Your simple guide to

French polishing
Manufacturer of
quality finishes
With over 100 years experience of treating wood Liberon’s
heritage lies in the manufacture and development of
traditional finishes for furniture makers and cabinet makers.
Over the years the products have changed, however the
quality of the Liberon brand remains the same.
Designed to help beginners to French polishing understand
the technique and develop the necessary skills, this leaflet
explains the processes taken to achieve beautifully rich and
stunning results. Follow our easy steps and you’ll soon
become proficient in the art of French polishing.
Types of French polish Practice makes perfect
French polishes are made up from flake French polishing requires patience and
shellac dissolved in methylated spirit. practice and should first be tried out
The type of shellac used can vary in on a spare piece of flat wood, with
colour from a light clear colour to a the polishing area in a warm, dust free
dark brown colour: environment. There are many methods
• Special Pale French Polish is a de-waxed of French polishing and every French
shellac and is suitable for use on both polisher has his or her own method
light and dark woods. It will enhance which is developed over time. The
the natural colours of the timber. method described in this leaflet will
give you the basic skills to further
• Button Polish is light brown in colour
advance in your own time.
and is ideal for use on light woods
such as elm and light mahogany.
• Garnet Polish is deep brown in colour
and is mainly for use on darker timbers
such as walnut and dark mahogany.
• White Polish has a milky appearance
and can be used on light timbers such
as ash and natural light oak.
• Black Polish is a jet black polish and
is used in the ebonising process.

YOUR SIMPLE GUIDE TO FRENCH POLISHING 3

 Making French polish

Once you have mastered the art of French Types of shellac flakes
polishing you may wish to make up your own
• Blonde De-waxed Shellac Flakes
French polish. This will allow you to adjust
Produce a light transparent
the strength according to your own personal
coloured French polish. Used for
preference and produce your own unique
antique restoration and on light
finishes. To do this you will need shellac
coloured woods.
flakes of the colour of your choice,
methylated spirit and a glass jar. • Lemon Shellac Flakes
Produce a pale gold colour
How to make your own and can be used for furniture
restoration and light to medium
French polish
coloured woods.
Tip the shellac flakes into a jar and cover
• Button Shellac Flakes
with methylated spirit. Replace the lid and
Will produce a golden brown
shake the mixture then leave it for 24 hours,
polish that is suitable for
shaking occasionally until the flakes have
restoration work and darker
fully dissolved.
timbers.
A typical recipe for French polish is mixed • Garnet Flakes
at a ratio of 250 g shellac flakes to 1 L Produce a dark brown French
methylated spirit. If a thicker polish is polish ideal for dark woods
required this can be increased to 500 g and restoration work.
shellac flakes to 1 L methylated spirit.

Once the French polish has been made it will

have a shelf life of approximately six months, Libtip
after which it may start to deteriorate. We Shellac flakes should be
stored in a cool dry area
therefore recommend that you only make up to keep them fresh and
sufficient polish to complete the job in hand. ready for use.

4 YOUR SIMPLE GUIDE TO FRENCH POLISHING

Preparation & materials

Preparation Materials
Preparation of the surface to be polished is extremely French Polishes
important and to achieve the best results it is necessary Cotton Waste and Cotton Rag
to remove any slight imperfections which may not be
noticeable under a varnish or wax finish. This may involve French Polishing Mops
stripping off an old varnish with Liberon Fine Wood
Stripper or removing a wax or oil with Liberon Wax and
Polish Remover. Once stripped you will then need to rub
the surface down with fine abrasive paper to obtain a
smooth finish.

If the wood is open grained and a mirror like finish is

required the grain should be filled using a suitable grain
filler. Alternatively extra coats of polish may be applied
and then cut back between coats with Liberon Ultra Fine
Steel Wool (0000) until the grain has been filled.

YOUR SIMPLE GUIDE TO FRENCH POLISHING 5

 The French polishing “rubber”

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

How to make a French polishing rubber

French polish is applied using a French polishing rubber.
The rubber is made by wrapping a piece of lint free
cotton cloth around some cotton wadding or cotton
waste. Place a hand full of cotton wading into the center
of the cotton rag, bring in the four corners of the rag and
then twist to form a pear shaped pad, ensuring that the
base of the pad is flat and free from creases or defects
as shown. The size of the rubber can vary according to
the user or the size of the job to be completed.

6 YOUR SIMPLE GUIDE TO FRENCH POLISHING

 How much polish
is needed?

How to hold the rubber

Hold the rubber in your hand keeping the bottom area Too much polish
flat and free from intrusions.

Not enough polish

How to apply the product

Load the rubber by pouring the French polish directly
onto the cotton wadding. Do not pour the polish directly
onto the face of the rubber.

Bring the corners together and twist as before squeezing The correct quantity
the polish to the face of the rubber. Any excess should
be squeezed out before you commence polishing. If there
is too much polish on the rubber this will cause ridges on
the work. These ridges will then have to be rubbed down
when the polish has dried and the process restarted from
the smooth surface.

YOUR SIMPLE GUIDE TO FRENCH POLISHING 7

 Applying the French polish

1. Fading up 2. Bodying in

Circular Figure of eight Passing along the grain

1. Fading up 2. Bodying in
The first applications Further applications are made by using the rubber in a
of polish are made by circular and figure of eight motion. The final pass in the
passing the rubber up and sequence goes with the grain, passing fairly quickly and
down, working along the lightly over the surface. Always finish the sequence along
grain of the wood and the grain.
slightly overlapping the
previous pass. These first The rubber should always be slid onto the work from one
few coats will act as a seal side and off the other during the polishing stroke. Placing
ready for further coats and the rubber on the work and then starting the stroke will
are known as fading up. create a mark, which will be very difficult to remove.
Likewise the same problem will arise if the rubber is
If the rubber feels as if it is stationary on the surface, this is because the alcohol will
dragging squeeze the sides immediately start to reactivate the previous coating.
very gently to push more
polish onto the face, or After several applications the
ease up on the pressure rubber may not slide so freely
being applied to the over the surface. To rectify this
rubber. add a drop of Linseed Oil to the
base of the rubber, ideally by
dabbing it on with the tip of your
finger. This will allow the rubber
to move freely once more. Take
care not to apply too much oil as
this will leave a smearing effect
on the surface and will have to
be removed at the end.

8 YOUR SIMPLE GUIDE TO FRENCH POLISHING

3. Hardening Burnishing
After every 4 or 5 applications the work A French polish finish does not have to
should be left to harden for a couple of be a high gloss mirror finish every time,
hours before applying further coats. We sometimes a softer level of sheen is
recommend lightly rubbing the surface required. To achieve this all you have to
down between coats with 320 grit do is to allow the polished surface to
abrasive paper or Ultra Fine Steel Wool harden for a few days then cut back the
(0000) to remove any blemishes. polish using Liberon Ultra Fine Steel Wool
(0000) to remove any imperfections.
4. Spiriting off Finally finish with a coat of Liberon Black
Once a sufficient layer has been achieved Bison Fine Paste Wax.
on the surface spiriting off can commence
to produce the final high gloss finish. A For a mirror finish you need to leave the
new rubber must be charged with French French polish to fully harden for about a
polish that has been thinned down with week to ten days, then cut the surface
methylated spirit. Approximate ratio: 2 back with Ultra Fine Steel Wool (0000) and
parts French polish to 1 part methylated remove any dust with a tack cloth. Next
spirit. apply Liberon Burnishing Cream with a
clean cotton cloth, polishing vigorously
Apply this polish as before in a circular or and occasionally turning the cloth until
figure of eight motion and again finish by the deep mirror finish is achieved.
going along the grain.
Storage and cleaning
Finally, pour a small amount of To keep your rubber in good condition
methylated spirit and a small amount of store it in an air-tight container with a
French polish, at approximately a 50/50 small amount of methylated spirit. Your
split, into the rubber and rub this up and French polishing mop should be cleaned
down the work to remove any high spots. after use with methylated spirit and
Move the rubber lightly and quickly over stored as above.
the surface to achieve a gloss finish.

Notes
For areas where a rubber cannot be
used, i.e. carvings, a French polishing
mop is recommended.

The basic steps and principles are still

the same:
Libtip
• Apply thin coats of polish working
If Burnishing Cream is
used before the polish has with the grain where possible.
hardened it may cause • Never let the mop stick or stop on
smearing.
the surface.

YOUR SIMPLE GUIDE TO FRENCH POLISHING 9

 Instructions for ebonising
(using Black Polish)

Whether the wood is new or reclaimed Step two

the process is basically the same. On a
The next step is to seal in the stain and
reclaimed piece you will need to remove
build up the depth of colour and sheen
any previous painted or varnished finish
using Liberon Black Polish.
to get back to the bare wood, on a new
piece of timber simply sand down using To apply Liberon Black Polish use the
240 grit abrasive paper. same method as any French polish using
a French polishing rubber, or French
Step one polishing mop or fine brush on more
Stain the wood using Liberon Palette ornate pieces.
Wood Dye (Ebony) or Liberon Spirit Wood Apply the first two coats of Black Polish
Dye (Ebony). If the piece is reclaimed and allow to dry, then rub down using
timber then it is better to use Liberon Ultra Fine Steel Wool (0000). Apply further
Spirit Wood Dye. Apply the stain with a coats of the Black Polish to build up the
brush or cloth, wipe off excess and allow sheen, rubbing down between coats.
to dry thoroughly. If a high gloss finish is required then
allow the Black Polish to harden for at
least ten days. Rub down with
Ultra Fine Steel Wool (0000)
and burnish with Liberon
Burnishing cream.

10 YOUR SIMPLE GUIDE TO FRENCH POLISHING

Trouble shooting

If you start experiencing any problems as you are working then the best advice is to
stop. Allow the polish to harden, rub back the error and restart from that point.
Below are some common problems which may occur. Follow the instructions and you
can continue on your way to a beautiful finish.

Ripples appear Too much polish has been applied.

on surface Allow the polish to dry then sand back and restart.

Polish appears to Caused by too much pressure. Allow the polish to harden
have been removed then cut back and restart.
(rubber burn)

Bloom The polish appears to have a milky film on the surface.

This is caused by dampness in the air or on the surface.
Allow the polish to dry then cut back and restart.

Finger marks If these appear then the polish has not had time to
harden before being handled. Allow the polish to harden,
cut back with Ultra Fine Steel Wool (0000) and then either
re-apply a coat of French polish or burnish with
Burnishing Cream.

Polish will not dry The most common cause for this is that the French
polish is too old. Discard the polish and start with a
fresh batch.

YOUR SIMPLE GUIDE TO FRENCH POLISHING 11

Liberate the spirit of your home
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Liberon Limited, Learoyd Road, Mountfield Industrial Estate, New Romney, Kent TN28 8XU
Tel: 01797 367555 Fax: 01797 367575 Technical advice: 01797 361136 www.liberon.co.uk
A V33 Group company.