Before painted furniture can be French polished, the paint must be removed; do this as explained on p. 237. Should the furniture have been finished out with enamel paint or varnish with a spirit basis instead of paint, strong soda water, or a solution of hot borax and rock ammonia, should be used; or, if the lime is objected to, try the following. 1/4lb. of American potash, 1/2lb. of soft soap, 1/4lb. of rock ammonia, 1 lb. of washing soda, and 1 gal. of water. The outer coverings of the upholstering should have been removed before commencing, and they should not be replaced till the polishing is completed. If the furniture is of mahogany, it should now be a dark colour, which only needs wiping over with red oil, made as on p. 41, and a trace of red in the polish to ensure a rich dark mahogany or Chippendale colour. A red colour is imparted to the polish by adding one pennyworth of Bismarck brown to each pint. In French polishing, a pad of wadding enclosed in fine rag is used. Saturate the wadding, cover it with the rag, and draw it up tightly till it presents a face free from creases.

The pad should then be applied with continuous, uniform, circular strokes with slight pressure at first, recharging the pad with fresh polish at frequent intervals, taking care that every portion of the wood receives an equal but not excessive body of polish. A few spots of linseed oil should be occasionally applied to the face of the pad to prevent it sticking. If the surface of the furniture is uneven, it is impossible for an inexperienced worker to finish it out perfectly bright with polish only. When the furniture appears uniform in colour, and the grain is filled up, it should be finished by the application of at least two coats of best quality brown hard spirit varnish.