Quick French Polishing Question

[hawthorn1213]

Hey,

I'm getting ready to finish up my first flat top mandolin with a mortise and tenon neck joint. When doing a french polish finish, do you guys typically finish the top/sound plate before attaching the neck? If not, how do you finish the area underneath the fretboard after the neck is attached?

Thanks in advance!

[HoGo]

Hey,

I'm getting ready to finish up my first flat top mandolin with a mortise and tenon neck joint. When doing a french polish finish, do you guys typically finish the top/sound plate before attaching the neck? If not, how do you finish the area underneath the fretboard after the neck is attached?

Thanks in advance!

two possibilities:
- reshape your pad to thin longish shape that can reach under the extension or fold longer piece of cloth few times so you get long pad that you can hold by it's ends and polish under the extension. Technique should be adjusted so you lay the shellac properly
- use brush to brush base coat of shellac intight spots and use reshaped pad to reach into the tight areas to blend the sheen with rest. I usually brush inside corners at neck joint and other tight spots with soft artist brush for this same reason as well. Let the shellac dry before you blend the areas.

[Marty Jacobson]

As long as it is pre-dyed to match the rest of the instrument and has a couple coats of shellac in that area already, it blends in fine. Like Adrian said, some creativity is needed to get those areas to blend.. personally I go for the "flossing" technique by using a section of a nearly-ready-to-retire pad (not fresh but already glazed from use) and then threading it under the extension to blend. No need to do the whole top before assembly.