Here you see the materials required for a french polish (not pictured: extra-fine pumice, which will be purchased soon.) First off, I love how all of the materials appear as if they were purchased sometime in the late 1950’s. I imagine Sarah Dukes is loving the aesthetics of it all…
Anyway, back to the point. This finishing process involves the use of shellac flakes and alcohol to create a very thin finish that seals and (minorly) protects the wood but allows for the best possible sound. I’ve never done a finish like this before, and it seems that each woodworker has their own process for this. I will be basing my approach largely on the video instructions from luthier Michael Thames and also tips gleaned from my books by Ervin Somogyi. I will start later on today or tomorrow by mixing up my 2 pound cut of shellac for spit coating. I’ll need to get some pumice as well, I’m hoping a hardware store will have it available otherwise I will have to order it from the Internet.
This is going to be fun (I hope)!
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