Parr's French Polish - Water Based - Voc free - 100% natural - 250ml - clear finiah

I bought this product to finish an electric guitar body. I usually use nitro cellulose spray finishes but saw online how easy to use Shellac seems to be.I chose this water based shellac for a number of reasons, not least for the fact that it is not toxic and can be applied indoors without asphyxiating the entire family and all insect life within a mile.I used the traditional French Polishing technique to wipe it on. (It’s not as daunting a process as some may think it is. This was my first try and it was easy enough once you get used to it. This product is EASY to use. It glides on - no stickyness if you keep the application cloth clean and fresh).I purchased the application equipment from the same seller. (Linen cloth, cotton wool and some wire wool).I decided to use a more diluted version of the same shellac from Parr’s as a sanding sealer just to fill in the open wood pores. (Parr’s Shellac water based sanding sealer).I added some water soluble white powder pigment to the shellac and it worked a treat.I found the finishing process was a joy-very theraputic and relaxing! As soon as one coat was finished it was dry and ready for the next. I sanded very lightly every three or four coats using 1500/2000/3000 grit wetndry paper and got a mirror like finish without even cutting with a fine cutting compound (the stuff they use for cars-like T Cut). When I finally cut it with T Cut and polished it, the finish was sooooo smooth. Like glass. Really amazing. It is also durable. It’s as hard as the nitro cellulose finish I usually use - perhaps a bit harder. It’s also a very thin finish which is always nice for a guitar’s resonance. Oh - and it looks like a cellulose finish as well. I am surprised that more people in the guitar world haven’t used this technique to colour and finish their guitars. It’s got that vintage look that nitro has and the grain can be seen as well!Love it! Water based product too!The seller was only too willing to help via email when I was starting off on the job as well. And no - I’m not affiliated or connected in any way with Parr’s. Just feel that the product is worthy of more attention. I’ll try another colour next time.

Used on my latest cigar box guitar. An absolute dream to apply with cotton wool wrapped in linen. Smooth off with wire wool 000 or as I used Micro-Mesh (a lot cleaner) and do another coat. Repeat until happy.Voila! French polishing - traditional method.Voc free so I use it inside. Water based so little mess.The finish is amazing. Like a mirror. Very satisfying. I am a beginner and found it incredibly easy to use.

Very good product,works really well

This is the first time I've used this product and I expected it to have a glossier finish. However, I will buy it again as it is very easy to use.

I've used this product on a few renovation projects now and it works well, leaving a nice deep shine if applied correctly. Apply a few light coats, let it dry in between, then a final coat mixed with a little alcohol to take off any swirls or high spots. Good product, good price.

I have found this safe to use, with some patience i have got a nice result.

I purchased this to trial compared to traditional french polish as I really wanted an environmentally friendly version to help with restoring furniture & wooden items.The only version of this I can find by this make is coloured, so will significantly darken any surface with each coat of polish. Therefore it is very difficult to predict the final colour of the item until all layers are complete. My mahogany finally became almost black in colour. This is not ideal if trying to replicate a specific colour on restoration work but could be useful in work whereby the final finish is not so important. This is slightly harder to apply than traditional french polish but not impossible. The final sheen is also not as glossy either. This is much safer to use in terms of health & fire risks. It is water based & much friendlier to the environment so would be useful in some circumstances. I await the production of a clear version when I would be able to use this in more projects.

Very pleased with this polish