Finishing

A lot of antique restoration involves the technique of friction polishing, better known as French polishing.

There are French polishers who specialise predominantly in this technique because it takes a lot of time and patience to master, as well as understanding of the materials and conditions which create a quality finish. This involves the application of shellac, built up in many layers and bodied to form a high a gloss finish. I have been dedicating a lot of time to developing this skill. I've applied it to test veneer boards, solid wood and then the dovetail box project.

Jumping in at the deep end with the box project, I pushed myself with that project because of the technical difficulty of polishing a small object with internal corners. I then continued to develop my skills working with Adrian Smith during my second year of the FdA at West Dean. My current project is two classically designed pieces, a drinks cabinet and drawer that will combine to create a piece inspired by early C19th campaign furniture.