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The composition of the shellac surface consists of the
following steps:
Basic polishing: porefiller with shellac and pumice
powder.
Cover polishing: the layer structure is to be achieved in
several rounds with intermediate drying until a compact
surface has been achieved (approx. 2 – 6 layers, depending
on the wood and pretreatment).
Polishing: mix the shine polishing with a light solution,
possibly with benzoin rosin or benzoin paint. The exact
procedure would be too detailed for this brochure. It can
be best thought in one of our workshops (please see our
brochure). French polishing is also very well suited to be
used as base coat for oily or wax surfaces. It hardens
the wooden surface and prevents it from volatilising. The
shellac solution cannot be mixed with other oils. Therefore
the shellac base has to dry well before the oil is applied.
Astra shellac - Bleached, highly
transparent shellac, for clear
polishes.
250 g No. 810030
1000 g No. 810031
Komet shellac - Orange-coloured
shellac for polishes that display
a slight tinge.
250 g No. 810034
1000 g No. 810035
Superior shellac - Reddish shellac
for polishing with marked tinge
and for accentuating the grain.
250 g No. 810037
1000 g No. 810038
DVD: Introduction to
French Polishing No. 713753
Peter Zehmisch, a master furniture
restorer, describes the French polishing
process in detail, relying on his
many decades of experience working
the field. All of the individual steps -
surface preparation, pore-filling, padding and final
polishing - are discussed in detail. Approx. 21 minutes,
in English.
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