doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Parker French Polish question.

Thanks. That's what I'll do. I've also sent an email to Zinsser to see if they can provide me with the formulation for their circa 1900 orange shellac. Perhaps its the same as their amber product, possibly renamed for marketing purposes. Hopefully they'll respond with the info.
Ken

Phunter, here's an LC question. Were your barrels and receiver recolored? If so, how? I'm also set up for slow rust bluing as well as case coloring receivers, so any info on processes would be appreciated.

Thanks
Ken

French Polishing if done right is a very rewarding finish. As stated the wood has to be prepped. What you need is alcohol, shellac (Zinsser's Amber) 3-in-1 oil, a large cotton ball and a 4" square piece of lint free cotton material (old T shirt).
Soak the cotton ball in the alcohol and then squeeze it out. Wrap the 4" square piece of cotton cloth tightly around the cotton ball. use a popsicle stick or small piece of dowel and dip it into the shellac, and let a drop or two fall on your ball. Start at the hell, toe, and rub in a circular motion the size of a silver dollar and then lift off, do not let it sit on the wood at the end of your stroke. Put another drop or two on the ball and then put ONE drop of oil on it also, rub in a circular motion over the area you did and move but over-lap your previous spot. Do this over and over again until you are done. It takes about an hour to do the whole stock. If you decide to stop and rest, no problem, just begin again and go over the spot where you started.
The oil is added to help the shellac ball slide over the surface and the wood will not water stain.



If you want to read the best book ever on French Polishing, get "Adventures in Wood Finishing" by George Frank.

Thanks. I'm fairly decent at the technique, due to other woodworking projects. I also lucked into a couple of old, unopened cans of Japan Drier (Redwing)at an estate sale, the stuff with all the old illegal antifungals in it (Mercury, etc.) so I can at some point try a traditional oil finish.

Here's a metal related question for anyone who has done this. In the PGCA FAQ on barrel refinishing, they recommend Watco Danish Oil (neutral) to coat the barrels. (Damascus and Twist) Would this also apply to receivers?
Ken

Ken, Watco or Formby's Tung oil work great on metal. Keep the coat thin.

Thanks. After more research I'm considering formulating my own Danish Oil. It's merely a combination of oil, varnish, sprit and drier, but making my own will allow me to add more Tung oil. At this time, I'm considering a 1:1:1 mix of Tung oil, polymerized varnish, and spirit. I'll then add a small amount of drier to the mix. Anyone else make your own?

I've never heard of using 3-in-1 oil to do a french polish. What benefits does the 3-in-1 have over linseed or olive oil?

"I've never heard of using 3-in-1 oil to do a french polish. What benefits does the 3-in-1 have over linseed or olive oil?"

And I have never heard of using linseed oil or olive oil.

Boiled Linseed oil in itself is a great finish. The ONE drop of 3-in-1 is all that is added every time you re-apply the shellac.

As to the reply from Ken, I have made my own trying to follow a recipe from 100 years ago. Can get pretty close with todays ingredients, but to tell you the truth, on a low graded gun you cannot beat True Oil.

Hmmm. I have been trying to get the 3-in-1 oil "out" of my gunstocks. I guess I'll have to rethink that.

Your method of using 3-in-1 is indeed interesting JDW. I won't argue with your results.