Thinking back on how long it took to build up a French polish.

Back when I was learning, we'd spend weeks on a single piece just for the finish. Everything was slower, from mixing the polish to waiting between coats, but the results were worth it. Do you think modern shortcuts sacrifice that depth of character?

3 comments

3 Comments

nelson.tara1mo ago

Man, that really hits home. That slow build-up is the whole point, isn't it? You can't fake those layers. My big worry is that all the modern wipe-on finishes that promise a similar look in an afternoon just create more problems down the road. Don't you find they often get gummy or wear through way faster, so you're actually redoing the work more often? That kinda seems like the opposite of saving time.

grayjohnson24d ago

Yeah, the "gummy" thing is exactly what happened to my coffee table.

morgan.robert1mo ago

But when you say they get gummy or wear through, isn't that just the old stuff? The new wipe-on finishes have gotten a lot better. Maybe @nelson.tara and I just had some bad luck years ago, but I don't see those problems much now.