Viewer Count

I'm just recording the number of viewers from around the World, that have visited my Blogsite to date.

As of 26th March 2018.  I have had 58,192 

I would like to thank you all for your loyalty and showing interest in French polishing and related subjects.

Regards,
Andrew.

Sofa Restoration

This was another job, that was in a poor state however, the framework was in a good sound condition, and like most furniture, made back in the day, it was built to last, unlike the furniture we see about today.


As you can see, this arm has had a lot of use, and now the frame needs to be scraped off and re-finished.

Looks nice Beech timber under all that sprayed on colour

I sanded off the lower rail, and the contrast is so great

After staining and hand French polishing

Beautifully, Upholstered, I don't do the fabric work, that was done by a very experienced Upholsterer

Thanks for reading my posts, if you like what you see?  Please tell others.

University Vs Apprenticeships

University Vs Apprenticeships.

These days young people are told that they must go to University when they leave college and get a good career in a high powered job, but what’s not made clear is that unless you come from a well-off background, you will be saddled with a very large student loan for the years to come and with interest to pay on top.

Even if you were to Graduate and eventually find a suitable job, you will have to be earning a very high wage to allow for the student loan money to be deducted from your wages every month until the full amount has been paid off.

Students are told that if and when they graduate, they will be able to earn on average much more than a none graduated person, however, with so many people applying for the same jobs, it's hard to determine if this holds true.

For your interest:

The rate will range from RPI for those earning up to £21,000 per Annum, up to a maximum of RPI + 3% at a salary of £41,000 and above. On average students with loans taken after September 2012 will have accrued £44,000 of Debt.

From my point of view, I think that Apprenticeships are far better for young people that did not get the chance to go to University or may not be academically inclined.

For those reasons alone, in my opinion, apprenticeships can and do certainly help young people to get a good trade skill under their belt that once mastered will stay with them for life and will always be in demand.

Speaking for myself, I never got the chance to go to university and had to make do with the skills I was given, luckily for me, I was offered an apprenticeship with a very large Company that sold high-end furniture and enjoying woodwork at School I felt that I should look for something in that field of work, I applied for a job to learn woodwork but there were no vacancies, however, there was a vacancy for an apprentice French polisher.

Well, I thought this may be a little easier than woodwork, so jumped at the opportunity and accepted to be a signed up apprentice for four and half years, and during that time I was to work hard and learn as much as I could from the highly skilled craftsmen that I worked with.

After my apprenticeship had ended it was expected of me to leave and gain more experience elsewhere, this I did and found it was really good for me to learn increased skills in the art of French polishing.

Eventually, I went back to where I had done my apprenticeship and now I was treated like an adult instead of just the Boy.

I was now on equal footing with the other skilled workers and that made me feel proud.

So my advice to all the young people out there, is to think long and hard about what are your best qualities? Do you have the skills for a career in academia or are you better suited to a skilled job?

Due to the skills shortage certainly in London, there is a high demand for skilled trades in all fields of work, and therefore, higher wages can be demanded.

University's do unwittingly teach young people to live independently whilst studying on campus, and the constant partying that goes on can be an attraction for some, and from what I have been told it's an experience not to be missed, however, there is no guarantee that you will get the job of your dreams after years spent reading books and developing your skills for the wider world.

Therefore, think carefully about your career path and once decided go for it and let no one stop you. Good luck whatever you choose.

Regards,

Andrew.

Miracles Do Happen

Yes, that's what I've had to perform on this Teak Dining Table.

As you can see for yourselves, just how bad this surface has become, and due to the surface being veneered I had to be extremely careful not to go through the veneer, not easy to avoid unless keeping a very close eye on the sanding stages.

After staining I coated over with several coats of hard-wearing finish for a durable surface.

Looks dreadful I know.

One of the legs was scraped off

Why do I get all the hard jobs?

Perhaps it's because I know what I am doing

"When only the best will do"

Recently I wrote about my impending retirement

Recently I wrote about my impending retirement, well that was just over a month ago now, it hasn't been a trauma that I thought it would be perhaps as I have been Self-employed for a very long time and take every day as I find has made for an easier transformation for me.

Together with the fact I get paid to do nothing also helps.

However, I think that if I had been working for a company for years and to have to stop work all of a sudden things might have been different.

Being new to retirement is an exciting time as I find myself or should I say tell myself that I am now retired it's a strange concept to grasp with but I'm told I will soon get used to the idea.

Somehow I think that I shall always be a French polisher at heart, as any of you that work with wood know only too well.

Thanking you for reading my posts I hope that you enjoy them?

Regards,
Andrew.

A change from my usual projects

I was asked recently, would I finish this Violin for a friend's Daughter and I thought why not, it makes a change from my usual furniture and repairs.

And was a good experience for me, to be able to work on such a nice object.

I had to very gently sandpaper the surface smooth to remove the finger marks that had occurred whilst handling by the owner.

After sanding, I had to stain the violin with a suitable colour and without damaging the carved patterned front. 
Then due to the awkwardness of handling the violin, I decided to hang the violin from a string and then this left me with free hands to be able to spray the finish over with several coats of lacquer.

I was asked not to stain the fingerboard and to leave it in its natural unfinished state. Usually, they are stained black.

The feedback from my friend was that his Daughter was "She really pleased with my work", and I was also was told that the violin Stringer was very impressed. 
Always good to hear.

Chair Refinishing

This lovely chair with its roots from Scotland, was a project I decided to take on and the needs must.

I enjoyed working on such a nice chair.

Firstly, I gently scraped off the old finish to avoid using the paint stripper and the smell and risk of burns associated with it.

Then when all the bulk of the finish was removed, I gently sanded down the wood with fine-grade sandpaper, in the direction of the grain as should always be done.

And once I was satisfied that the surface was as good as it gets, I had to stain the chair as per the client's wishes and best suited to the period of the chair.

Then for a much longer life span, I sprayed over the chair with several coats of lacquer.  This gives the chair a much longer span before it will have to be worked on again as opposed to a French polished finish that would deteriorate fast if not looked after or cleaned with the wrong products.

The chair as you can see has been beautifully upholstered and I think with a stunning fabric, needless to say, that my client was truly delighted with the finished goods.

I thanked the client for sending me the picture after the upholstery works.

Hoping that this will inspire you to take on such works and build up your confidence.

Thanks for your time.

Looking tired and worn

The usual thick colour everywhere

I am really pleased with my work