Woodwork

[JR]

I use a traditional beechwood one Paul. I have a miniature aluminium one for modelling but haven't needed to use it yet.

Thanks JR. It's French Polish, done the proper way, with a cotton rubber. It's improved a bit since those photos, with repeated waxing.
Pete

Thanks Pete, oh yes when it gets good layer of wax on it the patina begings to build.
I tried some years ago a spray French Po!ish, completely the wrong name of course as it's the name of the application method rather than the polish which is as you know made from Shellac .Anyway it was supposed to let you spray a good number of coats, coupled with cutting back in a fast manor. Wasn't cheap but easy to spray, but it ended up being used for sealing pre polished tables that had been sprayed with furniture polish that when stripped that would always have " fish eye " caused by the silicone . If you ever have to refinish a table that has been polished in that way a coat or two of Shellac will block any silicone left in the surface. Handy hint no 356:smiling2:

[minitnkr]

Sorry stillP, My bad. I was replying to Peter Day's comment on cutting matchsticks straight. Your cabinet speaks to your woodworking skills clearly. BTW, is French Polish like Tung oil? PaulE

[stillp]

OK, now I understand Paul! French polish is not at all like tung oil - it's a solution of shellac in alcohol, applied in many very thin layers using a pad of cotton wadding wrapped in a cotton cloth, called a 'rubber'. The wadding is wetted with the polish, then the rubber is worked over the surface, gradually filling the wood grain and building up a thin shiny coating. Properly done it can produce superb results, far better than my amateurish attempts, but it takes a long time.
Tung oil is much easier - wipe a thin coat on with a rag, let it dry, repeat until satisfied, but it doesn't produce the depth of shine that french polish can.
Pete