Cutting Into a Box That Has Been French Polished
lauriamc
| Posted in General Discussion on
I would like to build a jewelry box that would be much easier to french polish prior to glue up (easier to secure flat boards, no corners, no tight spaces, etc.). My problem is that once the box is assembled I will need to saw it open to create the lid/main box. Is this order of operation doable or will taking a saw to the carcass of a french polished box somehow ruin the finish?
Replies
Whatever advice you get here, and some of it could be good, you won't really know what will happen till you do a test. Your wood species, your shellac, your tooling (tablesaw blade or hand saw, ...). I suspect without personal experience that, because shellac is pretty brittle, you may have some issues with un-clean sawn edges in the shellac. Others can chime in here if they have had success or failure.
Try it on a piece of scrap. I suspect it will fail, but it's just a guess.
You could precut 1/3 in from both sides on the tablesaw before finishing and complete the cut on the bandsaw after assembly, but the time invested in the polishing could be trashed anyway. Good luck.
I don't have any first hand experience with French polishing, however my years of woodworking experience tells me that you are creating some unnecessary hardship for yourself. I strongly suggest that you complete your box and then complete the finish whatever it is. Repairing a damaged finish is often more difficult and less successful than applying the finish in the first place.
If doing a French polish is too difficult after the box is completed, there are some alternatives that are beautiful. One that I know about that has been around many many years is an equal parts mix of tung oil (or linseed oil), mineral spirits, and oil based varnish (polyurethane works if you can't find varnish).
I've French-polished a few boxes. My couple pennies' worth - if you cut toward the center from both sides on a bandsaw, that should minimize the damage. 1st, I'd use a sacrificial board on the exit side of the blade to prevent tear-out. 2-faced tape will work with minimal, reparable dulling to the surface. Pallet wood works best as sacrificial wood cause it's usually soft.
Anyhow, set a fence so you cut from the outside in from one side then flip it over and cut outside/in. You need a good, reliable fence. Don't cut too slowly or you'll get some burning.
Mikaol
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