wool LOUIS XIII N°0000, after leaving to dry completely ( 8 hours). Easy application.

2- Varnishing :
Apply Shellac Varnish in thin coats with a soft flat Brush. Allow to dry for 2 hours and renew the operation until obtaining the desired result. After drying, you can soften the coats with Steel Wool LOUIS XIII N° 0000. The shine obtained is similar to French Polishing. Work at a room temperature between 18 and 20°C. After in-depth drying (8 days) and to correct any possible application irregularities, apply Surfacing Equalizer Varnish with the help of a Varnish Applicator LOUIS XIII, in rapid forward and backward movements in the sense of the wood grain, while lightly touching the surfaces showing traces of irregular application.  

Protect your hands with the Black Nitrile Gloves below!