Need ideas on how to "rub out" and polish shellac on mahogany veneered panels

[GaryLaroff]

This should probably later be moved to the Finishing thread but I would like to get high visibility and a number of ideas offered.

I am making a large mahogany cabinet and the sides are stiles, rails and panels.  My question regards "rubbing out" or polishing of the panels.

The panels are crotch mahogany veneer from the same flitch on 3/8 MDF and are as close to dead flat as I could make them.  The veneer is not ideal and shows some grooves between wild grain sections.  Both sides of each panel are veneered with the mirror image veneer to give the panel a look of solid wood.  They were sanded to P400 grit mostly with the RS-2E and Brilliant-2 abrasive.

The panels are 11 inches wide and about 12, 26 and 40 inches long.  The finish is BLO (boiled linseed oil) with pseudo-French polish of shellac over the damp oil.  The grain in the panels was not filled but the shellac was padded on by hand.  I mix my own de-waxed shellac and padded on 42 - 48 super-thin coats in a continuous session resulting in a fairly smooth but very thin clear shellac coat.  The finish is sometimes very shiny and sometimes shows some dull but clear streaks.  I would like to make the surface more uniform without garish glare but remain crystal clear and not be steel-wooled dull.  Then it will be waxed.

The question is what process to use and whether I just go about it by hand with wet/dry paper or if I can use Festool sanders and abrasives.

I have most of the Festool sanders and quite a lot of the abrasives.  I think the sanders include RO 125 FEQ, ETS 150/3, ETS 125, RTS 400, RS 2E and LS 130.  I have a lot of the finer abrasives including Festool and Mirka Abranet (for the ETS 125).  I also have a good stock of Platin2 S400 to S2000 for the ETS 150/3 as well as a Stickfix "STF-D 150/M8 SW" buffing pad for the ETS 150/3.  I could get a box of Platin S4000 locally but would have to buy the whole box which is over $50.

Considering the panels are not large, the shellac is fairly thin and I also have pumice, rottenstone, oil, water and rags, what do you suggest as a method of attack?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions,
Gary Laroff
Portland, Oregon

 

[Jesse Cloud]

My favorite "faster, smarter, easier" method of rubbing out is to use Abranet on a soft pad, starting at 1200, then 2000, 4000, 10000.  Get some mineral oil (or Baby Oil at the drug store for a smell that female customers will love) and thin it 50 per cent with paint thinner.  Put it in a spray bottle and spritz just a bit on.  Run the abranet at a slow speed for a few minutes, spraying on more oil if it dries up, then use a fresh clean rag to wipe off each grit.  This can be messy, so wear old clothes and spread some plastic under the piece and a couple of feet out. 

If you want to wax it, let the piece cure for a few days.  If you don't want it too shiny, feel free to stop at 2000 or wherever.  If its gets too shiny, just back up a grit.

And, of course, try it first on a test piece and handle oily rags appropriately.

BTW, I suspect Festool has an abrasive equivalent to abranet, but I have a stock of abranet and haven't researched the Festool product.

 

[GaryLaroff]

Jesse,

Those sound like good ideas.  I checked and still have a new 6" diameter Abralon kit, which I think is identical to Platin.  Abralon is "knitted fabric on foam" and goes up to P4000.  Abranet is the see-through mesh abrasive that is great is dust collection and goes up to P1000.

Which abrasive were you referring to, the foam-backed Abralon or the thin mesh Abranet?  Please check to see which model you found in 10,000 grit.

Gary Laroff

 

[mouppe]

By coincidence, I posted a couple of short videos about padding on shellac on a veneered panel a couple of days ago. They are towards the bottom of this thread.

http://festoolownersgroup.com/member-projects/children%27s-bookcase-in-walnut/

I do not advise using festools for the shellac or rubbing out part of the process, but I used a rotex with a surbuf polishing pad to polish the wax and it came out great. I prefer to rub out with 400 grit paper, as steel wool can leave little fibres in the finish and "dirty" the wax. I would not sand it any higher than this, and since you using veneer, I certainly would not use power sanders any more than for the initial sanding. You may go through the veneer, particularly with a crotch veneer.

When it came to waxing, I padded the wax on with a cloth, let it sit for half an hour, and then came back and buffed it with a clean pad with the rotex on the lowest speed.

[attachthumb=#]

 

[Jesse Cloud]

Gary,
Ooops  [embarassed], you are right.  I pulled the "polishing kit" from the shelf.  I used Abralon and it only went to 4000.  That produces a very glossy result, you might wish to stop at a lower grit.

Though I'm a fan of Festool, there's not much advantage here over any variable speed random orbit sander.  You do not want the vacuum attached during this process.

Richard is right to be cautious using a power sander on veneer.  I have used this process successfully on many panels, but its always a good idea to test it first on some scrap.

 

[grobin]

+1 on abralon, I have also had very good luck with micro-fine although I think that Abralon is easier.  A friend got one of those 3 lambs wool polishers for pen turning.  He doesn't use the wax but some auto polishing compound instead.

 

[jvsteenb]

AFAIK, Festool does not have a a similar product to replace Abranet, but the Festool alternative to Abralon is called "Platin" and is available up to 4000 grit.
Beyond that, You're really in polishing compound territory.

Seeing as you will be waxing after the shellac finish, there's really no need to go any higher, and S4000 may even be a bit over the top for a pre-wax finish.

Just my € 0,02 as usual.

Regards,

Job

 

[Sparktrician]

There's an article in Fine Woodworking (#217, January-February 2011, p. 64) on French Polishing that may help enlighten you. 

[smile]