My sad loss

R.I.P

 Dear readers,

I am sorry that you haven't seen anything new on my blog site for a while; the reason for this is that recently my lovely Japanese wife of forty-six years of marriage died, therefore; I am going through so much pain and upset.

Thankfully I have some good friends to give me; support and encouragement during such difficult times.

My closest friends have told me to remember all the good times we shared; this will give me the strength to carry on.

I will do my best to get back into adding new content when I have the motivation to carry on.

Now I must restart my life and am unsure which way to turn.

I know that my wife would want me to do my best to rebuild my life therefore out of respect and love for her I will do so.

I never expected my wife to go before me I had always thought that I would go first in life we never know what's around the corner.

Thank you for taking the time to read all my posts, they are much appreciated and I hope they are educational to you.

Kind regards,

Andrew.

Ladder Finishing

Hi, today I want to show you a recent request to stain and finish a wooden ladder made from both pine and beech.

Firstly, it had to be sanded down luckily for me it had already been done.

Then came the staining it had to match a pattern colour, after going through a number of stains a choice was made.

Applied several applications of stain to achieve the desired colour. 

After setting up the spray compressor and spray gun, and making sure that the workshop was warm enough to prevent the lacquer from chilling as the weather was as usual cold and raining.

Sprayed many coats of lacquer for a fantastic finish as the customer required.

 

I used my Devilbiss spray gun, for a great even finish

Used a matt finish lacquer

The customer was very pleased with the work, and that's always a good thing right.

Thank you for viewing my Blogsite it's much appreciated. 

Varnishing

 Welcome; today I, want to talk about varnish and how and what its best uses are.

The varnish that I have used many times now is the varnish that's thinned out with white spirits or turpentine.

Why I like this varnish is because it gives long-lasting protection for outdoor use. I know that the downside of using this type of varnish is that it takes hours to dry and therefore can only really be used; on days without rain. Is that possible here in England?

Yes, sometimes we get a sunny day! I have had a few occasions where the weather has been awful and have had to work out in the rain whilst trying my very best to try to keep the rain off the door whilst rain is dripping down my back from a leaky gutter above.

The joys of being a French polisher I: suppose.

Another varnish that is good to use is the water-based ones.

It gives a reasonably tough finish, dries quickly and has good clarity.

Both varnishes come in Gloss, Matt, and Satin finish.

Other wood finishes such as Cellulose lacquer. I think are best suited to use on furniture rather than outdoors where they aren't made for the great outdoors.

Application on all the finishes is easy and; can be brushed on when thinned out with their respective thinners.

I have to say that a good spray finish will produce excellent results.

"Not everyone has spraying equipment I, hear you say".

Well, it's something to invest in, and in doing so, you will be able to tackle the modern furniture finishes that are -used on just about everything.

I would be - lost without my spray equipment; it has become an essential part of the modern wood finishing process.

Don't get me wrong; I love to French polish whenever the opportunity arises.

Once again, I hope that this will be of some help to you?

As of 19th October 2021 Blog viewer count:

 

As of 19th October 2021

The viewer count is 90,586 and counting.

I am always astonished; as to how many viewers that I have accumulated since my last count record and today.

I would like; to thank the people of the Soviet Union; for your continued following.  It gives me great delight to see that my information is being- read, and I hope that it has helped so many of you to achieve a desirable French polished finish?

I hope that when I next record my viewers, it will reach the 100,000 mark?

Thank you; for your attention.

Kind regards,

Andrew.

Are you ready for winter?

 

Are you ready for winter?

 

I ask this because if you live in the Northern Hemisphere like me, then you'll know just how cold it gets.

If you are lucky enough to have your own; workshop, then it's really - important; to ensure that it's heated sufficiently during the worst of the winter months.

Why I hear you ask? Well, if your workshop is too cold, then you will notice; that when you are French polishing, a milky white ghosting effect appears on the surface, then this becomes very problematic and difficult to put right.

To avoid this happening, what I do, is to place my French polish bottle with the top off; stand the bottle in warm water as this will increase the polish temperature sufficiently enough that the chilling won't take place.

Of course, this won't help if your workshop is still cold; it’s better before starting the day's work you heat the premises to an acceptable level.

 

With my workshop, I have been out there when it's been dreadful; cold, therefore to rectify this problem I, purchased insulating panels to stick onto the walls with PVA glue that did not melt the insulating material as other Glues had done.

After this, I fitted plywood over the insulating sheeting that increased the heat loss tremendously.

 

Most of the heat escapes through the roof; this; would be problematic to deal with, so I have not insulated it.

I am sure that some; of you have seen pictures of me working in my converted garage/Workshop.

Well, I hope that this will give you good advice to improve the environment in which you work.  Let me know in the comments section below if you have or are experiencing any of these problems?

I could show you some pictures of my workshop due to how untidy it is just now it will have to wait for another day.

Thanks for your attention it's; much appreciated.

Regards,

Andrew.

These doors were varnished by yours truly.

Reflections

 

Hi, and for any new readers, I would like to extend a very; warm welcome to my site.

Since I started Blogging, in 2011 it's been a great experience for me, as I have interacted with you out there in the wider world.

A big thank you to those that have been with me since the start of my journey.

At first, it was a way for me to share my knowledge and skills and to be able to pass them on to others in the French polishing trade.

However; since then, there has been a vast increase in interest in antique furniture and restoration programmes on television in the UK.

More people are showing an interest in wanting to learn about the subject and, that's where I hope this Blogsite comes in.

Only my experience as a French polisher (Retired now) are ever; used in my writings. Therefore you're, getting authentic information.

I intend this to be a #1 site for quality information.

So many of you from every corner of the world read and, I hope, enjoy my posts.

Your feedback is very kind, and I am, touched by it.

With over 89,000 views and growing, I could never have imagined such a result.

If just one person has either learnt or gained something from my Blogsite, then I am delighted.

Long may the skills of French polishing continue?

Thank you for your time; it is; much appreciated.

Regards,

Andrew.

Hand French polished.

Bespoke Furniture & Finishing

Hello, today, I am going to show you a Desktop, that I have wood finished for part of a large unit.

And I thought that I had retired! 

Firstly, the solid Chery wood edging has been clamped to the front surface of the top

A lovely Mitre joint

Sanding the top edge

Applying good even pressure on the block going with the grain

The top surface has had some spray lacquer applied a few more coats to go! 

Sorry about the mess in the workshop

This is the result after Six coats of lacquerer, the customers choice of finish.

Handcrafted furniture, the remainder of the unit will be painted

The top just slides into place and becomes a working desktop surface.

This is the sheen level pattern 

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. I really appreciate it. 

 

Oak Desk Restoration

 

Hi everyone,

Today, I thought that I would show you some pictures of this old desk that was in need of some tender love and care.

The top surface finish is worn out

Had to take this all apart and carryout repairs

Stained and spray finished

As good as new

The leather was later changed for a new one

I hope that you have enjoyed seeing the transformation on this desk.

The client was very happy. 

Happy Christmas

 

Wishing all my viewers a very Happy Christmas and New Year!

Thank you all for being so kind to visit my site. 

May 2021 be a good year for you all.

Recording my viewer figures

Recording my viewer figures:


As of today, 13th May 2020 

It shows that I have now reached 77,001

This is a fantastic achievement for me. And may I say a huge thank you to each and every one of you that have visited my Channel and continue to follow my posts. 

I hope that you are continuing to learn and enjoy from the information contained. 
Kind regards,
Andrew.

Altar Platform

This Altar platform was hand made by a carpenter friend of mine.

Staining to the desired colour

Applying a thin coat of plastic coating, for a very tough finish

After several good coats

Delivered back at the Church, the finish has dried to a semi-matt finish as required

With the plastic coating finish, it should last for many years to come.

Thank you for your visit to my Blog today!  Much appreciated.

Recently, I had the great pleasure of staining and finishing the wooden frame to this beautiful picture.

I shall add information about the picture lower down for you to read.


Craftsman at work constructing the frame that he skillfully made.

Biscuit jointed for added strength

Superb Mitering

Now over to me for the staining and finishing

Taped up the corners for a clean stained finish with no overlap

Applying spray lacquer for a very long-lasting finish

Applying the final coat

Now for it to be hung in the Church

Everything is well, and time to stand back and admire the real beauty of this picture.

The Image of The Divine Mercy

In 1931, our Lord appeared to St. Faustina in a vision. She saw Jesus clothed in a white garment with His right hand raised in blessing. His left hand was touching His garment in the area of the Heart, from where two large rays came forth, one red and the other pale. She gazed intently at the Lord in silence, her soul filled with awe, but also with great joy. Jesus said to her:

Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory (Diary, 47, 48). I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You (327). I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world (47).

At the request of her spiritual director, St. Faustina asked the Lord about the meaning of the rays in the image. She heard these words in reply:

The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (299). By means of this image, I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works (742).
,
These words indicate that the Image represents the graces of Divine Mercy poured out upon the world, especially through Baptism and the Eucharist.

Many different versions of this image have been painted, but our Lord made it clear that the painting itself is not what is important. When St. Faustina first saw the original image that was being painted under her direction, she wept in disappointment and complained to Jesus: "Who will paint You as beautiful as You are?" (313).

In answer, she heard these words: "Not in the beauty of the colour, nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace" (313).

So, no matter which version of the image we prefer, we can be assured that it is a vehicle of God’s grace if it is revered with trust in His mercy.

I have used this reference as a guide to assist you and to give you a clear understanding regarding this painting. 

Should you wish to see this picutre for yourself, it is hung in, Roman Catholic Church of The Five Precious Wounds, Stonebridge Park, Brentfield Road, London NW10 BER 

Please be respectful during Mass times.

Thankyou, to The Parish Priest, for his love of Art and attention to detail.
Respectfully,
Andrew.