Repolishing, though practically the same as French polishing, calls for more tact if the article is dirt-begrimed, broken, or bruised, and entirely different in colour from what it was when first finisbed. Assuming that such an article is to be repolished, it should first be cleansed. For this purpose, dissolve a teacupful of common washing soda in lgal. of warm water, and well rub the article, using, if necessary, a little pumice-stone powder or powdered Bath brick, and afterwards wiping quite dry. Any necessary repairs should be attended to, doors unhinged, and all carvings, knobs, brass fittings, etc., removed. Bruises in the wood may be generally drawn up level by pressing an old flat file, made black-hot, on several thicknesses of wet brown paper placed on the wood. A bad bruise should be scraped out with a cabinet-maker's scraper and filled up with a mixture of equal parts of resin and beeswax melted together and coloured with Venetian red or umber,to match the wood. Having made good all defects, wipe over with a rag moistened with linseed oil, which will cause the old and faded work to appear darker where the polish is removed; on comparatively new work a light place will show.

This difference in colour requires to be matched by the aid of stains, dry colours, or dyed polish; light mahogany places are darkened by wiping over with strong soda water, lime water, or solutions of bichromate of potash, and light places in walnut by wiping over with one pennyworth of asphaltum dissolved in 1/2pt. of turps. If the faded polish or light places are not matched by the above means, body the portion up by passing the polish pad over it several times to prevent the grain rising: then colour up by mixing suitable pigments in 1 part polish and 3 parts spirit. For walnut, add dry brown umber or Vandyke brown with a little black, and apply with a small tuft of wadding or a camel-hair brush. A wavy appearance may be obtained by a tremulous movement of the hand, and a mottled appearance by gently dabbing with a badger softener or a soft dusting brush, such as a sash tool, while wet. If rosewood, mix a little red stain and black, and after allowing the stain to set for a few minutes, smooth down with fine worn glasspaper, and apply a thin coat of spirit varnish. The polishing ingredients are the same as for new work, but thinner.

A tinge of red stain in the polish improves walnut, mahogany, and rosewood; but if for the purpose of matching any particular portion, a strong colour should be used on the polishing pad. finishing off with clean polish on another rubber. All carved portions, mouldings, and parts difficult to finish with a pad should be given an even coat of varnish. Many articles may be improved by simply applying one or more coats of good quality spirit varnish, for which the following is a recipe. Shellac, 4 oz.; sandarach, 4oz.; mastic, 1/2 oz.; Venice turpentine, 1 oz.; camphor, 10 gr.; oil of turpentine, 1/2 oz.; and methylated spirit, 1 pt. Shake well over a gentle heat and carefully strain through muslin before using, and apply with a camel-hair brush in a fairly hot room. For common goods, such as kitchen furniture, the following will suffice. Shellac, 4oz.; resin, 2oz.; benzoin, 2 oz.; and methylated spirit, 1 pt. To make a red stain, dissolve one pennyworth of Bismarck brown in 1/4pt. of spirit. A few drops added to polish or varnish will give a reddish tinge.