Polishers and their secrets;

Whilst an apprentice in 1968 and working for one of the World's most prestigious Department Stores in Knightsbridge, London, I found it extremely difficult to learn the art of French polishing, why? Because of the secrecy amongst the experienced French polishers, I had to work really hard to squeeze out as much information from each and everyone there.

It was like getting blood out of a stone, they were so afraid that one day I would / could perhaps take their place and therefore, would only choose to teach the worst aspects of French polishing jobs like stripping off the old finishes a very unpleasant job, emptying dust bins and sometimes going out to pick up their winnings at the Betting Shop etc.

As an apprentice you are expected to sweep the floors and do some tasks when asked however, I remember going around the Streets of Chelsea looking for wine bottles left out by the various wine bars and restaurants etc, why did I do that I hear you say, well the bottles were used for the French polish, Methylated spirits and various other liquids, I remember the tops of the French polish bottles after a few fill-ups became thickly coated with polish and it seemed the more polish, that was coated around each bottle, and the more it appeared that the polisher had worked the hardest, this was obviously not true as I used to scrape the polish off with a sharp knife.

The best way I found to learn from the polishers was to try to get to know their individual personalities and then they would open up and build up respect for me, and eventually, I would progress from mundane jobs and start to be able to do staining and sealing and then eventually French polishing after I had mastered making a rubber.

After I completed my apprenticeship, I left my job as was common to do so in order that I could find employment with another company and build and increase my skills and learn the way other companies worked.  I did not always agree with their methods however, sometimes it pays to keep quiet and as I did it my way and if the company didn't like it they would soon tell me, that very rarely happened.

Years later I returned to where I did my apprenticeship and now I was employed as an experienced French polisher and was expected to be able to work on any item that came to hand, the first job I was given was as always a test to see if your skills are good enough and I did a really good job that had the other polishers in aghast, my job was safe.

I gained lots of knowledge when offered overtime, I used to have to go to the client's homes to touch up and make good any damage caused by the delivery drivers etc.  I had to think quickly and deal with the task at hand, time was limited and the job had to be up to a very high standard demanded by the customers.  It taught me to be very careful whilst working on carpets as on my first job in a client home, a container with black powder burst whilst putting the lid on. things could not have been any worse there was black powder all on the brown carpet and my brand new jeans, it was about as bad as it could get, I went to a Chemist to buy some clothes to try and clean up the mess to no avail, I had to just give up, the lady client was really for my sake understanding and said: "That her Father had a cleaning company and that she would ask him to have a go at cleaning up my mess".

When I returned back to base I told my boss what had happened and he too was understanding and said" That I would just have to fill up a form as to what happened and how could this kind of accident be prevented".  I never heard any more about it, perhaps the carpet department replaced or cut out the damaged part and hand sewed a new section.

Now back in my position as a French polisher, I was treated as an Adult and that was not the case when I was an apprentice I was always the Boy.

I was very fortunate to have been able to work with some very highly skilled craftsmen and this has been fantastic for me, as for many years now, I have been self-employed and touch wood I have coped with everything from large Church Doors, to Bank Doors, Tables Chairs and just about everything in between.

If you are going through this or a similar experience, I would advise you to stick it out and learn as much as you can because, in the long run, you will have a skill that no one can take from you.

Thank you for coming to my Blog site and reading my posts.
Regards,
Andrew. 

Burr Oak Dining Table refinished

This Burr Oak Dining Table, was yet another difficult project, why? I hear you ask.

Well, I was told by the client that it was made about twenty years ago and that it had been specially made for them, therefore, I had to do some research about the maker and what finish had been applied?

The client gave me the contact details of the maker, and after having spent some time on the phone, I was told that this table and others were manufactured and sold to one of the UK's leading Furniture dealers and that the veneer was very thin, therefore, I would have to be very careful not to go through it.

Due to this, I had to consider is it really worth my while to take on such a job? Or would I be better off leaving this one?

Well, as always French polishing has its up's and down's in workloads, so I took it on.

You can see the paint stripper has been applied to the surface and just waiting for the surface to bubble up.

Once stripped and all the perpetration completed, I then as with the client's permission sprayed the surface with a plastic coating as this is the hardest finish for a table that will be used on a daily basis.

The client and I were very pleased with the outcome what do you think?

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Christmas

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas & New year.

I hope that, you all have a wonderful time spent with your families.

Thank you to all of my readers from around the World.

May 2016 be a good year for us all.

Merry Christmas,

Andrew.

Reply to Jono

Hi Jono, and thanks for your kind remarks.

You raise a few interesting points .

Firstly, I think that when you are flatting the surface in between polishing you say "You are using 320 grit" I think this could be one of your causes for the scratchy lines in the surface why?
Because I think 320 is not fine enough to achieve a smooth surface.

I would suggest that you change to a 1000 grit wet and dry paper, please also use a rubber sanding block as the surface will if new be perfectly flat.

Before you rub the surface down with wet and dry paper, apply some white spirits on cotton wool over the surface as this will act as a lubricant.

Once smooth you must dry off all the remaining white spirits otherwise it will sink into the grain, and leave a whit residue however, it should go once another oil and polishing has taken place.

You say "You have ridges in the finish" Well, I think that when you are sanding down the surface, you are not achieving a good enough surface for staining and polishing and that's perhaps why the ridges are showing up when you apply the polish, and will become more apparent the greater the shine.

I hope that this will be of help to you? If I can be of further assistance don't hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for reading my posts, I very much appreciate it. 

Regards,
Andrew.

Reply to Mark in Australia

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your message regarding your Cedar Dinning Table.

Well, I am happy that you have glass covering the surface, otherwise by now like most tables the top would have been damaged by now.

Yes, when glass is applied to cover the table etc, it's always best to place some cushioning under the glass, the reason for this is to let the air flow, and therefore allowing the wood to breath.
You can use either felt, cork or rubber spacers, your glaziers should have them in stock.

The best way to keep your surface in good order is dependant, as to what is on the surface? 
If the wood has an oiled finish then it would be a good idea to feed the top with Danish oil, once in a while, remember to rub off the excess.

However, if your table is French polished or varnished, then a good Bees wax polish will revive the surface.
Again, remember to rub off the excess in the direction of the grain.

I do like some aerosol sprays, I know that they are not everyone's favourite, but I have never seen a table damaged by the use of aerosol spray. But what I have seen many times, is water damage as people wipe the surface over with wet / damp clothes and this leaves a thin film on the surface that eventually gets into the wood pours that then leads the surface to develop a white bloom on the surface.

I hope that this is of some help to you?  If I can be of further assistance please contact me again.

Thanks for reading my posts.
Regards,
Andrew.

What's in my Box

Today, I want to show you just what's in my box.

Let's start by looking inside.

Firstly, I have to say that my box has seen some work in its time, and now showing signs of wear and tear.

In the drawer, is where I keep my Powder colours, Wax fillers, Craft knives and Pencil brushes

Laid out you will see from the left to right White Spirit, Methylated Spirits, French polish, Linseed oil, Fine wire wool, Spray lacquers, Small stain bottles, Cotton wool, Masking tape, Dust mask, Various rags, Wet & Dry paper, Cabinet scraper, Sanding block, Sandpaper, Wax filler sticks, Grain liners, Dust mask Safety Goggles and Disposable Gloves.

 Missing from my box is my Rubber jar etc,  with this kit, I can do most polishing jobs required in the home or on-site.

 Feedback welcome, thanks for reading my Blogs.

Floor repair

This floor was very badly scratched by a large fridge freezer that had been dragged across the floor and left deep marks in the wood.

It had to be scrapped and sanded down to remove the lacquer, this took such a long time and needed great effort. Then the floor was coated over with a specialist floor coating for a hard-wearing and durable surface.

 

Yes! Did it