French Polishing 145 



shaped into a suitable pad for polishing. Before applying it 

 to the wood, however, two or three drops of raw linseed oil 

 must be placed exactly upon the spot that will be in contact 

 with the wood, in order to prevent its sticking to the semi-solid 

 surface. The pad is at once rubbed backwards and forwards 

 along the outside edges of the surface to be polished, without 

 sufficient pressure, at first, to cause much liquid to flow through 

 the linen cover, and the whole enclosed surface covered with 

 a circular motion, until each part has been treated. Then 

 in long swinging strokes, in the direction of the grain, the 

 pad now freed from much of its solution is pressed a 

 little harder upon the wood, a little linseed oil being added 

 now and again as before, until presently a slight pull is felt 

 upon the pad or " rubber." This is the time to polish, which 

 is done by slightly increasing the pressure upon the now 

 almost dry pad or rubber, and continuing the circular motion, 

 after every few strokes wiping the edge of the surface, in order 

 to prevent liquid trickling over the edge, and making an 

 unsightly mark upon the still unpolished portion. 



Presently the stickiness will increase so that it may be 

 difficult to move the rubber easily across the surface ; more 

 oil, applied instantly, will cure this, and the pressure should 

 be gradually taken off until the well-oiled rubber is moving 

 about the surface as lightly as at first. In these few moments 

 the true polish appears, and, when satisfactory, should be 

 left, the whole operation being repeated upon another face 

 until the object has received one complete coat. In warm 

 weather, or in a room at 60 F., a coat should be left an hour 

 before being again touched, after which it may be glass-papered 

 with some well-used very fine glass-paper, until practically the 

 whole of the polish is removed. If this temperature be not 

 easily attained, the work should be left a longer period 

 without touching, then glass-papered down as before. 



A second, similarly applied coating of polish will give 

 the required surface almost at once, with very little pressure, 

 and a third, after once more glass -papering down, will 

 practically complete, the "bodying-up" of the work, and indeed 

 with the result so obtained most of us may be content, the 



L 



