French Polishing for Guitar Makers
How to apply a shellac finish using traditional French polishing techniques
Description
French polishing for guitar makers
I have been making classical guitars for many years now, and most of these guitars have been French polished. It took me several years to get to the stage where I was confident of regularly achieving a satisfactory finish, and a few more before I could claim that French polishing was no longer a black art, and that I would be happy with the results (almost) every time.
This course will give you the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to apply a shellac finish using the traditional French polishing method.
The course is divided into eight sections:
Materials - descriptions of materials required and possible suppliers
Preparation - how to prepare the guitar for polishing
Basic polishing techniques - how to apply shellac using traditional techniques (off the guitar)
Grain filling - filling the grain on open-pored woods
Bodying up - building up the finish on the guitar (this section is presented in two video sessions)
Final polishing session - how to achieve a flat, gloss finish
Burnishing - bringing the surfaces to a mirror shine.
The course uses mainly videos, which are essential when teaching such a practical skill, but the course also includes some written notes to back up the video content, and to give more details where necessary.
What You Will Learn!
- How to French polish a guitar
- Preparation, polishing techniques, materials and finishing
Who Should Attend!
- Guitar makers and repairers
- Hobby luthiers
- Cabinet makers