Polishing Services at Aire Valley Antiques

Aire Valley Antiques offer a full polishing and re-finishing service from traditional French Polishing to spray finishing in cellulose, precat, A/C and other synthetic lacquer finishes.

French Polishing

French polishing is a wood finishing technique that results in a very high gloss, deep colour and tough surface. It consists of applying many thin coats of french polish (shellac dissolved in alcohol) using a rubbing pad. The rubbing pad is made up of wadding inside a square piece of cotton and is referred to as a fad.

The process is lengthy and very repetitive. The finish is obtained through a specific combination of different rubbing motions (generally circles and figure-eights), waiting for considerable time, building up layers of polish and then spiriting off any streaks left in the surface.

The 'fad' is commonly lubricated with an oil, e.g. linseed oil, that is integrated into the overall finish[citation needed]. This helps to prevent the 'fad' from lifting previously applied layers of shellac. Which particular oil is used greatly influences the overall finish. Typically, "softer" oils, such as mineral oil, will produce a glossier and less durable finish whereas "harder" oils, such as walnut oil, will produce a more durable finish.