Restoration tip

I've used many strange brews to clean up and restore furnitur, short of renewing the French Polish (stop sniggering, Barry).

Anyway if you get a piece that was once French Polished (clock case, small table, writing slope etc) but is patchy or heavily scratched...or even half stripped (B a r r y! ...) like the sewing box I just tackled,try this.

Put some methalated spirits (methyl alcohol)in a glass container (jam jar in the UK!). Then pour small drops of ammonia into the meths....suddenly the mixture will turn opaque white.

Use a coarse (number 3 grade) wire wool dipped in this and work the surface. Basically, the french polish is re-distributed across the surface of the piece. When dry, simply wax polish, and you get a great finishwithout much work.

Try an old piece first (last warning, Barry).......you'll be amazed how it comes up...(OK, Hook that was your last chance...off to the Principal!)

Now, did I tell the rest of you that I was a Booty addict....????

Jon

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You think it's better to do the 1799 mahogany table first and then work your way up through history as you get better and better?

This is rec.antiques. What you intended to say was; 'try a new piece first', right?

in 'unimportant'...... as in 'a piece of OLD junk'.....as in 'OLD and damaged'....'or OLD and ugly'. I can't really think of too many 'new' French Polished items that need restoring ??

Interesting to think of 'old' implying value (again). All my restoration stuff is old, but most is Victorian or Edwardian junk.

There is a different mindset here. *I* can't think of doing any harm to much Victorian or Edwardian French polished furniture because 1.) I can always refinish the piece from scratch (pun intended) 2.) anyone will be doing the world a favour if they irreparably damage a late 19thC machine made chiffonier or suchlike.

My comments were, however, intended as a tip for people already capable of carefully handling such chemicals in a professional or semi-professional nature.

As for being in rec.antiques, apart from an 18 month break, I have been involved since...'94 or '95? when my output made Ronnie look like a lurker !!!

Jon

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McKro Crobe

Already in the design books published by Percier et Fontaine French polishing was recommended, so I guess the answer is no, not really.

OOI ..... Do you have a quote??

It's not the point, you picked 1799 as a starting date and then went on to suggest moving **backwards** from that date, when the subject under discussion was **french polished' furniture, 'old' furniture at that.

You were talking about the use of shellac dissolved in spirit, which may be, but is not always French P.

Oh, don't be silly I said: then work your way *up through* history. Not back. There is a difference, and I am surprised it could be misunderstood. But I guess that if someone wants to misunderstand they'll always find something.

There's no point in continuing with this, you are obviously from Tinsel Town.