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I just finished removing the French Polish from a guitar top...The top had some blemishes that I didn't like so I decided to redo it....I am not going to remove the bridge to do this.....The guestion is does anybody see any problems with French Polishing the bridge also...Larry.

Larry no problem in terms of do-ability. You will find it more difficult to body, spirit-off, glaze and polish up tight around the bridge. Take your time and pinch a point into the muneca to get into the 90 degree surface changes well. Try to avoid a build-up in the corners formed by the top and bridge. I am not going to kid you it is tough to get the 90 degree surface changes right. Especially small tight ones like bridge to top joints but it is more than do-able.

Larry, I always glue on the bridge and do the final top tuning before I French polish the soundboard, and find that the problems are more imagined than actual. Polishing into the corners is simply a matter of having a small and pointed muneca, I sometime, if I remember, make one with a felt wedge for the filler, this makes it easier. Don't worry too much about getting polish on the bridge, this is very easily scraped off with a scalpel blade once the polish is hard.

I've done about 30 like this and it bcomes second nature.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Colin how do you handle spiriting off, stiffing and glazing with the bridge in place. do you crossgrain spirit-off and glaze up around the bridge?

Yes, Michael although I use a combination of directions at the start, I find it no problem at all, but I am a fanatical stiffer and glazer, and will probably spend as much time doing this as bodying. A lot of classical builders do this, I know Joshua puts the bridge on first to tune the top as I do, but I also do it with steel strings and I defy anyone to look at the finish and guess. With stiffing particularly I start with a fair degree of pressure and then gradually reduce it so that at the end of the session I'm just kissing the top. Don't forget that I never use abrasives after I start polishing.

It may be a policy that needs some experience with French polishing.

Colin

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

A bit of a thread hijack here but I didn't think it necessary to start a completely new one on a similar topic. That being said, after a million back-and-forths, I have decided to go with a Tru-Oil finish of the entire guitar. In this case should I finish before the bridge is on or not? I understand the process of masking off and removing the finish for the bridge, so if that is the case I can certainly do it that way. But it sounds like some leave the bridge on for FP shellac... would it be similar with Tru-Oil? TIA

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

Chasen,
Somewhat the same. How the film builds and the application stroke is not exactly the same but for the most part all that has been mentioned here would still apply

Thanks Colin,
I have figured as much as that was the only way I have found to deal with the obstruction. You have to under stand I have had a ruler to back of my hand on more than one occasions by grandfather for stiffing or glazing against the grain on furnishing and cabinets as a youngster so my natural instinct is to avoid cross grain stiffing and glazing where possible.

I always finish the polishing before I put on the bridge...In this case I wasn't pleased with the finish......A French Polish is not very forgiving if there are any flaws or blemishes but is very easy to redo....I decided to leave the bridge in place instead of removing it....I usually finish the bridge in lemon oil.....I was just wondering this time......Instead of masking the bridge...Does anybody just French Polish the bridge also......What would be the disadvantage of doing this...Larry

Michael, to my mind once you have a decent build on the wood the grain direction becomes immaterial, the aim is to have a perfectly smooth surface which can be achieved in any direction.

Larry, if you want to FP the bridge, go ahead, I know a number of classical builders who do just that.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I have on repair jobs and yes others do but a lot. Most just want a polished oil finish but my Bellucci is nitro'ed so it is just a personal preference thing. Nothing wrong with French polishing it

Steel string can be a bit of a headache because of the pin holes. but then again classical have a lot if edges to deal with.

I did, but I need to work on around the bridge some. Not as smooth there as other places. Still have a way to go though.

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Waddy

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Sound Clips of most of my guitars

In the 1800's, Martin used french polish technique to finish their bridges, if you run into one of the rare ones that has not been sanded, or otherwise worked on, you'll not a nice look to the ebony that does not come from polishing alone.

Best
Bruce

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Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."