The main material is shellac, although there are several other shellacbased finishes, not all of which class as french polishing. On the other hand if the guitar is made with hide glue and french polished theres a good chance the luthier can do an excellent and noninvasive repair job. The finish will be extraordinarily fragile until it hardens. Abrasive guitar polishes are almost certain to cause premature wear. Just hold a cloth moistened with the finish directly to. After dan repaired a crack in a gibson acoustic guitar the finish didnt look to good. Since im an instrument restorer, not a builder, ill describe the process of adding new finish on top of old to fill in wounds, irregularities, crazing, crack repair, moisture damage or wear. Lacquer has much better alcohol and water resistance than french polish. How to french polish furniture how to guides and projects. They can be a bit fragile under the use of folks with toxic sweat, but they are pretty fixable if damaged. Rub the back and sides down again with oooo steel wool and french polish the back. The effects are seen as erratic crack lines running across the coating. This is certainly the finish most easy to care for in daily use, regardless of. Most of the fine old musical instruments made in europe were french polished, as are a majority of fine classical.
I was convinced that it would sound like the stradivarius of guitars. French polish is extremely delicate and easily scratched, but it can be restored by a skilled finisher. So if you decide to pad or french polish with either one of. When learning to french polish a guitar, having a solid understanding of each component of the finish and what the function of each ingredient is, will set you up for success as you develop your own systems for obtaining a beautiful hand rubbed french polish finish. French polish finish instructions luthiers mercantile. The finish of a guitar can definitely affect its tone but it comes more down to how well the finish is applied rather than the actual finish used perhaps with the exception of french polish which is said to enhance the tone. French polish has been a common furniture finish since before the victorian era and was probably first used on instruments as a fasterdrying alternative to.
Even a piano with a polyurethane finish can develop cracks and. The process is very time consuming, because the varnish is put on by just rubbing the pad around and around and around, slowly building up a very thin layer of finish to protect and beautify the guitar. My concern is preserving authenticity of old instruments. Best polish for a nitro finished guitar the gear page. I learned by scrutinizing george franks article in fwws finishes and finishing techniques found on page 56.
The soundboard is generally in danger of developing cracks, because it is very thin. Blend new lacquer into old lacquer with flash coats youtube. The finish is softer than modern varnishes and lacquers, and is particularly sensitive to. A thin acrylic lacquer finish will be basically indistinguishable from nitro, except that it wont yellow and crack over time. Ive used it a bit on some woodworking projects, but not a guitar. If the guitar is exposed to very dry conditions lower than 40% r. Luthier and instructor, robert obrien, shows how to fix hairline cracks in a brazilian rosewood guitar back and then repair the finish. French polish adds extraordinary depth to gorgeous wood. I purchased your video on french polishing a guitar. This applies most especially when the guitar is new as the finish takes a. You must take special care to protect them from sweat, damp and fingernail scratches.
This shellac and resin blended polish brushes on for quicker buildup, and its clear, so you can put on as many coats as you like and it wont obscure the grain. Suitable for use on small surfaces measuring 1m2 or less, it will beautifully enhance the woods natural finish, and produces great results quickly. French polish is not a specific material but rather the effect of applying shellac to a woodworking project that produces a tough surface with a very glossy, mirrorlike finish. If your guitar has a french polish finish consider the weather before shipping. Of all the conventional guitar finishes, french polish requires the most care. Ordinary guitar polishes shine by leaving a longlasting silicone residue thats very hard to remove. Most luthiers would say that french polish is acoustically the best finish to apply to a quality guitar. Classical guitar care and maintenance guitars international. Its not a product, its a technique of applying shellac by hand with a wad of cloth. Amber in color, it adds a bit more moisture resistance and flexibility to the final finish.
Identifying a shellac finish can be difficult, however, and if you repair a nonshellac surface by laying shellac over the top of the finish, it will not produce good results. Many other finishes resemble shellac, and to further add to the confusion, shellac is sometimes used as a. Our purpose is not to teach wood working so we will assume that the guitar is well scraped, sanded and with all gaps filled. Here are some guidelines for taking care of your guitar. Learn about the highgloss finish and how you can embellish any wooden piece. Quickdrying means less time waiting around between coats. Its more resistant to scratches, body heat, and the normal wear of handling. French polishing is a method of applying finish to wood by hand with a cotton pad. I had a hollow stratstyle guitar custommade with a french polish finish once it looked exactly like a benedict groovemaster. It takes considerable elbow grease, but you get a darned good finish in.
Acoustically speaking shellac is arguably the best finish available for a musical instrument finish. The best way to care for it is to keep it clean and to avoid excessive handling. I thought id try to make this post as coherent an introduction as im able to muster, since ive struggled to find any useful written material myself. French polishing dates back as far as the victorian era but was brushed aside early in the 20th century in. Waxy shellac is excellent when the finish will be only shellac as in a french polish finish. How to french polish with shellac wood finish supply. The term french polishing might have received its name from the extensive rubbing that is necessary to apply shellac smoothly and perfectly. The finish on a guitar serves many different purposes. Fed ex has white trucks which is better than ups brown in hot weather. If a french polish of shellac finish is marred for example, it takes on a milky white haze due to contact with moisture, a guitar maker or repair person skilled in the french polish technique may be able to restore a finishs luster using a very mild rubbing compound. Introduction to french polishing and shellac the art of. The french polish technique is an excellent method to accent exotic wood grain.
Product added to cart successfully \div\div,actions. Ive found dunlop guitar polish to work very well for this. A shellac finish using a pad in the french polish way is really beautiful, but can be a bit tricky to do well. It can be polished and maintained by a variety of finish care products and guitar. Historical finishes expert don williams teaches the simple steps to make a traditional pad polish, or as we refer to it, french polish. Guitar polishes are specially formulated to be gentle on lacquer finishes. Most of us have seen instruments with these unsightly finish cracks. Martin guitars the patina of the finish can be one of the true delights of an old martin guitar. French polish used most often to finish luthiermade classical and flamenco guitars, french polish is surrounded by more myths and opinions than virtually any other aspect of guitar making. Heres how i repair a nasty crack in the top of a french polished sewing box.
Cleaning and polishing agents as we stated before, no polishing compounds or polish is used in the actual french polishing process as we lay on the shellac. Unlike most other finishes, french polish is relatively easy to touch up and repair. Preservation polish gently cleans, polishes and protects lacquer and varnish finishes. It contains none of the shelflife additives found in readymixed shellacs that can be unsuitable for french polishing. The alcohol evaporates, leaving the shellac deposited upon. In the guitar world, the term french polish is understood to be a shellac spirit varnish that has been applied by the french polishing method.
An older finish with decent french polish added should be as good as new. This finish is perfect for bowls, vessels, lamps and other turnings that arent handled often or are exposed to moisture, alcohol or heat. The quality of any finish will depend greatly on how well the classical guitar is detailed. French polishing now that the building is done, ive taken the instrument home to apply the french polish finish. French polishing a guitar an indepth look at french polishing the traditional technique and materials used by master luthier tom bills. Follow along as robert demystifies the ancient art of french polish. A french polish finish does not have to be a high gloss mirror finish every time, sometimes a softer level of sheen is required.
Easy french polish is as shellac and resinblended polish ideal for use on furniture, carved woodwork and artefacts in rare or exotic woods. Neck and bridge must be disassembled, finish stripped, new finish painstakingly applied, then the guitar must be reassembled and set up. Dan teaches you how to blend new lacquer with old lacquer using a flash coat for a nice near. A lacquer finish is more durable than french polish. Restoring checked and crazed finishes woodworking network.
There are various schools of french polishing, i followed franks method which is supposed to be the true french one. Even with a slightly heavier build a french polish finish is usually far thinner than any synthetic type of sprayed or brushed finish. The name french polish is deceptive, because its not a furniture polish at all, but a varnish, a finish, just as lacquer is a finish. The common misconception is that french polish is the best finish acoustically. I do a lot of french polish repair work, which may entail refreshing the finish and filling dings. French polishing is a simple way to get a lovely handrubbed finish.
I made this baby guitar for my granddaughter kate, and french polishing let me finish it in time to cut the cake. Unfortunately, a new owner polishing an old guitar can destroy the original patina forever. Repairing a damaged shellac wood finish the spruce crafts. Spiriting is the procedure used to remove the excess oil that has accumulated on top of the guitars finish. I dont know if im an expert, but ive french polished half a dozen or so pieces of furniture with excellent results.
Any finish will deteriorate after time, lacquer, varnish, french polish, you name it. The shellac used in french polishing will give your furniture a beautiful lustrous appearance with a deep. Im presenting just an illustration of what french polish actually is, and how i approach it. To achieve this all you have to do is to allow the polished surface to harden for a few days then cut back the polish using liberon ultra fine steel. Usually applied over wood stains, dyes and sealers, barrettine french polish can be used to obtain additional depth and shine on fine furniture. Finishing is one of the most important aspects to any woodworking. French polishing problems areas around the fretboard, neck and bridge rubbing out the finish to a gloss or satin sheen.
Gsi recommends planet waves polish spray and polishconditioner. Fortythree years with excellent results is enough of a while for me. Always apply the polish to the cloth, never directly to the guitar. It is like being in a guitar building class designed just for youin fact, it is designed just for you. Rub down the back and sides with steel wool and apply another coat of danish oil and let it dry for another 24 hours. The finer the finish you are going to use, the more any defect will show. Use less pressure when the muneca is wetter and more pressure when it is relatively dry. How to french polish for a fast finish without spraying. If your guitar ever needs a repair, the silicone will prevent glue or finish from adhering, making even simple repairs more difficult and costly. A simple guitar finishing trick for a better shellac finish. Does the finish on an acoustic guitar affect tone expert. My unique french polish finish available on my custom guitars and also taught in the online classical guitar building course, provides a superior guitar finish that is fast to learn, easy to apply, durable and easily repairable. French polish crack repair 60 second series youtube.
Light scratches can be buffed out with power equipment. This sample shows a finish that is marred by checking. Its flexible, so resists cracking, scratches, and weara definite advantage if. French polish is usually applied by skilled furniture repairers and restorers to produce a deep chatoyancy and warm lustre that has a glass or mirrorlike finish. How to detail a classical guitar guitars international. When we are finished however, we will need to remove excess oil and clean and polish the instrument to rid it of hand prints. People who own guitars with shellac should be particularly mindful of. This can cause a crack at the heel or split the sides if the shipping box is dropped. Your guitar is french polished shellac, a very thin and delicate organic finish. It is agreed by most makers of handmade instruments, that the acoustic properties of french polish are far superior to. All steps must be expertly executed, otherwise the final product will look like a.