French Polishing with Derek Jones

Next course: 16th May, 2025. 

Despite the fact that we’ve all heard of the term French polish and shellac, it’s amazing to think that very few of us actually know what it is and how to do it. It has a reputation for being difficult to master, time consuming and not nearly as robust as some other finishes. But here’s the bottom line: none of the above is true. Sure, you’ll need to keep your wits about you when you’re doing it, but a perfect shellac finish will be touch dry while the first coat of oil is still attracting bugs and dust. And as for fragile, don’t you believe it.

In this one-day course you’ll mix your own shellac polish from flakes and create your own blend of wax from raw materials. You’ll learn to assess and manipulate the colour temperature of a project to disguise faults in the timber and mask repairs. We can’t teach you all you need to know about French polishing in one day but you will have grasped the basics and have the necessary information to go on and perfect your technique in your own time.

This course is held at our state-of-art new workshop ‘robinson house studio’ in Newhaven, East Sussex. The class will be taught by Derek Jones, once editor of Furniture & Cabinetmaking magazine and author of French Polishing, Finishing & Restoring Using Traditional Techniques.

Derek Jones has a wealth of experience as a maker and tutor to pass on to you!

Cost: One day £150 plus materials (approx. £40)

Further info:

Please note: If you are buying this course as a gift or your PayPal account details are not up-to-date, please enter contact details for the course attendee below.

Any questions don’t hesitate to email us at admin@marcfish.co.uk.

Contact Derek here for further details.