French Polishing part 3

French Polishing a guitars

Category:

Music

Tags:

• French Polishing
• Classical guitar making
• luthiers
• michael Thames
• Classical guitar

[thomaskeithlutheir]

Great series of videos on French Polishing - thanks really helpful. I had a bit of a disaster had to remove the shellac finish from the top back to bare wood so as to re-finish. Sadly its now patchy. Any suggestions please ?

[JMichaelThames]

No problem, you just have to keep adding more finish, just don't add too much at once it's more crucial to let the coat dry where the wood is exposed. When you go over the area where there is finish the new coat softens up the preexisting coat and it takes better.

[michaeljking]

Antonio De Torres used an oil varnish on his guitars, when did French Polishing become the preffered finish on classical guitars?

[JMichaelThames]

I've heard that too. I don't think there is any proof to this claim, though. The cheapest finish in Torres day and area would have been Shellac. Oil Varnish is difficult to make and is expensive. I think the Spanish tradition of finishing would be French Polish. I think this claim was started by Romanilios. It's hard to know by just looking at the finish, I think to be certain he would have had to test a sample of Torres finish.

[ArkRed1]

Will Zinzer's Bulls Eye liquid shellac work with a pad rather than mixing the shellac flakes with alcohol?

[GeraldBoyClassical]

@UandMe314 I've used naptha before the next coat to rermove the oil. It won't hurt the finish..

[42guitars]

id rather play it

[rorjan]

i am too late to watch this video.it is really nice video for a beginner like me. Mike could you tell us how many coats are enough because you said you would be polishing for next couple of days. once we start poliishing and we stop it for today can we give more coats next day straight away or we should do sanding again as well like you did in the beginning? eagerly waiting for reply

[rorjan]

i am too late to watch this video.it is really nice video for a beginner like me. Mike could you tell us how many coats are enough because you said you would be polishing for next couple of days. once we start poliishing and we stop it for today can we give more coats next day straight away or we should do sanding again as well like you did in the beginning? eagerly waiting for reply

[SpadesHeart]

...my goodness, this would take months to do to a piano, gonna have to get a giant eraser 0_o

[UandMe314]

Hello Michael, I am using your technique on a violin at the moment, and progress appears to be good. I have one question however, I notice that there is still evidence of the oil, what is the best way of removing the oil, without cutting back. Or is it that I have been using too much oil - which I suspect is the case.

[motimenow]

Aloha Michael,

Can one use a mechanical tool to do the "swerlling action" when applying the shellac and oil vs. hurting the muscle in your shoulders as you claim the pain in doing such an application? thanks, joe

[copycatproduction]

I cringe when I watch this video with my slow connection, your applying the finish and the video stops to buffer, and it looks like you stopped moving the applicator on the finish. LOL

This is because when you are french polishing you should never stop the pad on the finish, it will make a mess of the finish.

[NGinuity]

@thomaskeithlutheir To take a finish off, you need to use what you have cut it with. Shellac will remove with alcohol. If you just want to add to whats there to finish it up, cut shellac (flakes and alcohol) will melt into the coat below it, which things like polyurethane don't do.