Take a piece of wadding, soft and pliable, and on it drop a few drops of white or transparent polish or French polish, according to the color of the wood. Wrap the wetted wadding up in a piece of old linen, forming it into a pad; and hold it by the surplus linen; then touch with one or two drops of linseed oil. Pass the pad gently over the parts to be polished, working it round in small circles, occasionally re-wetting the wadding in polish, and the pad with a drop or so of oil. The object of the oil is merely to cause the pad to run over the wood easily without sticking, therefore as little as possible should be used, as it tends to deaden the polish to a certain extent.

Where a carving is to be polished after having been varnished, the same process is necessary, but it can only be applied to the plainer portions of the work. Plane surfaces must be made perfectly smooth with glass paper before polishing, as every scratch or mark will show twice as much after the operation. When the polish is first rubbed on the wood, it is called the bodying in; it will sink into the wood and not give much glaze. It must, when dry, have another body rubbed on, and a third generally finishes it; but if not, the operation must be repeated. Just before the task is completed, greasy smears will show themselves; these will disappear by continuing the gentle rubbing without oiling the pad.