French Polishers
French polishing is a shellac finish built up in many thin coats, and it was the standard fine finish on furniture and good joinery from the early nineteenth century until modern lacquers displaced it. It remains the correct finish for period work, and it has a practical advantage over modern coatings: it can be repaired, amalgamated and rebuilt in place rather than stripped. The polishers in this category work on furniture, panelling, staircase handrails, doors, shop and bar fittings, and fitted joinery in historic interiors, including colour matching and repair of damaged areas.
What this category covers
- Traditional shellac french polishing on furniture and joinery
- In-situ repair and revival of existing polished surfaces
- Colour matching, staining and grain filling
- Panelling, handrails, doors and fitted joinery in historic interiors
- Wax, oil and other traditional finishes
Clive Beardall Restorations Ltd
Clive Beardall Restorations Ltd is a small firm of furniture restorers in ...
Stonebridge Fine Finishing
Stonebridge Fine Finishing is a specialist in wood finishing, French polishing and ...
Working with a french polisher
Ask about repair before stripping. Existing shellac can often be revived, amalgamated with fresh polish and locally repaired, keeping the original surface and its patina. Stripping back to bare timber is a last resort and permanently removes evidence of the object's history.
Understand what shellac tolerates. It marks with water, alcohol and heat, and that is the trade-off for a finish that can be repaired invisibly. Where a surface will take heavy wear, discuss the options rather than accepting a modern lacquer by default.
Get in-situ work programmed sensibly. Polishing panelling, handrails and fitted joinery in place needs a clean, dust-free, reasonably warm environment, which means it comes late in a contract after dusty trades have finished.
Match colour on the actual timber. Colour is built up in the polish and reads differently on different woods and grain, so matching should be approved on a sample of the same timber in the room's own light, not from a chart.
On a listed building, remember that fitted joinery and panelling are part of the listed fabric, so significant changes of finish may need discussion with the conservation officer.
Questions to ask
Can a damaged french polished surface be repaired without redoing it all?
Usually yes. Shellac amalgamates with fresh polish, so local damage can be filled, recoloured and blended into the surrounding finish. This is one of the main practical advantages of shellac over modern lacquers, which generally have to be stripped.
Is french polish durable enough for a staircase handrail?
It is what handrails were traditionally finished with, and it wears in a way that can be maintained and locally repaired. It marks with water and heat, so on surfaces taking heavy or wet use the options should be discussed with the polisher.
Should old panelling be stripped before repolishing?
Preferably not. Original finish and patina are part of what makes historic joinery worth having, and stripping is irreversible. Cleaning, reviving and locally repairing the existing finish is the conservation approach and usually looks better.
All 2 businesses listed under French Polishers
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.