Ian Thomson - French Polishing

The purpose of the finish on a piece of fine furniture - its raison d'etre, to add a little French polish - is for surface protection and figurative enhancement. If the purpose is simple, the practice is as complex as the craft is old. And refurbishing furniture that has been properly finished in the first place is particularly challenging, though, when you get it right, its enormously rewarding for craftsman and client. There are, nevertheless, as many pitfalls as there are possibilities. How might we approach the task of refinishing antique furniture.
One issue is the style of finish we want and the most sort after finish today is one that preserves the furniture's venerable appearance with that "special" antique patina. That "special" quality is reflected in a finish that shows no apparent build-up, yet its every pore is full. And the only cracks and waves in the surface are those caused by movement in the timber itself as it has, over time, expanded or contracted. The resultant colours are various shades of faded brown, a charming effect that is caused by a combination of aging timber, aging finish, old wax, dust and even ingrained dirt. The appearance is neither dull nor glossy, but a splendid silken sheen. How did such finishes look when originally applied and how did that aged patina evolve? Let us assume that our piece of furniture is 150 years old and of fine mahogany. When its finish was originally applied it would have been blood red and just as full and bright as a brand new reproduction piece would be finished today.
The first clue in the aging process is the timber itself. For instance, to quote Blackie and Sons 'The Victorian Cabinet Makers Assistant': "Mahogany has a smooth grain, which is susceptible of a very brilliant, and yet soft polish." This soft appearance is also perceived in Australian Red Cedar which exhibits the same characteristics. By comparison, eucalyptus tends to exhibit a very hard, sharp polish in appearance.
Materials in dominant use before the 1600's were oil (linseed) and beeswax or left unfinished. From here spirit and oil varnishes were developed. Alcohol or turpentine and oil based, both incorporated the use of gums and resins like
Mastic, Sandarac, Rosin, Kauri, Arabic and Copal. In the 1800's came the era of shellac (French polish) until the beginning of its demise with the advent of Nitrocellulose-lacquer, developed from the stock piles of gun-cotton left over at the end of the First World War.
All polishers have their own personal techniques. The fine techniques of application were and still are as numerous as there are people who apply them. French polishing could be broadly divided into two methods of application. Of particular interest is the British method where the grain was filled with a mixture of plaster, oil and a colorant. This appears to be the method transported to Australia as whitened evidence is found today in the grain of red cedar furniture where the colourant has faded over the years. The French method of polishing involved the filling of grain by rubbing the surface with fine pumice. The pores eventually becoming filled with fine saw dust. The pores of the grain, which may have been left open, would have become filled over the years from countless waxing and polishing. The film on the surface of the finish is only as old as the last time it was waxed or oiled, which may only be a matter weeks or months. The original finish, however, could only have obtained its "antique" patina over time, during which it would have shrunk and hardened so much that it would have virtually fused to the timber. This, followed by years of cleaning, waxing and everyday use, would have had an abrasive effect on the finish - countless microscopic scratches, gradually reducing both the thickness of the original finish and its radiant gloss. Ironically, it is this very reduction that produces the happy result so prized today, the soft, antique sheen that so dignifies our most venerable furniture.
So, though finishing techniques can reproduce a variety of patinas in the refurbishment of fine furniture, only time can produce that genuinely antique look - a look that had its roots in the original finish.
Ian Thomson, 24 February 1997

For questions or comments please contact the Webmaster. Last updated 16 July 2001.
Copyright 2001, Ian Thomson. All rights reserved.


The purpose of the finish on a piece of fine furniture - its raison d'etre, to add a little French polish - is for surface protection and figurative enhancement. If the purpose is simple, the practice is as complex as the craft is old. And refurbishing furniture that has been properly finished in the first place is particularly challenging, though, when you get it right, its enormously rewarding for craftsman and client. There are, nevertheless, as many pitfalls as there are possibilities. How might we approach the task of refinishing antique furniture. One issue is the style of finish we want and the most sort after finish today is one that preserves the furniture's venerable appearance with that "special" antique patina. That "special" quality is reflected in a finish that shows no apparent build-up, yet its every pore is full. And the only cracks and waves in the surface are those caused by movement in the timber itself as it has, over time, expanded or contracted. The resultant colours are various shades of faded brown, a charming effect that is caused by a combination of aging timber, aging finish, old wax, dust and even ingrained dirt. The appearance is neither dull nor glossy, but a splendid silken sheen. How did such finishes look when originally applied and how did that aged patina evolve? Let us assume that our piece of furniture is 150 years old and of fine mahogany. When its finish was originally applied it would have been blood red and just as full and bright as a brand new reproduction piece would be finished today. The first clue in the aging process is the timber itself. For instance, to quote Blackie and Sons 'The Victorian Cabinet Makers Assistant': "Mahogany has a smooth grain, which is susceptible of a very brilliant, and yet soft polish." This soft appearance is also perceived in Australian Red Cedar which exhibits the same characteristics. By comparison, eucalyptus tends to exhibit a very hard, sharp polish in appearance. Materials in dominant use before the 1600's were oil (linseed) and beeswax or left unfinished. From here spirit and oil varnishes were developed. Alcohol or turpentine and oil based, both incorporated the use of gums and resins like Mastic, Sandarac, Rosin, Kauri, Arabic and Copal. In the 1800's came the era of shellac (French polish) until the beginning of its demise with the advent of Nitrocellulose-lacquer, developed from the stock piles of gun-cotton left over at the end of the First World War. All polishers have their own personal techniques. The fine techniques of application were and still are as numerous as there are people who apply them. French polishing could be broadly divided into two methods of application. Of particular interest is the British method where the grain was filled with a mixture of plaster, oil and a colorant. This appears to be the method transported to Australia as whitened evidence is found today in the grain of red cedar furniture where the colourant has faded over the years. The French method of polishing involved the filling of grain by rubbing the surface with fine pumice. The pores eventually becoming filled with fine saw dust. The pores of the grain, which may have been left open, would have become filled over the years from countless waxing and polishing. The film on the surface of the finish is only as old as the last time it was waxed or oiled, which may only be a matter weeks or months. The original finish, however, could only have obtained its "antique" patina over time, during which it would have shrunk and hardened so much that it would have virtually fused to the timber. This, followed by years of cleaning, waxing and everyday use, would have had an abrasive effect on the finish - countless microscopic scratches, gradually reducing both the thickness of the original finish and its radiant gloss. Ironically, it is this very reduction that produces the happy result so prized today, the soft, antique sheen that so dignifies our most venerable furniture. So, though finishing techniques can reproduce a variety of patinas in the refurbishment of fine furniture, only time can produce that genuinely antique look - a look that had its roots in the original finish. Ian Thomson, 24 February 1997
For questions or comments please contact the Webmaster. Last updated 16 July 2001. Copyright 2001, Ian Thomson. All rights reserved.