Pye MM

[Tedzed1]

Hi Joe, thanks for the in-depth explanation, and the link, nice to see that you can buy a complete French polishing kit,
Looks like the piggy-bank needs to come out again

[Retired]

Hi,

Well done Joe the cabinet looks much improved by your TLC and hopefully you will be doing more cabinetwork to share with us.

I would never criticise how anyone finishes a cabinet nor the type of finish they apply because I believe both are for the owner to decide upon; there are already too many critics willing to pick fault but unable to do the work themselves in fact most of these critics never actually show anything they have done.

I've used Danish Oil successfully on furniture but I would never use it on a vintage cabinet of my own; I agree that it is extremely easy to apply; a five year old would have no trouble applying it. I've seen many lovely cabinet restorations finished in Danish Oil.

Years ago I re-finished a cabinet in French Polish (shellac) but had to firstly remove the thick layer of electric pink household gloss applied by a previous owner. The owner liked the pink and that was fine by me in fact I don't mind sets being painted in this way because the paint although messy to remove protects the cabinet allowing future restoration to be carried out. The cabinet came up very well indeed but unfortunately I didn't have a digital camera at the time.

I also agree with you Joe regarding varnish; if applied with care varnish is an excellent finish; I use varnish on furniture I make and it looks the business; no one would know it was varnish unless I told them; so for anyone afraid of attempting a French polishing job varnish to me is a very good alternative. Varnish is slow drying but in warm weather it dries overnight. I prefer the varnish which is thinned with white spirit or turps and used to buy it from Wickes. I've also used water based varnish (Wickes) on bedroom panelling and found it most pleasant due to not knocking me out with fumes.

Another excellent finish is of course lacquer but lacquer really needs spraying whether from spray cans or a compressor and spray gun. Lacquer is the fastest finish to apply as it dries rapidly and can be sprayed wet on wet which I've done many times whilst spraying autos and machinery. Warmth and ventilation are required whilst spraying as otherwise there is a high risk of explosion also personal health needs consideration as a respirator is a must. HVLP self contained spray outfits are available new for as little as something like £60 and these are excellent; I've used such outfits with success for spraying cars.

Over the years I've tried most finishes but I'm not an expert on any of them; I finally decided to learn French polishing due to our climate; I have a number of compressors and assorted spray guns ranging from a small air brush compressor outfit up to the industrial type of spray gun but every time I want to use them it is either pouring with rain; freezing or just too windy. I can French polish all year round in my small workshop and the smell isn't too objectionable; I French polished my recent TV restoration in the kitchen.

My chum David has just moved into veneering and made a splendid job of veneering a box he made using oak veneer; success at the very first attempt which highly impressed me and I'm sure delighted David.

Veneering and French polishing are not as difficult as the stories make them appear to be; once the basics are learnt the learning curve is rapid and I'm sure David will agree with me on this.

Regarding this MM though Joe it does look a great deal better for your efforts and I bet it gave you much enjoyment whilst you spent some quality time working on it; isn't it a wonderful feeling not only to stand back and admire your work but also be able to share it on the forum. Now it's up to Alan to sort out the chassis and hopefully the finished restoration will be posted in the near future.

Kind regards, Col.

[Joe]

I agree with you on varnish, Col. My chief objection is that it's wet for so long that it's likely to get dust and incests stuck to it. I can get the same sort of effect with brushed shellac in much less time.

I also agree about people painting things. Not only are we all free to do what we like with our own property but at least it means that whatever it is is preserved.

- Joe

[Mark Hennessy]

Wow - thanks Joe, and Colin. This sounds a lot more complicated than anything I've done in the past, but it doesn't seem as daunting now.

Regarding varnish, I've tended to avoid this as well, for the reason you give. Lacquer sounds very interesting, but I'd need to invest in a lot of equipment - although I'd love an air compressor so that I can buy a nailgun!

I will be back asking questions when I give this a try - you have been warned

Thanks again,

Mark

[Joe]

OK, Mark, here's the REALLY simple version: Slap three coats of polish on with a brush, wet and dry it smooth, rub it over with more polish on a pad. Job done.:D

- Joe

[Joe]

I've now got the handles back on.

   

I think that's about all I can do so it's over to Alan.

- Joe

[Retired]

Hi,

Nice one Joe now chase Alan to sort the chassis out then we can see the finished restoration; it certainly looks a lot better.

For a novice wanting to have a go at French polishing your advice about slapping on coats of shellac and flatting actually can work extremely well Joe. I would apply lots of brush coats then spend ages with fine grit (800/1000) abrasive paper lubricated with talcum powder to give a beautiful satin finish that is a delight to touch. I recently did this whilst working on a wooden clock case for a friend where a highly glossed finish would have been out of place. I would highly recommend this as a first attempt with shellac as I can honestly say that it works. The trick of course is to exercise lots of patience and do not on any account cut right through to bare timber whilst flatting.

What do you intend to use a nail gun for Mark and have you ever used one before? I was in charge of the timber department at work and we used industrial nail/staple guns a great deal in pallet and case making. Nail guns are very dangerous tools but it is very impressive to watch someone put a pallet together using the sequential tip. This is where the gun operator keeps the main trigger squeezed and just touches the gun nose which immediately fires a nail and the action of firing nails like this is blindingly quick. I know Paslode make a nail gun that will sink a 6" nail into hardwood as I've seen such a gun in action but hardly a tool for a novice to use. Screwfix do a nice kit for home use and can be seen here;

http://www.screwfix.com/p/bostitch-sfc-6...-kit/38137

Thanks for the interesting thread Joe and keep up the good work.

kind regards, Col.

[AlanBeckett]

Oh dear, I'm coming, honest.
I've got a nailgun which does brads and staples - most of them do I suspect. It's only an amateur one, and doesn't get used that often. My excuse was that I needed it to put hundreds, literally, of staples in the aviary I was building. I don't think I would have bothered otherwise.
One thing I have used it for in anger round the house is when boxing in pipes etc with thin ply. You can put small brads in very accurately and with one hand, which makes it a lot easier than traditional pins and a hammer.
Down in Burton is J B Kind, and the firm I worked for were next door. They've all moved to new sites now and the old ones are housing. Their website rambles on about doors etc, but their major product was, and as far as I know still is, wooden pallets. You should see their nailing machines.
Alan

[Retired]

Hi,

You brought back memories Alan regarding pallet making machines.

I used to visit Timcon exhibitions and just about every pallet making machine was on display and working as were pallet stripping machines. The noise was tremendous.

At work I designed and had made an adjustable steel table which worked as a jig and we could produce in bulk two way pallets at speed using a counter balanced nail gun; the sections would be cut in multiples on a Wadkin radial arm saw and placed on trolleys and the smallest pallets could be assembled and nailed in less than a minute.

The small electric nail/staple guns are very useful as you say Alan especially for the type of job you mention. I think it is only a matter of time before I buy one as such a gun (brad nailer) would prove very useful in cabinetmaking.

You mention ease of use Alan and this is a real bonus because to try to knock in a brad with an hammer whilst trying to position the parts is always a juggling act and the action of the hammer blows tends to loosen joints already made but with a gun it becomes incredibly simple.

Kind regards, Col.

[Mark Hennessy]

Hi Col,

What do you intend to use a nail gun for Mark and have you ever used one before?

I must admit that I don't use nails much - I accept they have their place, but I much prefer to screw or joint/glue where possible. But there are places where they are the ideal solution - for example I made a TV cabinet some years back, and the door glass is held in place with beading on the rear of the door (it sits in a rebate in the door frame). I remember that hammering in those nails was rather scary, having spent £14 (IIRC) for a nice piece of tinted glass. I pre-drilled holes in the beading to reduce the amount of hitting required, and put a sheet of ply on the glass, just in case the hammer strayed...

On the other hand, some people use "brads" rather too much. Back in the days when I subscribed to $ky, I used to enjoy watching Norm Abram in The New Yankee Workshop. But, he's frequently criticised for nailing everything. Perhaps there's a "culture difference" - but I was surprised at how often he'd build something from beautiful timber, then paint it! Given how hard it is to come by nice timber stock in this country, when I use wood to build something, I want to see it . But I guess that if you plan to paint, nails are OK providing you fill on top of them carefully first. But in that case, I still prefer screws...

A mate of mine bought a compressor/brad gun some years back. IIRC, it was a cheap deal at a B&Q superstore. I had a quick play, and was really impressed with how it worked - the fact you could hold a couple of scraps of timber in mid-air with one hand, fire the gun (and not feel anything), yet there was now a 2 inch brad holding these things together! No chance for the pieces to "drift" as you're whacking them with the hammer - very slick.

Once you've got the compressor, there's a whole world of other air-powered devices out there. Spray painting is an obvious example. And, he's found that compressed air is really useful when cleaning dust from electronics, blockages from breather pipes, etc, etc.

At my previous job, we still had a workshop where TV sets were built, and they had a decent range of toys. The nail gun was a key part - although it wasn't always used "legally", shall we say :D

Talking of screwing rather than nailing, I'm about to reap the rewards of screwing the new floorboards down in the lounge a few years back. We're getting a new boiler, and could do with upgrading the gas pipe from the meter. It travels under the front room floor into the cellar which is under the rear lounge - a run of about 4 metres. So, I'll unscrew about half of the floorboards (thank heavens for cordless drills!), lift them, then lift the insulation under the boards, lift the OSB that holds the insulation in place, then get into the crawl space beneath that room. Probably half a mornings work (there are a lot of screws!), but much, much easier than if I'd nailed them. While I'm under there, I'll install an insulated length of plastic pipe for the incoming water main - currently it's lead, but as connecting to the meter involves digging up the pavement in the street, I'll just bury a coil of plastic pipe in the front garden. Hopefully the water board might start a programme of lead main replacement one day, and we'll be ready for them if so...

All the best,

Mark