Reply To: Help with French polishing.
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Just joined the forum and I saw this thread. The linen is very important. Make sure that the weave is not too tight there needs to be room for the pumice to come through. Using wool for the inside of the pad is important too. It should be free of any colour. One source is fine wool from undershirts like they wear in Italy.
Lots of alcohol (on the pad) not too much shellac. Once things start to build up to keep from burning the surface sprinkle mineral oil (available at a chemist/pharmacy). I use food grade because I do not wear gloves and all the products that I am using are harmless – I would like to keep on doing this for a few more decades.
If you were in the army and learned to “spit shine” your boots, this a very similar process. Small circles, medium circles, bigger circles and so on. Keep moving on – do not stay in one area too long.