Reprint

The
French Polisher’s
Handbook
Circa 1910

Replica Reprint 8 - 2000

by

LIBERON / Star Wood Finish Supply

18701 N. Hwy. One, Fort Bragg, CA 95437
Toll Free Order Desk: 800-245-5611
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Web: www.woodfinishsupply.com
 The

French Polisher’s
Handbook
With a Section on

GILDING AND BRONZING

BY
“A PRACTICAL MAN”

London :

PERCIVAL MARSHALL & CO.

66, Farringdon Street, E.G. 4
 CONTENTS
______
PAGE
Recipes for Making Various Stains ............................ 7 - 16
Grain Fillers ........................... 19 - 23
French Polishes ....................... 30-34
White Transparent Polish ............ 31
Varnishes ........................................ 20
Glace ............................................... 47
Wax Polish ............................. 37 - 38
Oil Polish ........................................ 20
Lacquers ................................. 95 - 96
Recipes for Fumigating Woods ........................................ 12
Bleaching Woods ............................................... 16
Revivers .............................................................. 75
Use of Various Stains ......................................................... 17
Linseed Oil ............................................. 18, 26, 48
How to Apply the Fillers ........................................... 19 - 23
Polish ................................................. 32 - 40
Methylated Spirits ........................... 31 - 35
Glace .......................................................... 47
Varnish .............................................. 20 - 46
Lacquers ............................................ 95 - 96
Revivers ............................................ 75 - 76
Pumice Stone ............................................ 22
Dulling the Polished Surface ............................................ 35
Dry Shining ......................................................................... 36
German Piano Finish ................................................. 79 - 80
Wax Polishing ..................................................................... 37
Use of Rubbers and Brushes ..................................... 23 - 30
How to Polish in the Lathe ............................................... 81
Carved Woodwork ............................... 21
Repolish Shop Fronts ........................... 73
Old Furniture ......................................... 71
Polish Coffins ........................................ 82
Fretwork ................................................. 67
Poker Work ............................................ 66
Wax Polish Floors ................................. 38
Re-gild Picture Frames ......................... 88
 RECIPES FOR MAKING VARIOUS
STAINS

IN French Polishing, two kinds of stains are used.

The first is a water stain, the second a spirit stain.
Those who make use of a water stain soon find out
that, shortly after the stain has been applied, the
grain of the wood commences to rise. The roughness
of the grain can easily be cut down with No. 1 or
No. 0 glass paper, and the glass paper can be used
while the wood is still damp; if you have made use
of the glass paper too freely and taken too much of
the stain off, then you can touch up those bare places
with the same stain you have used before. On very
coarse-grained woods, the polisher mixes some glue
size with his stain, so as to fill in the pores of the
wood quicker. This stain is generally laid on with a
bristle brush. Though water stains have their merits,
and are far easier to apply than a spirit stain, a very
good result can be obtained by the use of a spirit stain
carefully laid on the wood.

Mahogany Stains
Cheap woods such as Pine, Deal, Spruce, etc., may
be stained Mahogany, by dissolving 1/2 oz. Bismarck
Brown with 1 pint of Methylated Spirit. This stain
may be applied with a bristle brush, but remember
that a spirit stain dries much quicker than a water
stain, and if you stain one part first and leave the job
half undone, then you cannot so
8 The French Polisher’s Handbook

easily restart at the same place where you left off

without making part of the wood a little darker. If
you try this on a piece of waste wood, and stain part
of it first and let it dry for a few minutes, then, by
starting again where you left off, you can distinctly
notice that in some places you have caught the wood
twice with the stain you have been using, making it
look patchy, for every time you touch the wood with
a spirit stain, it will become a little darker in colour;
that is why you should always try and finish a
staining job while you are at it, and not piecemeal. It
is also better when using a spirit stain to apply the
stain in the direction of the grain of the wood. A water
stain you can lay on with a sponge or a piece of rag
in any way, but towards the finishing off you should
rub your rag in the direction of the grain. Before you
start to stain any job, always try the deepness of the
stain you have been making on a piece of waste wood
similar to, the job in hand; and when you are trying
a spirit stain, notice if you give the wood the desired
shade with the first or second application of the brush
containing the stain. This is very important, for if you
touch the wood twice with a spirit stain you will
distinctly notice that by the second application of the
brush you have been making the wood a lot darker
than it was at first.

When the stain you are using is too strong in

colour, then you can weaken the same by adding
more spirits if it is a spirit stain, or water if it is a
water stain. If the Bismarck stain you have been
making is of a too fiery red, then the same may be
 The French Polisher’s Handbook 9

toned down by mixing with the red stain a little Black

spirit stain. A few drops of the same will show a great
difference, as a Black stain liberally applied to a
Bismarck stain will turn the same into a Cyprus or
Chocolate colour. A Black spirit stain can easily be
made by dissolving a little drop of Spirit Black in
Methylated Spirits, and a few drops of Black polish
may be added to the spirit stain.
Another cheap Mahogany stain for staining Pine
or Deal can be made out of 1/2 pint of stale Beer,
1/2 pint of Water, and 1 oz. of Burnt Sienna. This stain
can be thinned out with water if too strong in colour.
A Pine-finished colour, such as is often given to
matchboards, partitions, etc., can be made by mixing
1/2 pint of Beer, 1/2 pint of Water, and 1 oz. Raw
Sienna. A water stain when applied to the wood
should be given at least 12 hours to dry and set
properly, but a spirit stain will set in less than an hour.
Another cheap Mahogany stain is made from
2 oz. of Red Sanders or Camwood steeped in 1 pint
of Methylated Spirits. The colour of the Red Sanders
is less powerful than the one made from Bismarck
Brown dissolved in spirits. If when staining you find
the colour a little lighter than the one you require,
then a second application of the stain may be given,
allowing a little time for the first coat to dry before
the second coat is laid on. After the stain has been
applied and properly dried, the work is oiled over
with Raw Linseed Oil, and made ready for filling in.
These subjects will be fully treated after having
described the various stains required for different
woods.
12 The French Polisher’s Handbook

has been made air-tight can be used as a fuming

chamber. If the case is not air-tight, the Ammonia
fumes will escape.
Place the work to be fumigated into the box or
closet in such a manner that the fumes will touch it
everywhere. Each piece of wood must be kept
separate, which can be done by placing small pieces
of wood between, so that one side of the wood will
not touch the other side. Now pour out some strong
Liquid Ammonia in saucers and place them inside
at the bottom of the box, and close the door, which
should also fit air-tight. If one or two holes are drilled
in the different sides of the box and stopped up with
similar pieces of wood as that to be fumigated, then
by withdrawing these pegs from time to time you
can tell how the darkening process is proceeding.
When you find that the pegs of wood have the
desired shade, you can open the box and withdraw
the woodwork, as the work to be fumigated will be
just as dark as the pegs of wood you withdrew from
the holes in the box.
Old Oak
The imitation of Old Oak is done with Brunswick
Black thinned with Turps, or else 1 pint of hot water,
1 oz. Bichromate of Potash, and 1 oz. Burnt Umber
mixed together. Apply with coarse rag, and wipe dry
in the direction of the grain.
Chippendale
To imitate Chippendale, give the wood a coat of
Walnut Stain, and use Red Polish for bodying-up
with. Chippendale can also be imitated by first
 The French Polisher’s Handbook 13

giving the wood a coat of thinned-out Brunswick

Black or else American Ink, which can be bought at
any leather-grinder’s store. By using Red Polish in
the bodying-up of the work, the exact shade of
Chippendale can be given to the work in hand. When
a cheap Mahogany such as Baywood or Honduras is
used, then a Bichromate Stain, with a little Liquid
Ammonia added to it, will be sufficient to darken
the same, only you are obliged to cut the grain of the
wood down with No. 0 glass paper after the stain
has been applied. When staining carved or turned
woodwork, less stain should be used than when
staining flat surfaces, as the carved and turned work
is more difficult to paper down than flat surfaces.

Rosewood Stain
Take 1 lb. of Logwood Chips and boil same with 1
quart of water, and a little Soda put into the water
will help to draw the colour. When the stain has been
applied as described on page 17, take some rusty nails
and put the same in Vinegar for at least 6 hours, then
the Vinegar can be used to give the wood those black
markings that are always seen in Rosewood. The best
way to mark the wood is to take a feather, dip the
same into the Vinegar, and mark the wood in the
direction of the grain. When the stain is properly dry,
after the wood has been oiled and filled in, it is bodied
up with Red Polish. As the described Rosewood stain
costs very little, it can be used on the cheapest of
woods. Green Copperas (that is, Sulphate of Iron), 1
oz. to a quart of water, will
14 The French Polisher’s Handbook

act the same on the wood as the Vinegar mentioned

before.

Black or Ebony Stain

There are several preparations sold for staining
Black. One of the best and cheapest is the American
Ink sold by leather-grinders. Drop Black is used in
the polish when the work is bodied up, and the
finishing off is generally done with While Polish
thinned out with spirits until 1/2 the spiriting-off
process is reached. 2 oz. of Drop Black in a pint of
polish is sufficient to turn the polish a good black.
(See also page 21.)

Another good Black Stain is made from 1 oz.

Logwood Chips, boiled down in 1 pint of water.
Apply with coarse rag while hot, afterwards go over
the wood again with Sulphate of Iron or Green
Copperas, 1 oz. dissolved in 1 quart of water.

Black Stain for Better-class Work

1 lb. Logwood Chips, 1/4 lb. Green Copperas,
1 oz. Indigo Blue, 1 oz. Gas Black, and a handful of
crushed Nut Galls boiled down in 4 pints of water.
Strain before using. Apply with coarse rag, and allow
at least 6 hours for this stain to set properly.

Sheraton
The colour of Sheraton is a rich Mahogany colour,
bordering on the Rosewood shade. When Mahogany
is polished Sheraton, the first thing a polisher does
is to give it a coat of not too strong Bichromate of
 The French Polisher’s Handbook 15

Potash Stain to darken the wood. After the grain has

been cut down with No. 0 glass paper, then Red Oil
is applied to the wood so as to draw the colour of the
grain out. The Red Oil is made by putting 1/4 lb.
Alkanet Root into 1 pint of Raw Linseed Oil and
allowing the same to stand for 24 hours. When in the
bodying-up the polisher finds that the wood is not
rich enough in colour, then he can add colour to the
same by using Red Polish in the bodying-up part of
the work. The inlaid work as often seen in Sheraton
is, as a rule, protected by giving it one or two coats
of White Polish laid on with camel-hair pencil or
brush, after which it is smoothed down with No. 0
glass paper and polished after or in the middle of
the bodying-up process. Great care should always
be taken not to discolour the figure of the inlaid work.
(See Index, Polishing Inlaid Work.)

Cyprus
To make a rich Cyprus or Brown Oak colour,
dissolve 1/2 oz. Bismarck Brown into 1 pint of
Methylated Spirit. Now add 1/4 oz. Spirit Black and
shake the bottle well until the same is dissolved. Try
this stain with a bristle brush on a piece of waste
wood, and if too red in colour, add a little more Spirit
Black; if too strong, thin out with Spirit.

Yellow Stain
A good Yellow Stain can be made by dissolving 1
oz. Turmeric, 1d. worth of Saffron, or 1/4 oz. Spirit
Chrome in 1/2 pint Methylated Spirit.
34 The French Polisher’s Handbook

strained through a piece of muslin before it is used

on the rubber or the brush. Another good Black Polish
can be made by dissolving 4 oz. Garnet Shellac in 1
pint of Methylated Spirits and adding 1/2 oz. of Spirit
Black to the same. Work that has been ebonized or
black polished is always bodied up with Black Polish,
but the finishing off is done with White Polish and
Methylated Spirits. The Methylated Spirits sold at
most oil shops should always be bought pure for the
purpose of polish or varnish making, as a substitute
called Finish is often sold as pure spirits. The so-called
Finish contains 3 oz. of Resin dissolved in the gallon
of spirits, and for finishing off, a pure spirit is better
than a spirit containing resin. When polish is required
for outdoor work such as shop fronts, etc., then Wood
Naphtha should be used instead of Methylated
Spirits to dissolve the shellac and gums required for
the making of polish. When this polish is used for
outdoor work, it is not so liable to chilling or dulling
as when a polish is used that has been made with
Methylated Spirits. When you polish in a cold, damp,
or draughty room, then the polish will also chill, as
you will notice by the dull grey look of the polish as
it is laid on the wood. If the temperature of the room
you work in is less than 70˚ then it is best to have a
fire in the room. If at any time the work in hand
should get chilled through the cold or draught, then
apply some artificial heat to those places that look
chilled. The best way to do this is to take a hot press
iron and hold it for a few minutes near the chilled
surface, but not too near, or else you will scorch
 The French Polisher’s Handbook 35

the polish. Such pieces as can he brought near the

fire will generally turn out all right if brought in
contact with the heat coming from the fire.

The Dulling Process

There are some woods which look better if the
highly polished surface so often seen in polished
woodwork is dispensed with. These woods are first
polished in the same manner as described on pages
40 to 43, and dulled after. The dulling process is done
by means of fine Pumice or Emery Powder. The
Emery or Pumice Powder should be sifted through a
muslin bag before being used for dulling purposes.
When a good coat of polish has been laid on the
wood, and you have worked out a half-and-half
rubber so as to remove all rubber marks, which will
disappear as the rubber gets drier, then take a pad
made from a piece of cloth or rag and dip the same
in Linseed Oil. After, dip the pad in the Emery or
Pumice Powder, and rub the same in straight strokes
over the polished surface. You must not turn or twist
your pad, or else you will scratch the surface of the
polish. For trimmed or carved woodwork use a shoe-
brush and rub the powder over the wood, but make
sure that the brush is clean, or else you will dirty the
surface of the wood. This dulling process may be
repeated until you find that the work is of an equal
tone of dullness, and if the powder is applied as
described here, then a beautiful semi-lustrous finish
should be the result, bringing out the figure or
markings of the wood in as nice a manner as a highly
polished surface. This process is often called in the
trade
36 The French Polisher’s Handbook

the Eggshell finish. Before any Pumice or Emery

Powder is applied, always allow your polished
surface to harden for at least 15 hours before
commencing the dulling process. Carved work on
panels is often only oiled and not polished at all,
though I have often dulled out certain places in fruit
carving on panels that were Ebony polished by the
aid of Methylated Spirits, to which some Drop Black
was added. When this is applied with a camel-hair
brush, it will give the fruit a dull look as if dew were
resting on it. When you have finished the dulling
process, then any superfluous powder left on should
be wiped off with clean rags and the work covered
up to keep it free from dust.

Dry Shining
Another process in French Polishing is called Dry
Shining. In this process, there is no need to fill in the
grain of the wood, but it may be stained and left to
dry, after which it is oiled, and several wet rubbers
of polish laid on the wood in straight strokes only.
When the work is left to harden, and you find that
the polish you have been putting on has sunk into
the wood, then you can apply again a few wet rubbers
of polish, and you will greatly add to the smoothness
of the surface if you cut down the grain of the wood
with No. 0 glass paper before applying fresh polish
to the wood. Carved and turned work can be
varnished, after which it is allowed to harden, then
smoothed down and polished off in a similar way as
the flat surfaces. In this process there is no need to
work the rubber dry.
 The French Polisher’s Handbook 37

Wax Polishing
In wax polishing as in dry shining there is no need
to fill in the grain of the wood, as the Bees’ Wax used
in the polishing process will greatly add to the same.
Some polishers darken the wood to be wax polished,
first by the aid of Liquid Ammonia or a Bichromate
of Potash stain, while others use Burnt Umber in the
wax polish for the purpose of darkening the .wood.
To make a good wax polish, it is essential to get pure
Bees’ Wax. A cheap Bees’ Wax is on the market, but
as the same contains Resin and Stearic Acid, it is not
suitable for the purpose of wax polishing. There is
another substitute for Bees’ Wax on the market called
Paraffin Wax, but this wax will not harden like the
pure Bees’ Wax, but remains soft and sticky for a long
time.
The best Bees’ Wax polish is made as follows : Take
an empty clean tin canister, cut up into shreds 1/4 lb.
of pure Bees’ Wax and allow to melt in an oven or
near the fire. When the wax is melted, then take it
away from the fire and add Turpentine until the
mixture is of the thickness of butter. As the wax cools,
the mixture will get thicker, but you can add from
1/2 to 3/4 pint Turpentine to 1/4 lb. Bees’ Wax. Yellow
Ochre, Burnt Sienna, or Burnt Umber is added to this
mixture according to the colour required. As the
Turpentine evaporates, it is always best to close up
the canister when not using the wax polish. The wax,
when cooled down, is laid on the wood by means of
a rag dipped in the wax polish, after which the wax
polish is rubbed into the wood by means of a flat
piece of cork,
38 The French Polisher’s Handbook

using plenty of pressure on the cork. The carved and

turned woodwork can be wax polished by means of
a stiff brush. As damp and wet affect wax polish
seriously, woods that are wax polished should be
kept dry, or else you will make white marks on them.
If at any time you notice white spots or marks on a
wax polished surface, the same can be removed by
applying fresh wax polish to that place, and rubbing
it over with the cork after the wax polish has been
applied. The final finishing off in wax polishing is
generally done by rubbing the polished surface over
with a clean soft rag.

Floor Polishing
To make a good job in floor polishing, it is best to
apply a stiffener first and the wax polish after, as the
stiffener will greatly aid in keeping out the dirt. A
good stiffener for floors can be made of 3/4 pint of
French Polish and 1/4 pint of Brown Hard Spirit
Varnish. After this is left to harden and smoothed
down, then the wax polish is laid on by means of a
rag or stiff brush. Half an hour is allowed for the
Turpentine that is in the polish to evaporate, after
which the wax is more evenly spread by means of
hot press irons used in a swinging motion. The irons
should not be too hot, or else you will blister the wax.
Some polishers use thick felt slippers with very flat
soles, and go over the wax polished floor as if they
were skating, after which they rub the floor over with
soft woollen rags. There are also special brushes sold
for the purpose of floor polishing. If the floor is of an
open-grained wood, then you can make your wax
 The French Polisher’s Handbook 39

polish thicker; but if it is close-grained, then the polish

need not be any thicker than a cream. Always take
care that the wax polish is spread evenly and not left
in lumps. When using a wax polish in cold weather,
it is better to warm the polish first, which can easily
be done by putting the tin containing the wax polish
in a basin of hot water, and the wax will soon soften
and be ready for use. Several applications of wax
polish are required before a good permanent polish
can be laid on. Wax polish can also be made without
the application of heat. This is done by shredding
Yellow Bees’ Wax into a glazed earthenware basin
and covering the Bees’ Wax with Spirits of Wine,
which will dissolve the wax. The basin should be kept
covered up to prevent evaporation. Pitch-pine floors
are, as a rule, filled in with a filler made of Plaster of
Paris, Turpentine, and Yellow Ochre, to which a little
Raw Linseed Oil may be added. When the boards
have been rubbed in with the filler, then about two
hours should be allowed for the filler to set, after
which the boards are rubbed over with rags and glass
papered with No. 1 paper. After glass papering,
remove the dust made by the papering-down process
and apply the wax polish as described. When part of
a floor has to be polished, then it is also best to use a
filler or a stiffener first before the polish is applied.
The staining part is always done first after the filling-
in part, and then the polishing with French or wax
polish is done. To keep a ballroom or other polished
floor in good order, powdered Sperm Wax is
sprinkled over the floor, or powdered wax and
60 The French Polisher’s Handbook

coloured polish you are using a little lighter than the

shade of polish that is on the wood, as you are sure
to darken the damaged portion of the work by the
repeated applications of the coloured polish. As soon
as you notice that the damaged part is coloured up
the exact shade of the furniture, then allow a little
while for the polish to harden, and smooth the polish
down very slightly with a piece of worn-out No. 0
glass paper. Now take a small rubber and body the
damaged part up with a plain French Polish, until
you are sure that a good coat of polish has been put
back; but, as the damaged surface is generally only a
small space, you must not make your rubber too wet
with polish, or else you will keep on tearing up the
polish you have been laying on previously. The same
process can be followed out where a new piece of
wood or veneer has been put into a polished piece of
furniture. As a guide for those who have not had
much experience in colour blending, the following
list of colours and the result when mixed together
will be very useful

Flake White and a shade of Aniline Blue makes a pure

White colour.
White and van Dyck Brown mixed makes light Walnut colour.
Bismarck Brown and a little Spirit Black mixed makes Cyprus
or chocolate.
Black and Venetian Red mixed makes also a chocolate colour.
Umber, White, and Venetian Red mixed makes a Drab colour.
Yellow, White, and a little Venetian Red mixed makes a Buff
colour,
Blue, Black, and Red mixed makes an Olive colour.
White, lake, and Vermilion mixed makes a Flesh colour.
 The French Polisher’s Handbook 61

Lake and White mixed makes a Rose colour.

White, Blue, and Lake mixed makes a Purple colour.
White and Carmine mixed makes a Pink colour.
White and Purple mixed makes a French White colour.
Blue and Lead colour mixed makes a Pearl colour.
Indigo and Lampblack mixed makes a Silver Grey colour.
Lampblack and White mixed makes a Lead colour.
White and Yellow mixed makes a Straw colour.
Yellow and Red mixed makes an Orange colour.
Yellow, White, and Venetian Red mixed makes a Cream colour.
White, Blue, and Black mixed makes a Pearl Grey colour.
White and Emerald Green mixed makes a Brilliant Green colour.
White and Green mixed makes a Pea Green colour.
Light Green and Black mixed makes a Dark Green colour.

There are also green crystals sold at most oil shops

who keep polishers’ sundries. These crystals are
soluble in spirits and make a very good green stain.
The colours mentioned in the preparation of the
different stains are also very useful in preparing a
little polish for toning purposes. Rose Pink is also a
colour which most polishers use when making a filler
for Mahogany or Rosewood work, and to it is also
added a little polish for toning purposes when the
polisher sees that he has made the colour a little too
dark. The safest way before using any polish for
toning purposes is to try the same on a piece of waste
wood before the polish is laid on the work it is
intended for. For toning purposes only, a little polish
is required ; therefore it is best to pour a little polish
into a saucer, and then experiment with the colours
added to the polish until the right shade required is
obtained. To make the shade required, it is always safer
to make the colour light than to make it too dark, as
80 The French Polisher’s Handbook

pour in your water first and your acid after. Shake

the contents of the bottle, and sprinkle this liquid
sparingly over the finished woodwork. Put some fine
Paris Chalk into a muslin bag and tie the bag up.
Dust the chalk all over the previously moistened
woodwork and use your open hand for burnishing
the woodwork. The weak Sulphuric Acid you are
using will kill any trace of Linseed Oil left in the
polish, and the chalk you make use of will neutralize
the action of the acid on the polished surface. After
you have burnished the piano in the manner
described, then take a clean, soft duster and lightly
remove the French Chalk left on the surface of the
wood. Piano Oil, which is used more in America than
in Germany, is a mixture of 3 parts Olive Oil and
1 part Grain Alcohol, and the final finish is often put
on with this on an American finished piano or organ,
as the American polishers finish most of their pianos
in a different manner from the Germans.

Polishing Turned Work

Turned woodwork that has to be polished in the
lathe, such as chair and table legs, columns for
staircases or sideboards, etc., should always be made
very smooth at first with No. 1 or No. 0 glass paper
before being stained or polished. Great care is
required in the smoothing-down process, or you will
rub off the edges of the turned woodwork. Hard
woods are soon bodied in when a few rubbers of
polish have been applied to them, but soft woods
take more time; therefore a body of brush polish
 The French Polisher’s Handbook 81

is, as a rule, laid on with a camel-hair brush, set on

one side to harden, smoothed down after with No. 0
glass paper, and bodied up after. Some polishers use
a grain filler previous to polishing turned woodwork.
The woodwork is oiled first with a rag dipped in
Linseed Oil, then a rag is dipped into finely crushed
Whiting, which has been previously prepared and
tinted to match the colour of the wood, such as Burnt
Umber or Van Dyck Brown for Walnut goods, Red
Ochre or Venetian Red for Mahogany goods, and
Yellow Ochre for Ash, Birch, or any light-coloured
wood. The grain filler is applied while the woodwork
is slowly revolving in the lathe, and after the filler
has been allowed time to set, a few soft shavings held
against the woodwork as it is slowly revolving are,
as a rule, sufficient for cleaning the surplus filler that
may adhere to the woodwork and smoothing the
surface previous to laying on the polish, as there is
no need to make too frequent use of glass paper when
polishing woodwork in the lathe. The wood-work is
then bodied up with an old rubber, as an old rubber
is better for polishing turned woodwork than a new
one. On no account should you make your rubber
too wet with polish when polishing turned
woodwork, or you will very soon completely fill up
the narrow grooves running into the woodwork; but
your chief aim should be to work with a small
pointed rubber into the hollows and grooves, and to
try to distribute the polish evenly without making
the polish run out of your rubber too freely, or the
work will soon get a smeary appearance. There is no
need to put a cover on your rubber
82 The French Polisher’s Handbook

when you are bodying up turned woodwork, and

that is the very reason why you can polish better with
an old rubber than a new one, as new wadding is
always fluffy and would stick to the wood too much
when laying on the polish. The spiriting off is often
done with a piece of wash-leather on which a little
Methylated Spirits has been sprinkled. The
woodwork should be kept revolving a little quicker
than in the polishing process when you are using a
spirit rag on it, and on no account should you press
the spirit rag too hard against the polished surface,
or you may tear the polish. You can use a few drops
of Raw Linseed Oil in the polishing process, but
towards the finish very little Linseed Oil should be
made use of. Cheap goods are generally glaced off,
but better-class work is properly bodied up with the
rubber and spirited out afterwards.

Polishing Coffins
Various methods are used for the polishing of
coffins, and the chief object of the undertaker is to
get a quick result to last long enough for the purpose
for which it is intended. To get a quick body of polish
on a coffin, you can lay on with the camel-hair brush
a polish made from 5 oz. of Shellac dissolved in 1
pint of Wood Naphtha. This polish should be mixed
with 1 1/2 pint of White Hard Spirit Varnish such as
can be bought at most colour stores. When the polish
is mixed with the varnish, the same should be bottled
up to prevent evaporation, and only the quantity
required poured out into a basin. You can also mix
the colour you require the coffin
 The French Polisher’s Handbook 83

to be with the brush polish, but you must bear in

mind that, if you make your polish too dark, you
cannot give it many applications with the brush, as
each fresh coat of coloured polish laid on with the
brush will turn the wood darker (see pages 7—8).
After the first coat with the brush you can allow 15
minutes for the polish to harden, after which you can
smooth the surface of brush polish down with No. 0
glass paper, and this process you can repeat several
times until you have almost filled in the grain of the
wood. Only colours soluble in spirit or polish should
be used. When several coats of brush polish have
been laid on the wood, and after smoothing down
the last coat, a few wet rubbers of polish applied
according to the instructions given in the subject
Bodying-up (see pages 40—48) will very soon bring
up a bright and glossy surface; and when you are
satisfied with the result of the rubber polish, you can
finish off with a thin polish used on the same rubber
by adding 3 parts of spirit and 1 part polish. The
polish used on the rubber should not be the same as
the polish used with the brush, but a plain French
Polish made according to the recipe given on page
30 will be most suitable for the purpose. Not many
coffins are properly French polished and Spirited out,
as a thin rubber of polish applied in straight strokes
like the glace rubber will generally give the result
required by the undertaker. You can always use a fair-
sized rubber for flat work, and keep it well moistened
but not soaking wet, or you will leave a streaky
surface. If the surface should appear greasy after the
polishing has been
86 The French Polisher’s Handbook

the commencement of this subject will be foundthe

best. The colours used for mixing with the Whiting
should not be used for mixing with the polish, as
Ochre and Umber will not dissolve, but will make
the polish look muddy and the job will come out
cloudy if these colours are used in the polish. Any
colour soluble in polish, such as Spirit Oak and
Walnut, etc., are best for the purpose. Every freshly
polished job should be allowed at least a couple of
hours to harden, as the polish being fresh is easily
marked, and only a light covering should be used to
keep it free from dust, as a heavy covering put on a
freshly polished surface is sure to leave some marks
on the polished surface.

How to Polish Painted Woodwork

Furniture that has been painted can be French
polished after, but not with a lasting effect, as the
polish that is laid on top of the paint is apt to peel off
when any rubbing is done over the polished surface,
though some very passable jobs have been done over
painted work by the polisher who can use a camel-
hair brush skilfully. Supposing you wanted to match
a light-painted washstand to some Walnut bedroom
furniture, the best way to do is first rub it all over
with a dry duster, then take a good brush polish and
give it one or two coats with a camel-hair brush.
Do not make the polish too dark, for it is always
easier to give it an extra coat if you find the shade
too light than to lighten the shade if you make it
too dark at first. You can mix a colour soluble in
polish with the polish you lay
 The French Polisher’s Handbook 87

on with the brush, but try the colour first on a small

piece of the furniture to be polished before you make
it too dark. When you have given it the desired shade,
give it another coat of clear brush polish (see recipe
on page 20), and try to lay on the polish as evenly as
you can. Allow the job in hand one hour to harden,
then take a piece of No. 0 glass paper and go over
the polished surface very lightly so as to level down
the brush-marks, etc. ; now take a clean duster and
remove the dust you have been making by the use of
the glass paper, and then go over the polished surface
with a piece of rag that has been moistened with a
few drops of Raw Linseed Oil. After this has been
done, you can take a rubber of thin polish, say half
polish and half spirits, and keep your rubber fairly
moist without making it soaking wet. Hard pressure
must not be applied on any woodwork that has a
painted surface underneath. You will soon get a very
satisfactory result when you have laid a few wet
rubbers of thin polish on the top of the polish you
have been previously laying on with the brush. You
can use a little raw Linseed Oil on the top of your
rubber when you lay on the polish, and finish off by
using a little more spirit than polish on your rubber.
As soon as a good surface of polish has been laid
on, you can put the job on one side to harden for a
few hours, and use a spirit swab after to put the
finishing touch on with. Only use a few drops of
spirit at a time, and on no account use much
pressure when using a wet rubber of polish or a
spirit swab, or you will tear the polish you have
been laying on previously. Carved or turned
96 The French Polisher’s Handbook

A very light-coloured Gold Lacquer can be made

by dissolving on the water-bath—
Powdered Yellow Copal ....... 3 oz.
Lavender Oil ........................... 3/4 pint
When melted, add 1 pint hot Turpentine and filter
through a piece of muslin.
Bronzing Liquid
(Dissolve in a water-bath.)
Fuchsine ................................... 2 oz.
Aniline Purple ......................... 1 oz.
Spirits ........................................ 1 pint
When dissolved, add 1 oz. of Benzoin Acid and
boil together for about 10 minutes until the green
colour of the mixture becomes a light bronze-
brown. This mixture can be applied with a brush to
metals or other substances, and dries quickly.
A very Effective and Cheap Paper
Varnish

Can be made by dissolving—

Best Gum Arabic ....................... 1 lb.
Glucose ....................................... 1/2 lb.
Powdered Glue Size ................. 1/2 lb.
Salicylic Acid ............................. 1/2 lb.
In 4 pints of hot water.
This Varnish dries hard with a good gloss.
Another good Paper Varnish is made from —
9 oz. Shellac. 2 oz. Borax.
3 gills water. Boil until dissolved.
This makes a Pale Brown Varnish. For White
 The French Polisher’s Handbook 97

Varnish, use the White Shellac instead of the Orange

Shellac.

Varnish for Plaster of Paris Cast

Is made as follows — Boil together in 2 pints of water

3/4 oz. White Soap. 3/4 oz. White Wax.
Apply when cold with a soft brush.

White Varnish for Maps

Liquid Venice Turpentine ...... 2 oz.
Canada Balsam ....................... 1 1/2 oz.

Dissolve together and strain. You will get a good

White Varnish suitable for water-colour drawings
and maps.

Mastic Varnish for Paintings, etc.

Fine Picked Gum Mastic .................... 8 oz.
Methylated Spirits or Turpentine ..... 1 pint.

The Gum Mastic will dissolve in the Spirits or

Turpentine by shaking up the bottle in which it is
kept. When dissolved, carefully strain through a piece
of white muslin. This Varnish will become tougher
when kept corked up for some time and is therefore
less apt to chill or bloom. If at any time you use a
Varnish that looks dull after you have used it,
indicating that some damp or moisture has got into
the Varnish, then take a thin strip of Gelatine and tie
a piece of cotton on one end, and
 INDEX
______

Alkanet Oil, use of, 18. Chippendaie Polish, 12.

Alkanet spirit, use of, 64. Chippendale Stain, 12.
Alum, use of, 19. Coffin Polishing, 82.
American Ink, use of, 13. Covers for Rubhers, 23.
Ammonia, Liquid, use of, 12. Cutting down the Grain, 7.
Antimony, Butter of, 76.
Dry Shining, 36.
Bath Brick, use of, 76. Dulling Polished Surfaces, 35
Beaumontage, to make, 43.
Bedstead, Lacquer for Brass, Ebonizing or Black Polishing, 95.
33.
Bedstead Polishing, 37. Egg Shell Finish, 35.
Beeswax Polish, to make, 37. Emery Powder, use of, 35.
Benzoin Gum, 47.
Bismarck Brown, 7. Fillers for the grain of the
Black, to stain, 14. wood, 19.
Black Polish, 33. Finishing with Glace, 47.
Black Polish, to dull, 35. Finishing with Methylated
Black Polishing, to finish, 34. Spirits, 56.
Bleaching, 16. Fittings for Shops, to polish,
Blending of Colours, see 75
Toning, 59. Floor Polishing, 38.
Blisters in Veneer, to remove, French Chalk for sprinkling
78. floors, 40.
Bodying-up with the Brush, Fretwork, How to Polish, 67.
28. Fretwork, How to Stain, 67.
Bodying-up with the Rubber, Fretwork, How to Varnish,
40, 77. 68.
Brunswick Black, use of, 12. Fumigating, 12.
Brushes, 28.
Brush Polshes, 28. Garnet Shellac, use of, 34.
Brush Polishing, 28. German Finish, 79.
Burnt Sienna, use of, 9. Gilding and Re-gilding, 88.
Glace, to make, 47.
Camwood, or Red Sanders, Glass Cutting, 94.
use of, 9. Glass Paper, use of, 36.
Carved Woodwork, to polish, Grain Fillers, use of, 19.
21. Green Copperas or Sulphate
Chalk, see French Chalk, 40. of Iron, 13.
Chilling of Polish, cause and Gum Arabic, 30.
prevention, 34. Gum Beozoin, use of, 47.
 Index 103

Gum Copal, use of, 30. Polish, White, to make, 31.

Gum Mastic, use of, 31. Polish, Yellow, to make, 32.
Gum Sandarach 31. Potash, American, use of, 10.
Potash, Bichromate of, use
Hard Stopping, 43. of, 10.
Potash, Permanganate of,
Inlaid Work, How to Polish, use of, 11.
62. Pounce Bag, 22.
Protecting Inlaid Work
Lacquers for Brasswork, 95. before staining, 62.
Lathe Polishing for Turned Pumice Powder, use of, 22.
Woods, 80. Pumice Stone, 22.
Levelling Polished Surfaces, Putty for Stopping, 44.
43.
Linseed Oil, use of, 42. Raising of the Grain, 7.
Logwood Chips, use of, 13. Red Oil, 18.
Red Polish, use of, 13.
Mahogany Filler, 19. Red Sanders, or Camwood, 9.
Mahogany Finish on cheap Red Stains, 7.
woods, 46. Re-gilding, 88.
Mahogany Polish, 30. Removing Old Polish, 73.
Mahogany Stain, 7. Removing Stains, 16.
Marqueterie Polish, 64. Re-polishing Old Furniture,
71.
Naphtha use of, 34. Resin, 20.
Nut Galls, use of, 10. Resin Varnish, 20.
Reviver for Gilded Woods,
Oak, Filler for, 19. 75.
Oak, to Fumigate, 12. Reviver for Polished Woods
Oak, to Imitate Old, 12. 75.
Oak Polishing, 53. Rose Pink, use of, 19.
Oak Stain, 11 Rosewood, to Polish, 33.
Oil Polishing, 19. Rosewood Stain, 13.
Organ Polishing, 77. Rubber Marks (removing), 56
Oxalic Acid, use of, 16. Rubbers, Material for making,
Ox Gall, use of, 58. 23.
Rubbers in use for Oil
Painted Wood, to Polish, 86. Polishing, 19.
Pianos, to Re-polish, 77. Rubbers in use for Polishing,
Piano Oil (American) 80. 23.
Pine Wood, to Polish, 7 Rubbers in use for Spiriting
Plaster of Paris, use of, 19. off, 55.
Poker Work, 66. Russian Tallow, use of, 20.
Polish, to make French
Polish, 30. Satin Walnut Stain, 11.
Polish, Black, 33. Second Coating of Polish, 48.
Polish, Brown, 32. Shellac, 30.
Polish, Red, 32. Sheraton, to Polish, 14.
Polish, Walnut, to make, 33. Shop Fixtures, to Polish, 73.
104 Index

Shop Fronts, to Renovate, 73. Substitute for Walnut Stains,

Sienna, use of Raw, 9. 10.
Soda, use of, 10. Swab for Spiriting off, 58.
Soda, Carbonate of, use of, 40.
Sperm Wax, 39. Table Tops, to Polish, 18.
Spirit Black, use of, 33. Temperature for Polishing,
Spirit Varnish, 45. 34.
Spirits, Methylated, 30. Test for Gold Leaf, 94.
Spiriting off, 55. Toning or Colour Blending,
Stain, use of, 17. 59.
Stain, Black, 14. Transfers, use of, 64.
Stain, Chippendale, 12. Turned Woodwork, to Polish,
Stain, Cyprus, 15. 80.
Stain, Mahogany, 7. Turpentine, use of, 18, 37.
Stain, Oak, 11.
Stain, Rosewood, 13. Van Dyck Brown, use of, 10.
Stain, Satin Walnut, 11. Varnish, Blooming of, 97.
Stain, Sheraton, 14. Varnish, use of Oil Varnish,
Stain, Walnut, 10. 75.
Stopping-out Wax or Putty, Violins, Polishing, 52.
44.
Stripping off Old Polish, 73. Wax Polishing, 37.

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