How can I determine what finish is already on the furniture?

This is very important for should you apply the wrong coating, you could come up against some serious adhesion problems, as not all finishes can sit easily on top of each other and therefore, it is very important to get this process right as it could save you a lot of problems further down the line.

French polished surfaces:

Well, to find out if the surface is French polished?  Or not you will need to carry out some tests.  Firstly you will need to apply some Methylated spirits to an unobtrusive area of the furniture, once applied the surface should become tacky if it does feel sticky to the touch then you have determined that the surface is French polished and can now be polished over with further rubbers as required.

Lacquered surfaces:

Well, you will need to carry out the same as above only using Cellulose thinners and once again if the surface becomes tacky to the touch then you know that you have a lacquered surface and can safely go over with additional coats of lacquer.

Varnished surfaces:

Once again the same process as above only this time you will need to use White spirits or Turpentine lookout to see if the surface starts to soften and if it does you can be sure that you have identified that you have a varnished surface on which to apply additional coats as required.

However, if you are still unable to decide what finish you have to work on, I would suggest that you strip off the old surface and then you can be sure that you know what product and finish you are applying, and in doing so will avoid any risk of product incompatibility.

Well, I hope that this will be of some help to you, as and when you have to identify the various finishes.

Feedback is most welcome!

This table hand French polished using a rubber & shellac. 

Restored Sheet Music Cabinet

As you can see this sheet music cabinet has been fully restored.

The top has expanded apart & split

You can see the split rail & poor condition surface

Handles cleaned and buffed

Showing the top tilted

In order to restore this piece I had to remove the split top, then glue and clamp the two pieces together, then sand down the top for a smooth and even surface.

It was then stained a Medium Oak colour with a Golden Oak stain on top so as to give the cabinet a slight glow to enhance the appearance.

The top was previously nailed to the caucus and therefore, was not allowing the top of the cabinet to be able to tilt up to enable music sheets to be placed whilst playing etc.

All the handles were cleaned and buffed to a high shine.

The cabinet does not have the brass gallery to support the music sheets anymore however,  I expect that one could be found should the owner choose.

Once again thanks for taking the time to read my posts.

How to look after a French polishing rubber?

Well, let me explain the problems, that I often come across first.

I have seen many polishing rubbers being left on dirty workbenches and this causes so many problems due to dust and grime transference onto the rubber surface, and then when you go to use your rubber it becomes useless.

Another problem that I come across is when the rag becomes overused,  and the fibres of the rag then become clogged and this in turn then stops the polish flowing from the cotton wool inside your rubber and passing through the fabric then onto the polished surface.

Time for some help!

The best way I find is to always keep your rubber spotless and the rag must be changed often throughout the polishing process, this will also help to remove some of the oil during the finishing off process.

Rubber must be stored in an airtight container to prevent the rubber from drying out.

Before putting your rubber away at the end of the day, it is a good idea to open up the rubber and apply some Methylated spirits and then re-shape your rubber before putting back in the container.  This will keep your rubber moist and save it from drying out even though whilst in a jar, it can still dry out to some extent.

Remember to squeeze out the Methylated spirits before use if you don’t then you could and most certainly will damage your polished finish as the Methylated spirits will melt the polished surface and leave you with a nasty mark to deal with.

I always keep my polishing rubbers in a glass jar and that way I can see the condition of the rubbers inside.

I tend to keep the cotton wool inside my rubbers for ages as they seldom need changing the term used for the cotton wool part of the rubber is known as a fad.

A fad can be used for bodying up or sealing the grain using Shellac sanding sealer or as I often use it for polishing on table legs such as barley twist etc.

I hope this will be of some help to you?  Feedback! Always very welcome.

Problems with French polishing

Thank you for your enquiry, this sounds like a difficult one, however, I shall try and answer it for you!

You say you have “Grabbing of the rubber on the surface” Well this sounds to me like your polish is far too thick, you should and I would suggest, that you thin the polish from what I assume is purchased French polish by 25% with Methylated spirits, as this will help the French polish to flow through the rag more evenly.

Or perhaps you have thinned your French polish out too much? Which is causing the surface to melt the French polish on which you are trying to apply?

Another cause could be that you are not using linseed oil? I have tried other oils and I always come back to Linseed oil as this gives me the best result.

You say that you have “Changed your rag etc.” And I hope you are using wadding inside?

Another point is always to use the best quality white sheeting you can buy as this will give you a superior finish.

When you polish you should be able to see the width of the rubber showing in the oil streaks as you build up the finish, if you are not seeing these oil trails as you use your rubber then you are not using enough oil.

Or it could be that you are applying too much pressure whilst French polishing?  This is another cause for the dragging effect.

French polishing must be carried out in a warm environment this is not always possible here in the UK as we have such cold days and like my workshop, it is often freezing cold and therefore very difficult to French polish in.

How to remedy this well you will need to have adequate heating throughout all the polishing stages and then continue to keep the furniture warm whilst it is drying especially overnight in a cold damp climate like England.

I am not sure as to how much experience you have as a French polisher?  These problems arise once in a while and can drive us mad as I know only too well.

Make a brand new rubber from scratch using new cotton wool and the best white rag you can get hold of nylon is useless for French polishing.

Always store your rubber in an airtight container when not in use, I would suggest that you change the white rag on your rubber more frequently, as the surface becomes clogged and over oiled and this stops the French polish from passing through the rag and onto the surface, and therefore a poorly finished surface is all you will be left with.

My last thoughts on this topic are that you could have purchased a bad batch of French polish?  Check to see if the manufacturers have had any problems or complaints from other French polishers? Or you may have kept your polish for far too long?  And as a result, the mixture has become useless.

I hope I Have answered all of your questions?  And that I have been of some help to you?

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

Regards, Andrew.  Feedback is most welcome!

Safety Equipment for Wood finishing

Today, I want to go over safety equipment and the importance of using it.

What products should we be using?

Lung protection:

Let’s start with sanding, as you will know that when you sand wood it produces a great deal of dust and most of which cannot be seen by the naked eye and therefore it poses a problem, as the fine particles then start to enter our lungs and then begin to damage them.

What can we do to prevent this?  Well, there are a number of good quality masks on the market that will give you good protection ranging from paper disposable to air filter masks.  Check with the manufactures instructions to ensure that the intended mask will be adequate for your requirements.

If you can try and work outdoors as this will help disperse the bulk of the dust.

Sanding machines come with dust collection that fits on usually at the back of the machine, they also come with a sandpaper hole puncher to allow for the dust particles to be sucked up through the machine and into the collection box.

Eye protection:

 Is a must when using paint stripper or sanding down especially when using very coarse sandpaper as the rougher the paper the bigger the particles that fly off I know as I have had plenty of those.

When choosing suitable goggles, I find the ones with air holes work best as there is less chance for them to fog up like this in its self becomes a hazard for if you can’t see whilst working, imagine what could go wrong.

Footwear:

Also very important when working with wood or any heavy items, it is essential that you take your footwear seriously for you never know when you might just need good protection.

When choosing work shoes or boots, I prefer to use steel toe capped boots and I suggest that you try on several pairs before you buy them as you will be wearing them all the working day you would not want to wear a pair that hurt your feet would you?

Clothing:

I like to wear a Carpenters apron as this gives reasonable protection from stains and polish; they are difficult to clean unless you boil them up in a bucket with soda crystals to soften the water.

Loose clothing that could get caught in a machine is extremely dangerous as this could result in you being dragged into the machine and with large machines the loss of fingers etc.  I won’t go there.

Hand protection:

This is a must for any French polisher why?  Because if you do not take great care of your hands they will become sore and infected and in some cases, I have met French polishers that have had dermatitis, when I studied at The London College of Furniture years ago now there was a teacher that had to give up hand French polishing due to having dermatitis he found it was better to teach rather than to come into contact with polishing materials he used to prefer to teach about spray finishing.

There are many barrier creams that can be applied prior to French polishing but check to see if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.

 I find these creams to be very messy and greasy not for me but they are there for a reason.

It is I think better to use disposable gloves for staining or rubber-faced gloves with a fleece backing as these are much stronger and protect your fingers whilst using coarse sandpaper and from nasty splinters.

At the end of the day, you can always use hand cream to keep your hands in peak condition.

Head protection:

Unless you are working on a building site, or in other hazardous situations then the use of head protection should not be needed.

However, there have been times when I have used a safety helmet and it is well worth the investment. 

Ear protection:
It is very important to consider your ears when using machines, particularly when using them for long periods of time, as the noise is given off from them can reach very high decibel levels that over a period of time will, and perhaps without you even noticing damage your hearing.

There are a number of products to choose from ranging from disposable earplugs that expand to fit your ear.
To large padded ear defenders that look like headphones.

I recently purchased some ear defenders that have a switch control that allows me to turn up or down the sound coming into my ears, this gives me very good control over what I choose to hear such as music or being called and when the noise level form the machine becomes too loud then I simply adjust the control and my ears are fully protected.

I have found them to be really useful and would recommend this type of ear defender to everybody.

For years I have sanded and never really considered about my ears until I watched a TV programme about noise and how when working with constant levels of noise it will certainly damage your ears and by then it will be too late to do anything about it. 

They are not that expensive and in my opinion well worth the money. 

As with all working situations, it is for you to assess the dangers and take precautions accordingly.

This is intended to help you, and in no way precedes your company’s own safety procedures or guidelines.

Always read the manufacturer’s instructions prior to the use of any equipment for the suitability and or allergic reactions etc.

I take no responsibility for any injuries whatsoever caused as a result of this information; these are just guidelines, and only with the best intention.

Feedback welcome!

Six of the best!

Well OK!  This is just two from a set of six below:

All I want for Christmas is my front leg repaired and some new spindles

These chairs really needed my help

Now you can see all six

Line up now!  Ready for your inspection

Don't they look nice!  What do you think?

These chairs were stripped, sanded smooth, stained to the chosen colour then spray finished with several coats of clear lacquer.

Merry Christmas

*Merry Christmas*

To all my loyal readers,

May I wish you all a very Happy Christmas & New Year!

Yes, another year gone around so fast where has the time gone?

I hope that you have found my Blog useful?  If so, I welcome your feedback!

My Blog is now fast approaching Twelve Thousand Views from more than Sixty four Countries around the Globe, so perhaps I am doing something right.

Thank you for those of you that have made contact with enquiries, I hope that I have been able to answer your questions to the best of my ability.

May you have a peaceful Christmas and a prosperous 2013

Whilst on my Blog, don’t forget to listen to some nice music on my music player, I have Classic, Country and Rock to choose from or why not view the for your pleasure video player enjoy!

And best of all it is all free for your enjoyment.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew.