In praise of french polishing

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mzuch

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My #4 is complete. A mahogany and ebony tenor with MOP inlays. I tried french polishing for the first time on this one. I found it much easier to get a thin, flat and glossy finish than I did spraying lacquer. And rubbing out was a breeze. No need for micromesh, just a bit of buffing with two grits of Maguires polish and I was done. Don't let the Internet claims of difficulty fool you. Highly recommended for newbies like me.

Zukulele #4 2.jpg
 
Congrats, she is beautiful. Glad to hear it's easier than reported. Gonna have to try someday.

Lacquer...thin? Hmmm, gonna have to try that, too.
 
Very nice. I've never seen a more lustrous finish than a good French polish. And you are correct, it is a great alternative for those that don't have or can't use spray equipment. Unfortunately it's main advantage, that of being thin, is also it's downfall as it needs frequent maintenance. That simply means going back over the areas that show wear. Many builders (and customers) feel the trade off is worth it.) With finishes we walk a fine line between it being thin and it being durable. In a year you'll know what I mean. Still, everyone should try it. (Everclear works best as the alcohol)
Thanks for sharing your results with us. I don't recall anyone else here using French polish.
 
Beautiful finish on that beautiful uke. If I'm not mistaken, Timbuck french polishes his ukes. I'm gonna stay with waterbase lacquer until I get it right... which is close now, just need to build a dust free area, the dust is what's killing me.
 
Yes, I used Everclear as the solvent. The poison they add to denatured alcohol freaks me out. Shellac made with undenatured grain alcohol is nontoxic. In fact, it's edible (a shellac coating is why M&Ms melt in your mouth, not in your hand). I like the idea of building a completely organic uke using only natural materials.
 
If I can ever keep a uke for myself it'll be french polished for sure... I dunno if I can even spray during the cold months because my paint booth right now consists of a cheap box fan in the window of my tiny art studio and building space.
How long from start to finish does a french polish take?
 
Vic, this being my first time, and since I have a day job, it took me about two weeks from the end of surface prep until I hung the instrument up to cure for another two weeks. It certainly can be done a lot faster as there's no need to wait 3 days between coats as with lacquer. But FP takes a lot longer for each application. I typically "polished" for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes per session. You'll need about 9 sessions, and you can do 3-4 per day if you have the time.
 
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