French polish for a showpiece handrail

摘要

The owners of a newly restored home decided early on that they wanted their stairway and mahogany handrails to be special. After some deep research, they decided on a handrail profile from Hardwood Design in Exeter, R.I. After I showed them a variety of finish samples for the handrail, they picked one of the oldest finishes in the books, a spirit varnish that was French-polished. Although I didn't use an authentic French polish (I didn't use the traditional filler), the rest of my process was the same. I dyed, stained, and filled the grain, then brushed on varnish and padded the surface into a high gloss. The beauty in this type of finish is threefold: The finish is thin, it's highly tactile, and it makes the wood grain glow with inner light.