French Polishing: Finishing and Restoring Using Traditional Techniques Paperback – February 5, 2013

There are a number of ways of achieving this finish through todays finishes. However if one wantsto embellish with a historical finish that reads well done this is the method!

Good source book for information.

Great Book .If anything it's a bit over done , meaning that it has information that is not needed to be precise .

A depth of useful knowledge covering all aspects of french polishing written in an easy, flowing style. Practical, with useful hints and background.

This has the basic information on French Polishing, but not everything, so I returned it. It did not have the information on filling the grain that I was looking for.

He may be able to polish but he's not good at educating. It's a short book with too much space devoted to general finishing topics. Virtually no discussion of shellac itself and mixing. He doesn't adequately discuss the grades of shellac, considerations of using waxy or dewaxed shellac and how to dewax or filter when necessary. No mention of solvent versus alkali-refined shellac. He doesn't mention what 'cut' is and shows mixing shellac using dyed Methyl alcohol without mentioning that it's toxic and not desirable to soak your hands in it or breathe it for extended periods. I only use Ethyl for French polish. Not so important if you're using a brush. No mention of other alcohols besides Methyl and Ethyl. He doesn't mention that alcohol is very hygroscopic and the necessity of using a very pure variety rather than some generic 'denatured' alcohol. He recommends mixing shellac with varnish as a sealer. Not to say I didn't possibly learn a few tidbits to try but this isn't a recipe for success for a beginner. Watch Fernandez' DVD on French Polishing for Guitar Makers and read a few other books plus several good FAQs on shellac which can be found with an internet search. This isn't all that difficult but takes practice, a light touch, it's very time-consuming and you do need to understand the materials and process.

This book does not deal with the subject in depth.

Most of the book is not about French polishing. Also, near the beginning there is a statement to the effect that "pumice is used in French polishing". As far as I can tell, pumice is never mentioned again, and is not listed in the index. Having said that, if you have done any internet research on the subject of French polishing, you know that there are many variations on the 'proper' procedure, some of which are downright Byzantine in their complexity (e.g. lmii).

Great book - just perfect! Great information and beautiful photos.

molto molto generico, a mio parere questo testo non aiuta a chiarire i dubbi sull utilizzo della gommalacca; non lo consiglio

An easy read, with straight forward explanations of this intriguing skill. It will take patience but I have already stripped back and repaired an old coffee in desparate need for some care. One great compliment by a friend is enough to encourage me to experiment and be guided by Derek from afar. I have much to learn and Derek is an excellent teacher.

A very good book, especially for the beginner. It gives a brief explanation of how to do all aspects of french polishing from start to finish but, as I say, most of the explanations are brief. Having said that, a lot of french polishing is about experience and so, using this book as a guide it becomes a very useful tool.

Clear instructions on how to achieve your aim. This method is going out of style as it takes some effort,what a shame as the end effect is wonderful. Couldn't find anywhere to learn so this book is great. Step by step it explains everything clearly.