How to Strip and French Polish Wood Furniture

[@WVFG]

It is nice to see someone putting a point on their rubber and keeping it there, sign of a tradesman.

[@von2balurn]

This is like listening to the shipping forecast. So soothing 🥰

[@lukebroadbent148]

Legend has it that he's still rubbing it now 2019. Man loves rubbing wood

[@GilboysRestoration]

The Legends are true. He's actually worn a hole through it and is now rubbing the work bench bellow.

[@lukebroadbent148]

@@GilboysRestoration hahahaha love it 😂😂

[@1959Berre]

Don't forget: he stripped first. :)

[@spiderprint]

Don’t we all.

[@carlawestveer8449]

Lamster66 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Nicholas-ze5vv]

There's something immensely satisfying about something skill-based where you slowly and extensively work with something until you reach a moment where you start noticing your dedicated work paying off. This is why I love woodworking and finishing so much. Just like spending hours on getting a beautiful mirror shine on your shoes, it shows people that you have the patience and skills to reach something others aren't willing to do. Some might call it a waste of time, but It's an accomplishment that makes me feel good. I love detail work. I wish more of that was appreciated here in the U.S.

[@TheMadBawa]

Thankyou for opening my eyes to this amazing process, I had never seen it actually being done before & now understand why it was necessary to use the paint stripper to clean the base rather than sandpaper it down. French polish brought out the most exquisite grain & the finish was an absolute delight & the relative comparison was what made me really sit up & comprehend the difference between just waxing or cleaning & waxing vs sanding,etc. very educating. Thankyou for sharing this knowledge as I certainly learnt something new today. Gratitude for sharing & much respect for your skills! Best wishes.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Our pleasure. We hope to have more videos on the channel soon. Best wishes, Simon

[@CaseyA.]

The vocabulary of this man is beautiful

[@peterkeeble8379]

nice to see someone who knows what he is doing.removing the oil is most importent as it will breakout later.used to polish pianos in the sixtys.

[@harlech2]

Thank god for craftsmen such as yourself. I always wanted to be able to work on wood, but the currents of life have made that quite impossible. Thank you!

[@bigandy1982]

I love that... there's many vids on youtube on how to do this but "this is the right way".

[@nowonmetube]

I hate his blasphemous attitude

[@mamaddoesdinner4977]

Your love for what you too is so obvious. Absolutely lovely work! Thank you for sharing 😊

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you. We do enjoy our restoration work. I'm glad you enjoyed watching it.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you. We do enjoy our restoration work. I'm glad you enjoyed watching it.

[@cliffwoodthorpe7900]

I watched this before attempting to get a few marks out of our Ercol dining table. So glad I did - there's a lot of useful information here.

[@MikeWilliams-yp9kl]

Always tried to French polish and it looked ok BUT YOU have shown me the best way , WHAT A FANTASTIC JOB

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Mike. I hope you have success. Cheers Simon

[@MikeWilliams-yp9kl]

Thanks

[@SARSteam]

Wow, now this is new to me but I just love the results... Will have to watch the video 5 more times to pick up the proper process. Thanx a mil for sharing!

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you. It's a very rewarding process.

[@BudFieldsPPTS]

Remarkable doesn't begin to cover it. Thank you so much for this demonstration.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thanks Bud.

[@SteveAaron]

French polishing is a technique. It’s not the substance used to polish, which is actually shellac. Shellac can also be applied with a brush. However, in that case, one couldn’t say that the instrument or piece of furniture was French polished. I just wanted to make it clearer for those who were wondering.

[@jays2877]

Thank you, the video seemed to suggest that the substance used was "french polish" and that it was a 'special' polish. What is the difference in finish between applying shellac with a brush and french polishing - does the latter give a high gloss finish?

[@SteveAaron]

Jay S I don’t know whether applying shellac with a brush gives a higher gloss. As I mentioned French polish is the technic he uses to apply the shellac with a pad. With a brush, you would still have a shellac polish. But just not a French polished piece of furniture or instrument.

[@vihuelamig]

Jay S Applying shellac with a brush wouldn't be termed French polishing. Technically you would be what they term spirit varnishing. You can get it extremely glossy but it requires going through finer and finer abrasives/polishing compounds. Alternately you can do a mix, part brushed and finished off with a French polishing fad. The real difference between the two methods is that the action of the fad helps to fill the grain or any pin holes/blemishes. Brushing isn't so good at that aspect. A brush with extremely soft hairs is used, very thin shellac, many many coats for a full gloss flat finish. Don't assume that brushing the stuff on is easy, it isn't.

[@waterfordrs22]

Jay S one consideration which was eluded to but which plays an important factor in the final result - he mentioned the wood had its grain filled. Some woods are open grained, others closed. On an open grained wood that has been filled, you inherently wind up with a more level finish. The filler can often be dyed which can be used for effect. The French polishing technique, I suppose is an early method at filling the Grain, cut shellac brushed on and sanded can do serve the purpose, effective but takes practice and patience

[@mwilson70201]

@@vihuelamig Also, since the shellac dries so quickly brush applications tend to build too fast and leave a less than desirable surface. I guess that's why the progression through polishing compounds is recommended.

[@DEEPCONTACT]

Wow. Love the presentation, the skill, the narrative explanation. Thank you. There are videos out there that only shows "what I did" and this is clearly a "how I did it". Thank you. A real masterclass.

[@davidclark3603]

Absolutely brilliant! They’re all fantastic. Even the original unrestored in the right surroundings would be ok to me. Somehow, the old decay, and even covered in dust can be welcomed as part of the story and give off a sense of peace in the right placement, the right environment, the right setting. I think your video is excellent and very informative and shows how to respect beautiful wood. How to avoid the B and Q look! Lol! Thank you for your time and expertise and sharing your skills! David.

[@gemini62167]

No matter what contemporary products that I've seen none ever come close to the look of hand rubbed French polish. They usually look mass production or just plastic. It's definitely worth the hand work.

[@anita-qq9iw]

A true craftsman at work. beautiful

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you

[@swannonline]

Absolutely love this video. I've watched it at least 5 times now. I've been brushing shellac on bits for about the last 6 month and getting good finishes, but after watching this I picked up all of the bits I need. I'm literally about to fad on my first layers of shellac. It's on an Indian rosewood peice of furniture that I've made and I soon realised I needed to grain fill it - shellac is not a grain filler! Anyway, many thanks Simon and everyone at gilboys :)

[@frankle246]

how do you grain fill it? Thanks

[@andrewmic7038]

Excellent video - straight into the subject, every step illustrated, number of coats illustrated, no glossing over (unintended) prep required. I'm now ready to do some rocking chairs. Thank you very much.

[@GroovyDrifter]

This (without the stripping) is the exact same method my mother used to apply finish to new furniture fifty years ago. In Spain it's called "barnizado a muñequilla".

[@user-fj9lv7qh8c]

Well, that was incredible to watch. I have tried to watch how to do French polish before and never was the explanation so thorough as to how and why? Thank you!

[@hasslefreerental7833]

Godamn, in my next life I want to be born French. French vanilla, French fries, French bread, French kiss, and now I learn about French polish. All the things I love

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

And the French public toilets ... ?

[@peter455sd]

Don't forget your yellow vest

[@williambranham6249]

French tickler, bulldog , connection. onion soup, riviera.

[@RJMx-zz8nq]

Great demonstration. I learned a lot of interesting and useful stuff by watching this so thanks for that.

[@prowled]

An exelent video for someone like me who is interested in refurbishing furniture!

[@masturavince]

The way you make you polish rubber is spot on...

[@estherhusbands3271]

Wish he was here to upgrade my living room suite. Very beautiful work.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you Esther.

[@Mercmad]

After all these years i finally see someone french polishing as described to me 50 years ago. It looks far easier than varnishing...

[@andyt6191]

And the grain in that rosewood is stunning!

[@raypiper2839]

just your voice made it interesting....being a carpenter for 42 years I found the tutorial particularly interesting......

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thanks Ray.

[@blackbirdpie217]

Like when he said "I'm going to mosque off the sections"

[@gav2759]

There are a lot of chancers out there, calling themselves french polishers. This guy knows his onions.

[@jimmacbrayne3578]

Very instructive. I use French polish for finishing classical guitars. I used to grain fill with pumice or rottenstone, but recently have tried epoxy filler with very good results.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Jim. Thank you. It's difficult to shorten the process to just half an hour but I think it gives a little insight to how we do it.

[@DrAvery-lc6bs]

"The stripper will leave a burning sensation on your skin" Words to live by.

[@okdomino]

Well played, sir.

[@benholden4882]

PPE might be a good option

[@La_abbess]

🤣

[@Badster]

7:50 caution as a "spirit based stripper" was used

[@jason-iv5lb]

Lmao

[@speedbuggy16v]

wow, I am going to have to learn to be patient, the french polish is beautiful, I cant imagine that with wax on it as well.

[@blainehebert1376]

Something well worth pointing out: The finishes on these pianos (original French polishes) often stand up to time and wear much better than finishes applied later. I frequently see older antique pianos with beautiful intact finishes while younger finishes have severely deteriorated.

[@josephefasciani7343]

That's because they had the time to take the time. As I wrote in my reply above, for me to finish a 40" round Golden Oak that came to me perfectly sanded and ready to finish, would still take more than a week of doing nothing else but working on it. Having to remove old finishes is a miserable, thankless task, but it must be done.

[@kasialeparska2480]

Old World craft🤎🖤 Thank you for showing this, beautiful work❣️❤️

[@TheHomeMaker1]

Very beautiful my friend love the look really want to try to learn the proper way of French polishing not the KZbin American way lol what I’ve seen here in the state is absolutely nothing like what you are doing and I must say you are definitely doing it right from the books I’ve read lol I love it!!

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you. It is a lovely way to finish wood but not so popular these days. Simon

[@honeycat535]

this is quite fascinating,so many ways to care for beautiful wood. im ditching the can of pledge today!

[@James-lx5vk]

Fantastic video, I found it very informative. Thanks for the insight!

[@iagreewithyoubub]

Can't for the life of me, figure out why this is in my recommended, but here I am watching it.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Somewhere in you there is a furniture restorer waiting to be discovered.

[@MHow-qc3ns]

@@GilboysRestoration: Love your wry, subtle English humor. Thanks.

[@Rich77UK]

I have done french polishing on a few hobby parts (in purpleheart) i wish i knew the makeup of the polish a friend gave me. The wood looked like it had a glass or high polish polyurethane coating on it after only 4/5 coats. It was beautiful but still smelt and felt of wood not polyurethane. My finish of choice for my woodworking.

[@tiborskyva8202]

Love the clear explanation, very helpful for the beginner! Thank you for taking time to make this videos !

[@paulwyleciol3459]

thanks for your time, man, sharing this with us!

[@mstexasg6243]

your dog barked and my dog heard it and responded LOL

[@Ashmanette]

MsTexas G mine too! Currently checking perimeter for intruders!

[@coldcitydweller]

I didn't hear the bark. I had the volume really low.....but that would explain my dog waking up and needing to be settled down before she started barking at the ceiling and everywhere else at 10pm for no apparent reason!

[@derekstocker6661]

Always mind the eyes! Especially when using an aggressive stripper such as you use, even a water based coating can make the eye sting if there is a splash as when working on a large piece. Great tutorial, many thanks for this.

[@steviespaind4307]

WHo would have thought! I´m a fan of french polishing :) If you need a 60 year old apprentice...I´m yer man. Thanks for the vid :)

[@Dennis.5150]

Absolutely beautiful finish.

[@anthonyhoughton6625]

Thanks Gilboys. My boy has recently started writing... you can imagine the next. I've repaired one bit, but I've the wife's grandmother's wardrobe to strip back at some point in the future. May need to sand too. This gives me hope.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Go Luck Anthony. Be aware that often when you strip and sand small areas it look patchy. 🙂

[@anthonyhoughton6625]

Thanks for that. The intention is to strip the doors and then one side to re-polish. I'm concerned that at one point he has pressed quite hard and may have marked the wood. But he may have just cut through the shellac.

[@MeadowDay]

What a real professional ...beautiful thank you.

[@nowonmetube]

This guy is the Gordon Ramsay of wood polish

[@thetessellater9163]

Many thin coats is always better than fewer thicker, comes out much nicer.

[@polarbearsrus6980]

love the French polish, thanks for sharing!

[@FrankenShop]

Really entertaining to watch. Thank you for taking the time to show us your craft. Cheers!

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you. I have tried to get as much information in there as possible.

[@robbeaty4797]

I learned how to French Polish from Master Finisher George Frank in York, PA back in the late 80's. It'll wear you out.

[@Alskals4133]

‘Tis a thing of beauty

[@janinemoore8094]

Thank you. This is the tutorial i needed. Perfectly done.

[@gloriabrothers5508]

What is French polish? What type of rubber; where do you get it? What type cloth is wrapped around the rubber. The effect of this process is stunning. Thank you.

[@carolallison9685]

French polish is youre finish thinned out, the rubber is a wad of cotton, and the rag is a soft cotton rag. I believe he said he used a shellac for his finish. He pretty much did the same thing anyone else would do to apply finish, he just rubbed it on instead of using a brush. Personally ive goten better results applying a finish, then using 800, 1000, then 1200 grit sand paper, and then using a polishing compound like the stuff you buy for your car. Much higher shine and i don't have to worry about getting my chemical mixtures perfect

[@dibaldgyfm9933]

Very beautiful at the end! Many useful things said!

[@MathsYknow]

I have an old piano with a ruined French polish finish. I got a quote to have the cabinet redone and the French polish option was several times as costly as the cheapest finish. From this video I can see why - the labour involved in French polish is just silly by modern standards.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Yes. You are absolutely right. It's the main reason why it's a dying trade. It's a shame but an economic truth. 😌

[@lasabras506]

Excellent video. Quite informative. Thank you for sharing.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Glad it was helpful. Thank you

[@charlesbutler4646]

Very nice work, and and enjoyable, educational video. Many thanks!

[@marcbolland6992]

Wow, thanks for the professional tips on polish

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thanks Marc. I hope it helps.

[@marcbolland6992]

@@GilboysRestoration You never stop learning, Got a dinning table with heat marks, cost me nothing, so nothing to lose, will give it a try from start to finish. Let you know the results from following your tutorial.

[@simontaylor2319]

It is a very long time ago since I last bought an "aggressive" paint stripper. Generally what's for sale now is anything but "aggressive", it doesn't even sting your flesh or remove the paint on the tin!

[@GilboysRestoration]

Whats for general sale is generally very tame, yes. usually you have to wait 15 mins or so with the stuff you get today. The trade use stripper we use is pretty 'gutsy'.

[@noeliajaime7656]

French polish no doubt about it.Looked beautiful.

[@ronaldsmith7756]

Lol

[@leenadixon2138]

The best tutorial ever

[@Myrkskog]

I went to a well known and rather expensive furniture school last year, no one ever mentioned about dripping mineral oil onto the surface. There's an Aussie guy, Clickspring on youtube, an engineering channel, but he put out a video of him french polishing a piece of burr or highly figured wood to mount a project on. He also used an oil lubricant, I think it was olive oil, but in those 10, 15 minutes I learned more than I did from the school. The polishing was not a fun experience, the amount of exertion seemed absurd, if I hadn't been climbing trees, dragging branches and lifting logs before I embarked on furniture making, I'd have been like the other feeble armed students that basically gave up with it. And to think that all we needed was a few drips of oil. I've started a wee workshop of my own back at my folks and one of the projects I wish to make revolves around the desire to french polish something, anything. Starting off with mixing my own shellac (another thing we weren't really taught) through to creating a beautifully smooth and elegant finish. Let's see if I ever get there, I might just end up slopping a tin of Danish on instead if I'm too ham fisted to even get close. Thank you for the video, it has been highly informative.

[@videonovice9]

About mineral oil, can I use this to restore the "moisture" to raw wood?

[@firesurfer]

@@videonovice9 Mineral oil is commonly sold for this purpose. It is known as food safe.

[@TheRacerRich]

When that Meth Spirits hits it "that's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen"

[@designer-garb572]

Excellent video, I learned a lot, many thanks.

[@hvacker4194]

The few drops of oil is a really good tip.

[@touriamakonadu]

Excellent video!!! Good voice and film quality.

[@daved3494]

Excellent. That was fascinating, well explained and informative. Thank you

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you, it's always good to see our films being appreciated.

[@andyt6191]

I don't know your name! And wouldn't give you a second look on the street! But RESPECT TO YOU SIR! YOU ARE A CRAFTSMAN! I french polished a mahogany guitar a few yrs ago! Its not easy!!!

[@dragade101]

damn. majour respects for your craft. I prefer regular store bought varnishes and sanding between coats, maybe building up several thin layers and polishing with various fine compounds to get the glossy look that I would desire. This seems to be the more natural, historical method that is also amazing.

[@regitmail]

The only reason you would need to and between coats is if you rasied the grain or had airborne particulates that landed on the wet layer.

[@dragade101]

At least with the softer woods, the first few coats does raise the grain. Also the ability to perfectly apply paint to a surface is nearly impossible. Meaning you do want to grind back the high spots before adding another coat. Car painting services, the nice ones, will sand between coats.

[@regitmail]

Car painting is typically by spray; this is hand rubbed. And here, he is applying a shellac, which remains soluble in the solvent that is used when the next layer is applied. The automotive layers are typically not soluble in the subsequent layer, and bonding can be an issue with very smooth surfaces. The sanding tends to be used to provide micro-scratches on the surface to act as mechanical adhesion aids for the next layer.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for this interesting demonstration.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Our pleasure, Thanks for watching.

[@tfaber9394]

"It looks like clotted cream - I could eat that " ......Hilarious !

[@sqike001ton]

Personally I like the wax finish

[@MatthewHolevinski]

Ya those wax finishes look friggin sweet!

[@Gcollie3810]

Amazing video! Definitely subbed and will be picking up some of that wax. Little tip... get a boom for that mic. Will greatly help with the audio levels.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank You. Yes I think you are definitely right on the mic boom.

[@musicman6245]

Thank you for this fantastic video!

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you.

[@garrysmythe]

facsinating to watch, would love to buy some of those products just to have a go lol. thanks for sharing, from Garry in the UK

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you.

[@zita-lein]

Gosh! Loved this!

[@louisgarbi1009]

Thanks for showing this. Very clear explanations. . .

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank You. I hope it helps you get an insight to how to French Polish. I've seen too many videos showing the wrong way (in our opinion) to French Polish. Many Thanks, Simon

[@601salsa]

I think I like the French polish myself..... need to see how it's made.... hmmmm ideas ideas....

[@6atlantis]

You mentioned using b.l.o on the Rosewood, i’ve only ever had bad luck using it on rosewood as it turns my hand plane totes and knobs black.

[@Mrjohnboyd1959]

“ This is the right way to do it”

[@nowonmetube]

Such a moronic statement

[@738polarbear]

very nice work that gave me some useful ideas thank you.

[@3000ararat]

Very nice 👍 thank you so much for all your great work.

[@raymondoreilly7569]

Fantastic video, well done, I'm just in the process of doing up an old table around 150 years old. I was afraid to use mets....

[@smithdavid5489]

He mentioned mets, what is it?

[@raymondoreilly7569]

@@smithdavid5489 methylated spirits

[@reginaldlewis8480]

A brilliant video, thank you.

[@srfrg9707]

French polish is very easy. Reapeat : Merci beaucoup. That's it. You have been french polished.

[@jmsmom67]

That is gorgeous

[@dianasolitro7362]

I love wood and I learned so much from these videos! Thanks for sharing! Could you recommend a good paint stripper? Would turpentine substitute be good enough to remove some thick layer of painting from oak?

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you Diana. I would try using a enviromose or similar. Turpentine substitute alone will not work. 🙂

[@manuelbarreto6333]

Dear sir, my hobby is the lathe, I use the doll made of nightgowns with enough use and I charge it from the outside, but leave the marks on the finish, I should use another kind of fabric or that I do wrong. Thanks a lot.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Manuel. Take a look at these videos, they might also help you. 🙂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKacZJuvqJaBa5o

[@regitmail]

Sorry, but methylated spirits does not neutralize caustic. All it does is dilute the caustic plus some is wiped away as you rub the spirits onto the wood. Also, if the stripper causes a burning sensation without really "burning" (as in a caustic "burn"), then it is more likely that the stripper contain methylene chloride. This is one of the few organic solvents that elicits a "burning" sensation shortly after skin contact. OK, after reading the comments and finding it is Paramose paint stripper, I checked and found that indeed, it contains methylene chloride ( more than 50%) and methanol. NO CAUSTIC!

[@leocurious9919]

It would be impossible to remove caustic material out of the wood once its inside. You would never ever want that in ur wood.

[@RobertSeviour1]

Agreed, it was obvious from the remark that 'methylated spirits neutralises the (sic) caustic stripper' that the speaker is no chemist.

[@RobertSeviour1]

You can easily neutralise NaOH residues by applying vinegar or other mild acid. I know because for one summer I worked in a 'stripped pine' business and used the caustic soda solution to remove finishes and then, after rinsing with fresh water, applied diluted vinegar to deal with any last traces. Once dry and with some surface preparation - wire wool or sanding - you can achieve an attractive and durable finish.

[@leocurious9919]

Is there really nothing left, somewhere deep in the pores, destroying the wood in the years to come? Seems risky to me.

[@RobertSeviour1]

I have pieces in my home which were prepared like this 30+ years ago and they are still in optimum condition.

[@Alcopop100]

I would have liked to have seen some circles and smaller figures of eight this would have filled the wood and stopped any chance of ropeness that can occur if going mainly side to side. The use of a Perspex or metal scraper used carefully so as not to dig into the wood helps when removing the stripper.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Scorpion. I agree with you on all counts. I was a little pushed for time but yes you are right. The use of a cabinet scraper or perspex scrape is something we use all the time in the workshop. This piano fall was a little to small to use them on but I could have shown them as an example. When we next demonstrate French Polishing I will show the smaller figure-of-eight movements and the circles. Kind regards Simon.

[@suzesiviter6083]

I came here thinking it would improve sex and ended up restoring my coffee table.

[@JR-yr8xm]

It still can improve sex. Follow the techniques shown.

[@jenbill]

I did the samething title of video sounded kinky enough Ahahahahahaahha!

[@paulharris5231]

Incredible, thank you 😊👍👍👍👍😊

[@6atlantis]

I’m always confused as to how long things need to dry, some people say shellac needs an hour to dry at least but in these French polishing vids the shellac is reapplied within minutes 😢

[@ramonbs6075]

Awesome video!!! 👏👏👏

[@cowboy124aa3]

Beatiful French polish, just wondering tho why you left the parts hinged together? Don't think you mentioned that.... Lol just kidding, had to say it. Great video!!

[@GilboysRestoration]

😆. Sorry. Thanks Roy.