Pye MM

[Tedzed1]

I think age related battle-scars on old vintage equipment is nice, it sort of tells a story of it's history.

[Joe]

No dramatic developments today, just steady progress.

   

- Joe

[Mark R]

Looking good Joe, amazing how well the holes have filled in.

cheers Mark

[Joe]

Thanks, Mark. To be truthful they are a little bit concave they must have absorbed more polish than the surrounding wood. You have to look close though and it's certainly better than it was.

Photographs won't show what improvement there has been today but here's one with the speaker cloth bunged roughly in to give an idea of what it will ultimately look like:-

   

- Joe

[Joe]

Today I've been working on the handles:-

   

They should be ready for flatting in the morning.

I must remember to mix some more shellac up tonight.

- Joe

[Mark Hennessy]

I must remember to mix some more shellac up tonight.

And once you've done that, how about a simple guide to your polishing technique for ham-fisted people like me who are itching to progress beyond Danish oil

Cheers,

Mark

[Joe]

I don't think Col would approve of my methods!

You can get very good results by just brushing 1 in 3 shellac on and then sanding it down with fine (600 grade minimum) wet and dry and then polishing it.

I will write something more detailed later.

By the way, I do agree with Col that Danish Oil is nasty. It's great for outdoor things where the main object is preservation but its more messing about than it's worth indoors.

- Joe

[Mark Hennessy]

Thanks Joe - that's a good start

I wonder why some people don't like Danish oil? I agree that it's not appropriate for an old Woody, but for new work, or perhaps the side-cheeks of a Roberts or Hacker, it's pretty good. The Roberts sets were oiled originally, but the Hackers were varnished or lacquered - that said, once sanded and oiled, they look much the same to my untrained eye. And once oiled, it seems easier to deal with light scratches when the happen in the future...

Oil has the major advantage of being very very simple - even I can do it! Admittedly, with time, it can turn pine orange, and I have used wax rather than oil for some pine projects with good results, but the wax was a lot more effort than oil, and I don't think I achieved a very good result - but I'm happier with the way the wood has kept the same hue over the years...

All input welcome

Mark

[Joe]

My beef with Danish Oil is that compared to shellac it takes too long to cure and when it has it's too glossy. Basically I'd just as soon use varnish. I did the top of an old console gramophone cabinet with it some weeks ago but found that if I stood anything on it it marked as though it was still soft. I've since shellaced it and all has been well.

For Roberts sides I'd do them with linseed oil on a plastic pan-scrubber to even out the dirt and colour and then stick to beeswax. You don't get quick results but, in my humble opinion at least, they are worth the wait.

I've been a bit tied up today but have managed to just about finish the MM's handles:-

   

- Joe

[Joe]

Oh well, Mark, you asked for it:-

This is not a "How to French Polish" article but a description of how I do it. From reading books and watching YouTube videos it seems as though there are as many variations as there are people doing it so it certainly isn't a case of Right or Wrong.

The polish itself is shellac dissolved in meths. Shellac comes in three shades: Blonde, Button and Garnet which translates as clear, middle and dark. I stick to Blonde as I can darken that but not lighten the others.

The old adage "It's all in the prep" applies very much here and the first thing is to get the wood you wish to polish as smooth as possible, and that includes marks left by rough glass paper.

Applying a coat of linseed oil will do no harm and is a good way of wiping away any remaining dust. I used boiled because it's what I've got and it seems fine. If you haven't got any at all it certainly isn't essential.

For the polish put one part (I use table-spoons) shellac to three of meths and in a bottle or jar and then leave it for twenty-four hours. Periodically shaking it will help it dissolve but don't panic when it looks like it's never going to. It's as well to keep this mixture in stock and then decant smaller quantities for use. These can be thinned or coloured as required.

The first job is to build up a coating of shellac which you can later polish and which will fill the grain of the wood. It dries quickly and it won't take long to get three or four coats on. Let these harden for at least a few hours (depending how warm it is) and preferably over-night.

At this stage your wood will be looking rather nice so the next job is to spoil it by 'Flatting.'

This involves sanding out all the brush strokes and other marks. Use wet and dry abrasive no courser than 600 grade (remember the LOWER the number the ROUGHER it is). I spray whatever I'm working on with a plant-sprayer filled with water but different people use different lubricants so there's scope to experiment.

Ideally you'll end up with a uniformly matt finish which looks like frosted glass. If you still have shiny bits in the wood grain then it needs some more polish brushing on and flatting again until they are all filled. How obsessive you are about this is personal choice.

It is possible to apply a grain filler before starting but I've never bothered as it's something else to buy and I've also been concerned that it may fall out or be the wrong colour.

When you have got a flatted finish to your satisfaction it's time to start the actual French Polishing. This is done with a "Rubber." All this is is a lump of cotton wool wrapped in a cloth. I've got a supply of old linen which I use but the main thing is that it isn't fluffy. Put the cotton wool in the middle and then screw it up. The important thing is that the "Sole" at the bottom is smooth.

Now thin your polish down a bit and but some on the sole of the rubber. Rub it around in a circular motion on the work piece. Don't stop with it in contact as it may pull the existing polish off. The point of this operation is to apply further thin coats of shellac but to also soften what's already there and smooth it out.

If at any point the rubber feels sticky stop and let things re-harden properly before continuing. The rubber can be kept usable by being stored in a plastic bag.

Keep doing this with progressively thinner polish until you end up with straight meths. It's as well to finish off with straight strokes along the grain as this will hide any marks that remain.

Now give it a day or so to fully harden and then polish it with either proper "Burnishing Cream," T-Cut or Brasso before giving a final polish with beeswax.


For colouring I use crystals which also dissolve in meths. This solution may be added to shellac polish, beeswax or even Danish Oil. It can also be used as a wood dye. When I did my Pye MM I initially gave it a coat of shellac and then applied this dye. My idea was that if it went horribly wrong I wasn't staining the actual wood so could strip it off and start again.

As both are based on meths over-coatings of shellac can lift the dye and as you're dipping your brush in it will mix with the polish. Therefore nothing is lost but that polish will no longer be clear. This is why it's useful to pour out small amounts from a larger stock.


All materials mentioned above (except the meths) have come from: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/endlessgreen

As for meths, a gallon bottle (even allowing for postage off e-Bay) works out about half the price of the little 500cc bottles normally on sale.

- Joe