French Polishing is a technique for finishing wood (French Polish is not a substance, as usually assumed). It creates a very high gloss, deep colour and tough surface. The technique consists of applying many thin coats of shellac using a rubbing pad.
The process is time-consuming and very repetitive. The finish is obtained through a combination of different rubbing motions, allowing each layer to dry thoroughly; gradually building up layers of polish and then spiriting off any streaks left in the surface.
The rubbing pad is lubricated with oil which is integrated into the overall finish. This helps to prevent the pad from lifting previously applied layers of shellac.
In Victorian times, French Polishing was most often used on Mahogany and other hard woods, and was considered to give the best possible finish to exclusive furniture, but because this was very labour intensive and therefore costly, many major manufacturers abandoned the technique in about 1930. Instead they began to use the cheaper and quicker techniques of spray finishing with nitrocellulose lacquer and abrasive buffing.