FRENCH POLISH begins with two or three coats of shellac rubbed on with a cloth. Called a "wash coat" they are intended to build up a reservoir of shellac to facilitate the next step, the pumicing. Woods like walnut, koa, mahogany have large open pores that must be filled in order to get a smooth shiny finish. The modern and easy way to do that is to coat on a paste filler that fills the pores quickly preparing the wood for the finish.
The old fashioned and hard way is to use pumice an a munica with alcohol to grind down some of the wood and "wash coat" to fill those pores. Being old and stupid as well as having lots of time, I do it the old fashioned and hard way.
The old fashioned and hard way is to use pumice an a munica with alcohol to grind down some of the wood and "wash coat" to fill those pores. Being old and stupid as well as having lots of time, I do it the old fashioned and hard way.
 Here are the tools. 1. The munica, a cloth device surrounding several circles of wool and enclosed with a rubber band. 2. pumice in a salt shaker 3.alcohol. A little alcohol on the munica, dip it into the scattering of pumice on the paper, and then  Then you rub and rub, hard, and watch the alcohol soften the "wash coat" and cut down to the wood grinding of minute grains of wood, mixing it with the pumice to fill up those gaping pores. I check once in a while with this 10 power glass to see how I am doing. |  Tap it hard on your rubber glove so that the pumice and the alcohol blend and the pumice is absorbed and cleared.  Already the pores are filling and the grain of the wood is becoming more prominent. When all of the pores are filled I will be ready to add the first of many finish coats by putting 8 drops of dilute shellac, 3 drops of alcohol and a drop of olive oil on a munica and applying it to filled wood. That is when it gets exciting and you can really see the beauty of the wood. |
