Comments on: My Introduction to the ‘Polissoir’ – Roubo’s Wax Polisher http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/my-introduction-to-the-polissoir-roubos-wax-polisher Woodworking advice, woodworking plans, woodworking projects and woodworking blogs Sun, 19 May 2013 08:15:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Ay2Phttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/my-introduction-to-the-polissoir-roubos-wax-polisher/comment-page-1#comment-74388 Ay2P Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:31:06 +0000 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=237801#comment-74388 Hi Chris
Is Don still taking orders on the polissoire?
He is not replying to my request
Thanks
Eric

]]> By: Erichttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/my-introduction-to-the-polissoir-roubos-wax-polisher/comment-page-1#comment-72758 Eric Sun, 17 Feb 2013 03:37:32 +0000 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=237801#comment-72758 Hi Chris, a bit late but….
Now I found a way to make me a polissoir. Cheap and easy. First the straw were bought at a home centre ( a small broom = 4$ ). Then I cut the thing to retreve the straw. I tied it up with a tie wrap just to help me hold it. Then I used a “clamptite” sold by Lee Valley to permanently tie the thing very tight. For aesthetics I will put a bit of leather around it. Maybe not… Now I can make me a dozen if I want and it took me, 15 minutes to make :-) thanks for the tip, I overlooked the polisssoir in the original book ( i can read the thing, even if it is old french).
Cheers
Eric

]]> By: andersoncustom@gmail.comhttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/my-introduction-to-the-polissoir-roubos-wax-polisher/comment-page-1#comment-61851 andersoncustom@gmail.com Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:04:28 +0000 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=237801#comment-61851 I was recently refinishing a door and needed a method of cleaning off the stripper. I used saw dust to absorb it, and that made me think of something that my dad told me about 20 years ago. We were in his boyhood church and I was admiring the floor. He told me that floor was polished using horses pulling bails of straw. It’s like an extremely large scale polissoir.

]]> By: copain des copeauxhttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/my-introduction-to-the-polissoir-roubos-wax-polisher/comment-page-1#comment-55311 copain des copeaux Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:08:29 +0000 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=237801#comment-55311 hello!
I don’t know how things are going with the translation of “l’art du menuisier” but I would be glad to help!

]]> By: whintorhttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/my-introduction-to-the-polissoir-roubos-wax-polisher/comment-page-1#comment-54661 whintor Sat, 22 Sep 2012 09:46:22 +0000 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=237801#comment-54661 Here in France, despite the fact that Napoleon introduced metrication in the early 19th century, the idea of pounds and inches still persists.
The french for pound is “livre”, and in any market a livre of vegetables will get you 500gm (about 1lb 2oz). and a demi-livre 250gm.
Similarly, inch is “pouce”, which is also the word for thumb. It is strange, but faucets are supplied in inch sizes, not metric!!
The polissoir that Roubo knew was described in some texts as being made of “joncs”, that is rushes – a much tougher material than grass or straw.
Another brush used in wax polishing available today is made of goose quills – and has probably as ancient an origin as the polissoir de joncs.

]]> By: K Wilsonhttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/my-introduction-to-the-polissoir-roubos-wax-polisher/comment-page-1#comment-54621 K Wilson Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:51:04 +0000 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=237801#comment-54621 Interesting that ‘thumbs’ is the unit of measure. FWIW, in modern Spanish, English ‘inch’ is translated as pulgada, from dedo pulgar, thumb. And the outer joint of one’s thumb is indeed about an inch long. Do you know the original French word? Might ‘inches’ be a reasonable translation? Or maybe not; that might give a spurious modern degree of precision.

Very interesting article; I think I’ll try this.

]]> By: Betkerrhttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/my-introduction-to-the-polissoir-roubos-wax-polisher/comment-page-1#comment-54451 Betkerr Thu, 20 Sep 2012 21:43:54 +0000 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=237801#comment-54451 Chris: You’ve done it now. I now have to buy new music, what is the name of the song being played? Is there a way to add a feature identifying the music that accompanies the videos?
Also, have you ever thought of releasing a CD compilation of the greatest woodworking music?

Bob

]]> By: Andersonhttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/my-introduction-to-the-polissoir-roubos-wax-polisher/comment-page-1#comment-54201 Anderson Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:26:03 +0000 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=237801#comment-54201 My French mother-in-law also just used wax. For instance they hauled an old grain chest out of the stables that was still in good shape, but if it had ever been finished the finish was long gone. She just went at it with wax, said it took her 12 coats before the wood stopped absorbing it and she could get an even polish. Haven’t asked her but from what she said, seems like she just used a rag to rub it in. I wonder if it was just the availability of wax – beeswax was easy and very cheap to track down, shellac or varnish would have been very very expensive, and maybe even things like linseed oil might have been relatively expensive.

]]> By: gman3555http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/my-introduction-to-the-polissoir-roubos-wax-polisher/comment-page-1#comment-54191 gman3555 Wed, 19 Sep 2012 04:00:58 +0000 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=237801#comment-54191 This looks to be the same process used by a japanese craftsman.
http://youtu.be/7NOb-EF2TeU?t=5m42s

]]> By: davegutzhttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/finishing/my-introduction-to-the-polissoir-roubos-wax-polisher/comment-page-1#comment-54141 davegutz Wed, 19 Sep 2012 01:08:13 +0000 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=237801#comment-54141 This sure brought back memories. When I was a kid I joined the local ski team. For training we skied cross-country and made our own skis. We raided the attic or went to the local 2nd hand shop for an old pair of woodies. After trimming off the metal edges, if any, on a table saw we sanded the bottom down to bare. These skis were usually hickory. Then we used a plumber’s torch to apply some pine tar as a protective soak-in finish – just once in the life of the ski unless you skied over some rocks. Every time we used them we had to apply the right kind of wax for the conditions. This was rubbed on then burnished with a piece of cork. Those bottoms looked beautiful – too good to ski on!

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