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Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?
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Author:  Antonio [ Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

It says :"A real French polish using the finest shellac which can be brushed on"


Image


Is it easy as they say? What kind of results?

Thank you

Author:  Hesh [ Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

Hmmm... :? :D well methinks that french polish as a term refers to the methodology of application and not necessarily the liquid stuff applied. Although usually we are speaking of shellac we are also speaking of a system of padding on the finish with a pretty specific method.

With that said IMHO anything brushed on is not french polish.

No experience with this product here though.

Author:  JohnAbercrombie [ Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

Antonio-
Liberon is a well-known company- why don't you try it out (on spare wood or furniture- not a guitar at first!) and report back your impressions?

It could be useful for building coats or similar, if you want to try 'alternate' French polishing methods.
Some builders apply early FP coats by very wet pad or even spraying. Heretical, I know. ;)
Have a look at this thread
http://www.mimf.com/cgi-bin/WebX?128@1.D3QOaaomEUE.2@.2cb6b79c
for a start.

Cheers
John

Author:  Antonio [ Mon Jan 25, 2010 10:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

Thank you for your answers.

John, thank you for the link. I am about to finish my first classical and I have used tru-oil on all the guitar. I am very pleased with the result but on my next build I would like to try something different on the top .
It seems I will be the first one to try.I will keep you informed

Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe

if it is brushed on it is not French polished. French polish is an application method. That said brushed on Shellac is a good finish, its just not French polished Eat Drink laughing6-hehe

Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

JohnAbercrombie wrote:
Antonio-
Liberon is a well-known company- why don't you try it out (on spare wood or furniture- not a guitar at first!) and report back your impressions?

It could be useful for building coats or similar, if you want to try 'alternate' French polishing methods.
Some builders apply early FP coats by very wet pad or even spraying. Heretical, I know. ;)
Have a look at this thread
http://www.mimf.com/cgi-bin/WebX?128@1.D3QOaaomEUE.2@.2cb6b79c
for a start.

Cheers
John


If shellac is applied very wet with a pad then it is padded shellac not French polish. French polish if done properly is applied at the consistancy closer to Honey or a thin paste wax.

Author:  Andy Birko [ Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

Military Intelligence
Jumbo Shrimp
Easy French polish

Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

Andy Birko wrote:
Military Intelligence
Jumbo Shrimp
Easy French polish


So your saying they are all misnomers?

French polishing is simple, but does require understanding how the processes work together. There are so many misconceptions as to what French polishing is. I was on vacation several years ago and found a furnishing shop in North Carolina that a sign out front said “Custom French Polished Furnisher” so I went end to hoping to chat with the proprietor about one of my favorite finishing processes. When I walked in and introduced my self the proprietor (who’s name was Debauchee) showed me his process in progress. First we went to the finish booth where a hired hand was spraying shellac on a dresser. Then we went to the cure room where several pieces were being cured out by IR lamps and last we went to the rub-out area where is nephew, originally from Provence, was buffing out cured pieces with an electric angle grinder and a flannel buffing pad.
:D ;)

Author:  George L [ Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

Well... at least the nephew wasn't originally from Hackensack. :-)

Author:  Andy Birko [ Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

Michael Dale Payne wrote:
Andy Birko wrote:
Military Intelligence
Jumbo Shrimp
Easy French polish


So your saying they are all misnomers?

:D ;)


Technically, oxymorons :D

I was just trying to be funny. I've FP'd two instruments and while one looks o.k. on the front, the back (which used colored shellac) is a joke and on top of that, it never got hard (this is now like 6 years later and it's still soft). I've seen plenty of good FP jobs but like everything else, it takes practice to get it right and perhaps a few broken eggs. I'm glad I learned a little about FP because I do use it occasionally for small replacement parts that I want a little shine on.

I'm finding that personally, I get a much more consistent finish using spray gear.

Author:  JohnAbercrombie [ Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

Michael Dale Payne wrote:
When I walked in and introduced my self the proprietor (who’s name was Debauchee) showed me his process in progress. First we went to the finish booth where a hired hand was spraying shellac on a dresser. Then we went to the cure room where several pieces were being cured out by IR lamps and last we went to the rub-out area where is nephew, originally from Provence, was buffing out cured pieces with an electric angle grinder and a flannel buffing pad.
:D ;)


So, what's the problem? He was from France; he was polishing. Voila: French Polish !
laughing6-hehe

Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Mon Jan 25, 2010 1:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Easy French Polish - has anyone tried ?

Antonio wrote:
It says :"A real French polish using the finest shellac which can be brushed on"


Image


Is it easy as they say? What kind of results?

Thank you


I forgot to really answer your question in my reply. Liberon makes fine products. I use their Pale premixed Frensh polish mix (basicly a 2Lb cut of extra blonde shellac whith a long shelf life) I have no experiance with this product but I suspect It has some retarder of some sort to make it level better than a typical 2lb cut of shellac that was bruched on. but like I said earlier; if it is not applied in via French polish application processes then it not French polish. That does not mean It will not make a good finish. It will likely make a very good shellac It just will not make a French polishe finish.

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