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I've been French polishing my uke and its turning out beautiful. I do see swirl marks in the finish. How does one deal with this? Do you polish this finish with micro mesh like lacquer finishes?

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

Ricardo, have you "spirited" off the finish? This final step gives a great surface to the
shellac but must be done carefully. It takes time and involves a more concentrated
alcohol fad and leaves a smoother, flatter finish.
I have also had good luck using micro-mesh fine sandpaper and baby-oil as a lubricant, sanding
out to 8000 grit or so. I also have a new product I just got, can't remember the name as I'm not home at the moment, sold by a restoration company in NYC that is for final french polish finishing, I'm going to try it on the guitar I'm currently working on. I'll post the name of the product when I get home. Others with more experience may have better suggestions.

Best
Bruce

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Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Bruce, I haven't tried "spiriting-off". I understand you charge your pad with alcohol and squeeze out as much as you can and you go back and forth with the grain to burnish the finish. Sounds scary! Micromeshing seems safer. I'd be interested in the new product you mentioned. Thanks

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

Ricardo, didn't mean to make the spiriting off sound scary, it's not. It's actually quite effective
at producing a good finish and has been a standard part of the technique for a long time.
I think the use of these new micro-mesh products can be useful, when I get home today I'm going to be doing just that and I'll post a photo of this product I want to try when I'm finished with the body of this guitar.

Bruce

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Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Spiriting works great. Just make sure you do not load too much. And don't push that hard, especially when you start.

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Build log

Here's the french polishing oil I mentioned, just heard good things about it but as you can see, I have not had a chance to even open it yet. It comes from E.C.R. Antique Conservation and Restoration in N.Y.C. I'll let you know how it works
later. I agree on the spiriting off process, it's very effective and not dangerous if you are careful.

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Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Obviously I can't enter an image here, have to figure that out. Here's the link to the photo
of the polish oil

http://www.redshift.com/~gibson/frenchpolish.jpg

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Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Thanks Bruce!

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

I'd be interested in seeing how this looks after you try it Bruce. Wouldn't it be funny if they just put everclear in the bottle and labeled it as french polish oil?

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Seriously, could one spirit off with Bourbon or Cognac? Sure would make French polishing a lot more enjoyable!

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

I have not done French Polish, yet, but one thing worth mentioning here is that when spiriting off, do not stop the muneca on the surface. It, as I understand it, is a glide on, glide off, from one end to the other. I didn't see it mentioned, but you probably already know it.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Right you are Waddy, not stopping is key even when applying the shellac.

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

French Oil...I looked it up...it's comprised of 75% palm leaf oil and 25% synthetic oils. They recommend wiping the oil only and then spiriting it off. Somebody will have to inform me as to how this works from experience, please. In the meantime, I'll continue with my tried and true method.

Seems like there are becoming as many new methods of producing a french polished surface as there are folks who want to sell us something.

French Polish to me remains as a METHOD of applying multiple layers of shellac to achieve a thin, lustrous surface of moderate hardness and protective properties.

I believe that Michael P, Robbie O'Brien and a small handful of others are some of our resident experts, problem solvers and go-to guys on the subject. And in reality, it all comes down to consistency of method and the discipline and persistence in making it work. It's not Rocket Science.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

True, but it DOES require some practice before you have at it with your new build. I am amazed at how many people try new finishing techniques ON THEIR PROJECT instead of on scrap.

Practice, practice practice...

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Mitch

You spirit off after each bodying session, if you need to level sand at the end of bodying do so, but then apply a glazing coat. When this is finished, well to me the job is over, but if you feel that you must, just leave a while then buff with Maquires swirl remover. Personally once I start French polishing I don't touch the surface with abrasives again, learning the right pressure to use when spiriting off and glazing will result in a nicely polished and harder surface. As has been said practice on a good size piece of scrap.

Go look up the Milburn French polish tutorial, it's quite a good explanation.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Spiriting off is the process to remove surface oils and level the boding. Glazing is the process of fine polishing the built up film. If you have swirl marks after glazing that tells me you didn't not spirit off after sessions. If the proper procedures are done in order after the the second or third body session you should spirit-off after every body session. This removes surface oil and levels the the previous body session. Failure to spirit off after at leas every other body session could lead to an un-level build and leave swirl marks.

Now after the film is built to thickness come the process of Glazing. This is a lighter cut of shellac applied in a process that brings the basic built film to a high gloss.

It takes doing the entire process to be a French polished finish. it is not just an application method it is a finishing method

BODY/SPIRITING OFF till film thickness is achieved and level
GLAZE to desired gloss

There is tons of post concerning French polishing in the archive and you might want to read The Milburn tutorial in the resources area.

Sorry for repeating what Colin wrote.

The one thing I believe most first timer French polishers miss is Spiriting off after each body session after the the second body session. Most tutorials state after every other or every third. however those also say to level sand prior to glazing.

Like Colin, I to spirit off after every session and seldom if ever touch the finish with abrasives. If you properly spirit off after every body session there should be no need to level the film as it will be level providing you are consistent in your boding sessions. This will save so much sanding and thereby elbow grease and render a better transparent film IMO