French Polishing and Traditional Shellac Revival
This service is for antique desks, credenzas and console tables with hazy, cracked or bloom-affected shellac. We wash away built-up household wax, spirit off surface grime, and build fresh layers of button shellac with a traditional fad. The timber depth returns with a deep, warm gloss.
What is included
- ✓Wax and silicone removal with white spirit solvents
- ✓Amalgamation of minor crazing using pure alcohol spirits
- ✓Pore filling with fine pumice powder and raw linseed oil
- ✓Multi-pass fad application of refined blonde or button shellac
- ✓Spiriting off to eliminate surface rubber marks
- ✓Final microcrystalline wax coat for handle protection
Request a Free Repair Estimate
Submit your details and photos; our joiner will call you back today to discuss options.
Questions about this service
Can French polish take hot coffee mugs?
No. Shellac is sensitive to heat and moisture. You must use coasters on French polished surfaces at all times.
What is the difference between French polish and modern lacquer?
French polish uses natural tree resin dissolved in alcohol, laid by hand in micro-thin layers. Lacquer is sprayed plastic that looks flatter.
Can white heat marks on a sideboard be spirited away?
If the moisture is trapped in the shellac and not in the wood below, we can spirit it out without stripping the entire sideboard top.
Why Choose Our Workshop
Restores original warmth
Shellac brings out the chatoyancy and fiddleback grain of aged mahogany.
Non-destructive process
We do not strip to raw timber when original patina can be saved and revived.
Reversible finish
Traditional shellac can be dissolved and reworked decades from now without wood loss.
Our Workmanship Guarantee
Every joint we glue and finish we apply is covered for twelve months against structural failure and lifting under normal indoor use. If a reglued joint loosens or a sealed surface peels, we return and put it right at no added charge. Pricing & payment
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What Customers Report
Our Victorian walnut table had two split leaves and loose legs. Arthur picked it up, re-glued the runners, and oiled the top. The table sits level on our floorboards and holds six people easily.
Julian M., Islington, London, GBThe beech dining chairs had wobbled for three years. They dismantled every joint, cleaned the old glue out, and clamped them tight. Solid as iron now. Payment was simple via bank transfer after inspection.
Claire T., Camden, London, GBRemoved dark water rings from a Danish teak credenza without taking away the original color. One drawer needed realigning afterwards, which they sorted on the spot.
Marcus B., Hackney, London, GBHave a Broken or Marked Piece of Furniture?
Send us two clear photos of the damage along with approximate measurements. We will review the timber and call you back within four working hours with an itemised quote.