Lakeone french polish restorer - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

PJL · 24th Dec 2011, 12:26 pm

This came in a box with some other furniture restoration products. It is colourless and appears to be an oil, alcohol and french polish mix. You need to treat it like french polish but it seems to work well over aged laquer, forms a good bond, fills cracks, and surprisingly soaks through to the veneer restoring the wood colour.

Suitable for cabinets where the finish is generally intact but there are fine surface cracks and apparent fading. In reality wood gains a patena with exposure to light and the finish will come up darker with more grain effect than original. Covers scratches pretty well too.

brenellic2000 · 24th Dec 2011, 4:35 pm

Furniture restorers used to make their own 'restorer' to clense, shine and cover worn, damages surfaces. Its very easily made: equal parts of 'raw' linseed oil, turpentine (NOT white spirit !), household ammonia and methylated spirits, shaken not stirred. It doesn't contain French polish - as that is best applied when the surface is smooth and clean.

It does go sour in the bottle over time (it'll pong by then), so only make what you need. Shake well, and apply with a cotton 'rubber'. Stand back and admire!

Barry

Mike Phelan · 24th Dec 2011, 6:16 pm

I use white spirit, raw linseed oil and vinegar in equal parts. Needs shaking continuously.

brenellic2000 · 25th Dec 2011, 9:54 am

Thanks Mike, I knew I had forgotten something from my recipe - white vinegar... but don't add salt!

All these recipes work in the same way; the alcohol/volatile liquids break down surface tension of the fatty compounds (dirt/grime) and lift them off; the meths breaks down the hard shellac to release grit/dust, while the linseed oil (make sure it is 'raw' not 'boiled' - both misnomers!) is left behind as a drying oil to impart a durable finish ready for a French polish touch up. Go very easy on the Meths on French polished and especially gold sized/isinglass transfers! And don't swig any of it!!

Barry

Lloyd 1985 · 25th Dec 2011, 12:29 pm

Hi,
this sounds handy, I'll have a look for some! I used Danish oil watered down with something (could have been IPA or white spirit) as an experiment on my Ferguson Personal TV, which worked quite well. It sorted out a large water stain on the top!

Regards,
Lloyd.

24th Dec 2011, 12:26 pm	#1
PJL Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seaford, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 5,997	Lakeone french polish restorer This came in a box with some other furniture restoration products. It is colourless and appears to be an oil, alcohol and french polish mix. You need to treat it like french polish but it seems to work well over aged laquer, forms a good bond, fills cracks, and surprisingly soaks through to the veneer restoring the wood colour. Suitable for cabinets where the finish is generally intact but there are fine surface cracks and apparent fading. In reality wood gains a patena with exposure to light and the finish will come up darker with more grain effect than original. Covers scratches pretty well too.

24th Dec 2011, 4:35 pm	#2
brenellic2000 Octode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 1,647	Re: Lakeone french polish restorer Furniture restorers used to make their own 'restorer' to clense, shine and cover worn, damages surfaces. Its very easily made: equal parts of 'raw' linseed oil, turpentine (NOT white spirit !), household ammonia and methylated spirits, shaken not stirred. It doesn't contain French polish - as that is best applied when the surface is smooth and clean. It does go sour in the bottle over time (it'll pong by then), so only make what you need. Shake well, and apply with a cotton 'rubber'. Stand back and admire! Barry

24th Dec 2011, 6:16 pm	#3
Mike Phelan Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Near Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK Posts: 4,609	Re: Lakeone french polish restorer I use white spirit, raw linseed oil and vinegar in equal parts. Needs shaking continuously. __________________ Mike.

25th Dec 2011, 9:54 am	#4
brenellic2000 Octode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 1,647	Re: Lakeone french polish restorer Thanks Mike, I knew I had forgotten something from my recipe - white vinegar... but don't add salt! All these recipes work in the same way; the alcohol/volatile liquids break down surface tension of the fatty compounds (dirt/grime) and lift them off; the meths breaks down the hard shellac to release grit/dust, while the linseed oil (make sure it is 'raw' not 'boiled' - both misnomers!) is left behind as a drying oil to impart a durable finish ready for a French polish touch up. Go very easy on the Meths on French polished and especially gold sized/isinglass transfers! And don't swig any of it!! Barry

25th Dec 2011, 12:29 pm	#5
Lloyd 1985 Nonode Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK. Posts: 2,819	Re: Lakeone french polish restorer Hi, this sounds handy, I'll have a look for some! I used Danish oil watered down with something (could have been IPA or white spirit) as an experiment on my Ferguson Personal TV, which worked quite well. It sorted out a large water stain on the top! Regards, Lloyd.