- Thread starter vicky whitworth
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Toby Newell
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Ian
Contact MYLANDS they have been making it for over 100 years, I think they make the best French polish in the country but that's just me. Go for a normal SPB polish "Special Pale" dewaxed polish in a normal "cut" (dilution), which I think is around 2 and 1/4 lb cut (of solid shellac per gallon meths) I think it costs around £40 for a 5 litre container. You should be able to do a 5 x 5m (25sqm) room 3 coats with one container so it's actually very cheap compared to other finishes. You can buy a 4lb button polish if you want to warm up (yrlloe-orange) the finish that's thicker and slightly cloudy (not dewaxed) it goes nicely on walnut and oak especially after a soda wash. I f you buy a small bottle of black shellac polish you can add a little to the button polish to kill the orangeness and add some darkness, button and black gives oak and pine a nice mellow aged look, only apply one coat of this as it is much thicker and more expensive, finish with the thinner special pale. "Pale transparent" polish or shellac floor sealer is slightly thinner and cheaper than normal special pale but does the job nicely. The great thing about shellac apart from being totally natural, non harmful and quick drying is that it is easy to strip if you don't like it. Ask MYLANDS about their brushes you really do need one of these, you cannot really apply shellac with any other brush it is so thin.
Toby
Contact MYLANDS they have been making it for over 100 years, I think they make the best French polish in the country but that's just me. Go for a normal SPB polish "Special Pale" dewaxed polish in a normal "cut" (dilution), which I think is around 2 and 1/4 lb cut (of solid shellac per gallon meths) I think it costs around £40 for a 5 litre container. You should be able to do a 5 x 5m (25sqm) room 3 coats with one container so it's actually very cheap compared to other finishes. You can buy a 4lb button polish if you want to warm up (yrlloe-orange) the finish that's thicker and slightly cloudy (not dewaxed) it goes nicely on walnut and oak especially after a soda wash. I f you buy a small bottle of black shellac polish you can add a little to the button polish to kill the orangeness and add some darkness, button and black gives oak and pine a nice mellow aged look, only apply one coat of this as it is much thicker and more expensive, finish with the thinner special pale. "Pale transparent" polish or shellac floor sealer is slightly thinner and cheaper than normal special pale but does the job nicely. The great thing about shellac apart from being totally natural, non harmful and quick drying is that it is easy to strip if you don't like it. Ask MYLANDS about their brushes you really do need one of these, you cannot really apply shellac with any other brush it is so thin.
Toby
Toby
An expert like you will know
Is this a myth? - Someone told me that you can use cigar ash to cover/fill/ disguise the scratches in furniture ?
I wondered because we have an old dresser with many surface scratches (not deep but numerous enough to be unsightly) - I was hoping to replace it but its the perfect size for the landing so will probably have to bring it back into service. Its a light coloured wood (cheap i would say- but am no expert) - the surface is not finished and I didn't really want to do much to it (dont like it much) bar cleaning and possibly beeswaxing to give it a bit of depth and dust resistance. But I should probably address the scratches first or I will only make them stand out more by waxing
grateful for any quick advice
Shelli
An expert like you will know
Is this a myth? - Someone told me that you can use cigar ash to cover/fill/ disguise the scratches in furniture ?
I wondered because we have an old dresser with many surface scratches (not deep but numerous enough to be unsightly) - I was hoping to replace it but its the perfect size for the landing so will probably have to bring it back into service. Its a light coloured wood (cheap i would say- but am no expert) - the surface is not finished and I didn't really want to do much to it (dont like it much) bar cleaning and possibly beeswaxing to give it a bit of depth and dust resistance. But I should probably address the scratches first or I will only make them stand out more by waxing
grateful for any quick advice
Shelli
Toby Newell
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Old wives tales...
The usually have a thread of truth, somewhere, related to something else.
To remove a white ring in a French polished (shellacked or shelllac varnished) piece of furniture ONE of the many methods that were used was stale beer (slightly acidic, slightly alcoholic hence would soften shellac) and cigar ash (slightly abrasive) Apparently this was one of the methods shown by my late Great Grandfather to my late Grandfather and probably has more to do with the fact that traditionally French polishers were notoriously heavy drinkers.
It would only work on the lightest of white marks and obviously have no effect whatsoever on a modern piece of furniture/scratches etc. Stripping the finish with the appropriate solvent (turpentine for wax, meths, hot soda or stripper for shellac, varnish or lacquer, thinners for oil etc...) then lightly sand to remove the scratches and refinish. If it is solid then you can just sand off if you have a good sander and lots of abrasive paper.
I am sure enough cigar ash would indeed disguise your scratches but then you would have the problem of disguising the large pile of cigar ash...
The usually have a thread of truth, somewhere, related to something else.
To remove a white ring in a French polished (shellacked or shelllac varnished) piece of furniture ONE of the many methods that were used was stale beer (slightly acidic, slightly alcoholic hence would soften shellac) and cigar ash (slightly abrasive) Apparently this was one of the methods shown by my late Great Grandfather to my late Grandfather and probably has more to do with the fact that traditionally French polishers were notoriously heavy drinkers.
It would only work on the lightest of white marks and obviously have no effect whatsoever on a modern piece of furniture/scratches etc. Stripping the finish with the appropriate solvent (turpentine for wax, meths, hot soda or stripper for shellac, varnish or lacquer, thinners for oil etc...) then lightly sand to remove the scratches and refinish. If it is solid then you can just sand off if you have a good sander and lots of abrasive paper.
I am sure enough cigar ash would indeed disguise your scratches but then you would have the problem of disguising the large pile of cigar ash...
DaveBrigg
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I've managed to disguise scratches in furniture by rubbing them with a piece of walnut. The scratch remains, but the colour matches the original, making it hard to spot. Just the right time of year for it too.
The use of ash for cleaning was mentioned in an earlier thread about stove glass; that was a top tip from someone, because it works a treat.
The use of ash for cleaning was mentioned in an earlier thread about stove glass; that was a top tip from someone, because it works a treat.
Nemesis
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A friend who works in conservation has just moved in to a very interesting 18th c listed building in Edinburgh and is working on flooring, trying to make one room at least habitable for Christmas. He is fortunate that some of the city's finest conservation architects who also have worked on their own buldings are friends and happy to give advice. A very light washing then gentle hand sanding and Antiquax polish is what he has gone for, but another friend is of the purist persuasion and recommended the genuine approach - sand with sand, then leave to go grey. It's certainly what they did in the 18th century.
Bathrooms, of course, weren't a problem to consider back then.
Bathrooms, of course, weren't a problem to consider back then.
vicky whitworth
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I've decided to go for Treatex hardwax oil in medium oak, wipe on and then off immediately, and finished with a clear coat of the same Treatex hardwax on the softwood boards in the bathroom. Recommended by the guy who put down the floor who knocked up a sample board and it looked OK ie: a smigeon darker but not too obvious. We'll see. Christmas comes first, and then I can get on with it.