How to French Polish Antiques, a MasterClass

Рет қаралды 29,245

3 жыл бұрын

This is how we strip and french polish antique mahogany furniture at our workshop. Details, tips, techniques and trouble shooting. please like, comment and subscribe. I'd be interested to hear your techniques and questions. Thanks for watching. Alex

Пікірлер: 77

@joelyferris4887 2 ай бұрын

Brilliant! Sooo educational! Thank you ❤

@vinwillcock612 5 күн бұрын

Great video, very informative, but as you say, practice, practice .

@whitevanman8703 2 жыл бұрын

13:56 Don't be afraid to start again - thanks for the advice it was good advice, I had forgotten to dilute the french polish with the meths. it went on too thick and looked like I had used an old paint brush to apply it.

@anditurnbull2917 2 жыл бұрын

I did it Alex !!!!!!!!!!!! I french polished my 1st ever piece yesterday & I was so nervous doing it but I followed your ratios down to the mil & used the cotton wool inside a lint cloth. My little apothecary cabinet has been given a whole new lease of life now. It didn't take out all the dents & scrapes but those are part of its story so I don't mind that really! Now I can add another string to my bow. I can french polish now!!! Thanks Alex!!

@alexwebsterrestoration1058 2 жыл бұрын

Brilliant. Well done Andrea. Shame we can't see a pic of it. X

@penelopefage53 3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely fascinating - so much time, care and patience. Full of admiration of your skills 😊

@timothycastillo5635 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic results! Great work!

@jackieohehir3259 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent job, Excellent description. Glad to see someone working on a large piece of furniture instead of a little piece of wood.

@suescraftstuff 3 жыл бұрын

Great, amazing skill ! very informative and fascinating. thank you

@ahmedabdelnaby3794 Жыл бұрын

Great work thank you Alex and you deserve one million likes

@johanminnaar1074 Жыл бұрын

Surely the most informative tutorial I’ve ever watched. Thank-you !

@donaldjones8920 Жыл бұрын

Loved the way he giggled when he talked about the rubbers.

@russellnixon9981 Жыл бұрын

This is a very good easy to follow well explained guide to a to a now lost art of polishing. One of the things I live about this production is you take time to demonstrate the process and stress the need to take your time. Thank you for taking the time to make this as I found it very informative.

@robinalexander5772 2 жыл бұрын

really enjoyed the video.

@thomashudson7648 2 жыл бұрын

Love the snooker table bench, and the George Wright scoreboard on the wall.

@charlessweeney2061 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent video. Love your Hitchcock camera shot in the intro!

@jamespolcyn8441 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing talent sir

@deemdoubleu 7 ай бұрын

Awesome

@craigpeel5995 2 жыл бұрын

Cheers Alex, love learning about finishing. Usual finish for me is a stain then wax so really want to learn the French polish way👍

@Leiathroughthelookingglass 2 жыл бұрын

The master! I’d love a piece of my furniture done off you mate!

@markwilson9935 2 жыл бұрын

well done....the FRENCH and RUBBER are difficult words....good on ya!

@Carmelobri1 2 жыл бұрын

Súper, you chat was so important. Thanks. I’m doing a very old piece myself and I need your patience and chat😉

@thomastaylor1342 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent work,a beautiful restoration by an artisan craftsman keep up the good work . Mon the 1000 subs

@bigdave10477 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent video, I think I will leave it to the experts. I wouldn`t have the patience :)

@jeffdeluca1153 Жыл бұрын

Great info and thank you. Great audio quality as well, many youtubers lack a lapel microphone and their audio is herendous. Good work

@rickpalmer3340 Жыл бұрын

Many thanks for an excellent video and instruction. Very professional in every respect! I have a mahogany hall table which has become very faded by the sun and the colour bears no resemblance to mahogany. I would like to restore the finish and get the colour back. Not having much experience, do I start with a light stain and gradually work to a darker stain until I have the what I think is the right colour?

@anditurnbull2917 3 жыл бұрын

LOL just got to the "rubber" part lol

@Movillapablo 3 жыл бұрын

Very difficult to catch the different brights on video but very good explanation. Thanks Alex.

@anthonychavez3742 3 жыл бұрын

I need to learn this

@kerrypitt9789 3 жыл бұрын

You and me both Anthony

@yizhao4238 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the awesome video Alex! It is really helpful. I have recently got an antique mahogany marquetry chair presumably from Regency period (and has gone through several repairs obviously), but when I was trying to strip the finish with meth and steel wool, I found that some areas were so hard to strip, and they seem to be darker than the surrounding wood despite the amount of elbow grease put into it. Could you shed some light on what I should possibly do to even the color? Thanks so much!

@dougmcartin3881 3 жыл бұрын

Great tutorial Alex, you make it look easy but as with any skilled craftsman the expertise in your hands is guided by the knowledge in your head which can only be gained from years of experience. Just as a quick note for your American viewers, Methylated Spirits or Meths is called Denatured Alcohol over here. If you get yourself a little alcohol stove and a kettle you can make yourself a brew with the meths while you're stripping the cabinets with it. ATB Doug.

@alexwebsterrestoration1058 3 жыл бұрын

I will lookninto that as I do like a brew whilst polishing. Cheers Doug

@alecgarner 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent stuff... looking forward to more installments. Oh, is that garnet coloured polish you're using, and do you use any of the other colours?

@Amjad_qasem 2 жыл бұрын

Very informative,,, how long can we keep home made solved shellac in a bottle, for re use ?

@garrywoods8249 Жыл бұрын

Hi Ali’s just found you on KZfaq and I am going to enjoy the viewings !! I have a question for you ! Y are you not on salvage hunters anymore used to love watching your restoration .

@jeffdeluca1153 Жыл бұрын

I have a question also. I make peppergrinders and need a foodbsafe but durable finish. What do you recommend? Is ethanol better to use than denatured alcohol? Can I mix it with shellac flakes and carnauba wax?? Thanks again Jeff

@maryluz9675 Жыл бұрын

Excellent job, Please can you put the product that you use, It will help more for people that want to use your procedures.

@rjlchristie 11 ай бұрын

Be wary of car finishes on wood finishes, some can contain silicon, which if it gets into the wood grains/fibre can wreck havoc on future refinishing with some finishes..

@edwardmirza 2 жыл бұрын

would you ebonise a large piece of furniture, with liberon black polish? woukd you dilute this 50/50 meths for applying It?

@tomhalpin2928 2 жыл бұрын

Great video, so iformative. 👍 Any chance you could name the specific materials you used, would be great help. I plan restoring a vintage wooden radio and a very old wooden freestanding gramophone.

@alexwebsterrestoration1058 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Tom. Rusting or liberon and you'll be fine. Good luck!

@cops1987 2 жыл бұрын

Hi there, I really hope you can help me with that .. it’s months I’m trying with no results. How to make it like a mirror on a 0.6mm veneer with deep pores/veins? Thanks, Iacopo

@richzebco Жыл бұрын

how did you get an even french polish along the lip. I am having trouble getting good coverage and also some blotchiness when my rubber changes direction. To go along the one raised lip edge is against the grain,,,,any tips or video shots

@lettinkvaneck8835 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for the nice explanation. Can you write down for me the exact name of the spirit and the liquid you mix it with? I'm Dutch and it went a bit fast. I don't want to be mistaken 😊

@alexwebsterrestoration1058 3 жыл бұрын

Hi there. Methylated spirits and french polish that is ready mixed in a bottle. You can get french polish flakes that just need dissolving with extra methylated spirits. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching. Alex

@kenp133 8 ай бұрын

Can I add more French Polish after waxing if I notice some unfilled grain?

@roberttaylor1391 8 ай бұрын

I am french polishing a sideboard that i bought 40 years ago. This is my second attempt at this, but over years i have stored plants on it and it has had some water damage. I am using Rustins french polish. My question is , can i use this straight from the bottle or do i need to dilute with meths?

@cottagecharacters 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Alex i want to age the occasional modern mirror but finding that the popular diy strippers won’t touch the grey backing paint. I have had no problem on older mirrors with a red backing paint. I’m thinking that the modern finish is probably a water based paint and that could be the problem. I was wondering if in your opinion the paramos stripper you mentioned in your video would remove the backing paint without damaging the slivering. Is there any other stripper you would recommend the American KZfaq video use citristrip but not sold in this country but works really well on the grey painted mirrors. Enjoying your KZfaq channel keep up the good work. Cheers Les.

@alexwebsterrestoration1058 3 жыл бұрын

Yes it does Les. Needs leaving on for a little while then use a plastic scrapper to take it off, and it won't effect the silver. I then usually use some tcut and fine wire wool to start taking off the silver in patches. I'll be doing an ageing mirrors video soon. Thanks. Alex

@cottagecharacters 3 жыл бұрын

@@alexwebsterrestoration1058 Thanks Alex i will look forward to seeing your KZfaq item on distressing mirrors. Cheers Les.

@Shagratt71 Жыл бұрын

Hi Alex, I was just wondering, does the Shellac/meths dissolve the white spirit based Rustin Dye?.

@Leroyy536 Жыл бұрын

No, if it was a spirit stain it would.

@wendybond2848 Жыл бұрын

Can you please tell me what wood that is? I’m trying to learn the different types. I love stripping old varnish and finding the treasure underneath!

@shithappens1975 3 ай бұрын

That's mahogany

@anditurnbull2917 2 жыл бұрын

Going to try french polishing this week with meths & french polish mix. Any tips on proportions Alex?? (2:1 FP:M)??

@alexwebsterrestoration1058 2 жыл бұрын

Go for 50/50. Thanks for watching! I’ve been away for a month, but I'm going to get back to youtube this weekend x

@anditurnbull2917 2 жыл бұрын

@@alexwebsterrestoration1058 thanks Alex. I am a jack of all trades master of none so always trying to learn new skills. Thanks for your videos & your help xx it will be great to see you back on youtube #lovefromireland 💚🇮🇪☘️

@Leroyy536 Жыл бұрын

@@anditurnbull2917 how did it go

@eddyflynn213 3 жыл бұрын

Does a sanding sealer on bare timber do a similar job to shellac, loving the channel btw

@Leroyy536 Жыл бұрын

What are you by trade a polisher or a cabinet maker?

@shithappens1975 3 ай бұрын

A restorer

@hampshirepiano6383 Жыл бұрын

Is that the original finish?

@kerrypitt9789 3 жыл бұрын

Alex the mahogany I remember dad using on his boats was quite dark with no finish. It was still a red highlight but still darker, is there different mahogany from different countries? As well the unfinished interior of the cabinet is very red, is that oxidation? Thanks Alex a really good video! I am sharing all of your videos, let's get Alex to 1000 subscribers!!!

@hampshirepiano6383 Жыл бұрын

How do you know it is shellac ?

@hampshirepiano6383 Жыл бұрын

Shellac is a repair material, it was never used in industry as a proprietary finish. Only on home projects in a basement or little workshop. It is hopelessly stuck in that muck. Until the advent of spray equipment sometime about 1917 everything was brushed. Alcohol will dissolve organics, and all the gum finishes. Piano people are also stuck there. Well---alcohol cuts it, it must be = incorrect. Guitars were finished with violin varnish. like Damar, and Sandrac, and linseed oil. just like fiddles!, only the SB on old pianos were finished with violin varnish the rest of it case etc, was colophony = cheaper. Come on now! you actually think guitars were once french polished shellac? Probably you say, your not sure.???. It is truly lost knowledge, = bummer. We use a lot of shellac, about 10 pounds a year. Check out our U-tube 33B Chickering piano restoration using French polish/colloidal silica, it is the only way I could repair an original 1867 finish which was not shellac.

@Leiathroughthelookingglass 2 жыл бұрын

Can anyone help me please? Everytime I strip a piece of furniture I’m left with white streaks, how can I avoid this please?

@alexwebsterrestoration1058 2 жыл бұрын

What are you using to strip it?

@Leiathroughthelookingglass 2 жыл бұрын

@@alexwebsterrestoration1058 0000 wire wool and methylated spirits mate.

@alexwebsterrestoration1058 2 жыл бұрын

@@Leiathroughthelookingglass then I think it can only be because you're not at the bare timber yet. Do you have any pics?

@Leiathroughthelookingglass 2 жыл бұрын

@@alexwebsterrestoration1058 I can show how a drawer has dried mate, I was gonna keep at it tomoz. Should I send the pic on insta mate?

@andystonebridge5061 3 жыл бұрын

Pressure and grip is everything. Lightly gliding over the surface when the rubber is wet then applying more pressure as it dries is key, using a soft grip as well not a too tight squeeze and Alex where’s the point on you rubber?

@alexwebsterrestoration1058 3 жыл бұрын

Realised we missed a few pointers out after we had made it, but that's what the comments are for, and we can always do a part two. Thanks for watching 👍

@andystonebridge5061 3 жыл бұрын

At the start of my apprenticeship it took me months to form and tie a rubber properly