French Polishing and Enamelling | Page 8

London prices are: Best French polish, 5s. 6d. per gallon; best white polish, 9s. per
gallon; brown or white hard varnish, 8s. per gallon; patent glaze, 10s. per gallon;
methylated spirits, 3s. 3d. per gallon. For those who prefer to make their own, the
following will be found an excellent recipe:--
12 ounces of orange shellac. 1 ounce of benzoin. 1 ounce of sandarach. 1/2 gallon of
methylated spirits.
Pound the gums well before mixing with the spirit, as this will hasten their dissolution.
White polish for white wood and marqueterie work should be made with bleached shellac
instead of the above. In making polishes or varnishes, the mixture will frequently require
shaking until dissolved.
=Rubbers.=--In commencing to polish, the materials required are old flannel for the
rubbers and clean old linen or cotton rags for the coverings, the softer the better; some
polishers, however, prefer white wadding for rubbers instead of flannel. Rubbers for large
surfaces are usually made of soft old flannel, firmly and compactly put together

somewhat in the form of a ball, and the more they possess softness and compactness, and
are large and solid, the more quickly and satisfactorily will they polish extensive surfaces.
Small pliable rubbers are usually employed for chairs or light frame-work. Perhaps for a
beginner a rubber made of old flannel may be best, as it takes some little practice to
obtain the necessary lightness of hand.
The rubber for "spiriting-off" should be made up from a piece of old flannel or woollen
cloth, and covered with a piece of close rag, doubled. Carefully fold the rag and screw it
round at the back to make it as firm as possible, and sprinkle some spirit on the face of it
just as it is covered; then give it two or three good smacks with the palm of the hand, and
begin by laying on as lightly as possible for the first few strokes and gradually increase
the pressure as the rubber gets dry; then take off the first fold of the cover and work it
perfectly dry.
The rubber should present to the wood you are about to work on a smooth-rounded or
convex surface. Have beside you linseed-oil in one receptacle, and some French polish in
another. Apply one drop of polish and one drop of oil, and polish with a circular
movement--traversing steadily the whole surface to be polished, and from time to time, as
may be necessary (when the rubber gets sticky and harsh, indicating that the inside needs
replenishing with more polish), open and apply more of it, and again draw over the linen
cover, holding it tightly to form the convex face proper to do the work. After replenishing,
the rubber will probably need a little more oil to help it to work smoothly. Having thus
worked on one coat of polish evenly over all the wood until it has got what may best be
described as a full look, set it aside for two or three hours to sink in and become hard, and
when completely dry, lightly paper off with glass-paper (very finest), afterwards dusting
the surface to remove any trace of powder, and lay on a second coat of polish in the same
method. Then allow twenty-four hours to dry. Another light papering may possibly be
needed--dust off as before recommended and let the wood have a third coat of polish.
For this third coat a fresh rubber should be made, the inside being sparingly supplied with
spirits of wine instead of polish. Put a double fold of linen over it, touch it with one drop
of oil, and go very lightly and speedily over the whole work.
In spiriting-off--the object of which is to remove any trace of smudge that may blur the
surface unless removed thus by spirit--you should go gently to work, using a very light
hand, or you may take the polish off as well, amateurs more especially.
=Position.=--All work should be placed in an easy and accessible position while it is
being polished, so that the eye may readily perceive the effect of the rubber; this will
greatly help to relieve the difficulties attending the polishing of a fine piece of furniture.
It should also be kept quite firm, so that it cannot possibly move about. The most suitable
benches for polishers are the ordinary cabinet-makers' benches, with the tops covered
with thick, soft cloths; these cloths should not be fastened down, it being an advantage to
be able to remove them when required. When a piece of work too large to be placed upon
the bench is in hand, pads will be found useful to rest it upon. These can be made by
covering pieces of wood about two feet in length by three inches in width with