How to get super high gloss w/ French Polish?

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Craig Bumgarner
Posts: 377
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:03 pm
Location: Drayden, Maryland

Re: How to get super high gloss w/ French Polish?

Post by Craig Bumgarner »

How much pressure should be applied to the pad when French Polishing. I tend to push fairly hard and I guess I do this because it feels like that is what is needed to express the shellac out of the pad, but maybe I am over doing this.

Are there differences in pressure between the bodying and glazing phases?

cb
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Waddy Thomson
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:11 pm
Location: Charlotte, NC

Re: How to get super high gloss w/ French Polish?

Post by Waddy Thomson »

My initial glazing sessions are with firm pressure, then as the gloss improves, I get lighter and lighter. At the end it's pretty light passes. But, that's just me.
Craig Bumgarner
Posts: 377
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:03 pm
Location: Drayden, Maryland

Re: How to get super high gloss w/ French Polish?

Post by Craig Bumgarner »

I have a guitar top pretty well bodied up, but still have not filled some very small grain tears in the rosette. Any suggestions? CA? or just keep bodying these areas?

CB
Chuck Tweedy
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Location: San Diego, CA

Re: How to get super high gloss w/ French Polish?

Post by Chuck Tweedy »

I would use CA.
If you drop-fill with medium thickness CA - accurately - into the holes,
Then scrape that down very carefully...

You can get a pretty good fill that will not have a strange color.

I was going to suggest pumice, but that will not work well if the fill has to be totally clear to look good.
On the top, pumice tends to have a very light tan color - but mostly opaque.
Likes to drink Rosewood Juice
Craig Bumgarner
Posts: 377
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:03 pm
Location: Drayden, Maryland

Re: How to get super high gloss w/ French Polish?

Post by Craig Bumgarner »

Thanks Chuck, CA worked fine, just like you said. Drop fill and scraped with a razor blade to get close, the 400g adhesive backed sandpaper stick to a 10mm x 15mm sanding block for final leveling. Worked great, completely unnoticeable.
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