I do enjoy a bit of variety and the other day at the local auction I came across this very sorry looking rocking chair which became mine for the princely sum of £2.00. All it needed was the paint stripped off, re polishing, and caning. Simple I hear you cry,

Now it so happens in the dim and distance past I have caned chairs, which you would imagine is the hardest part. years ago I was taught the art of French polishing, so no issue there, leaving just the paint stripper. How difficult can it be. I have watched the TV shows where one application of some miracle paste, and all the old paint falls off. careful research online identified a suitable paint stripper from a well known chain store that shall remain nameless. However the reviews suggested that whilst this was indeed the miracle paste I needed.One review suggested I might leave it on overnight, and then use a second application just to clear up those one or two stubborn patches.

Dont believe the review its taken 8hours work spread over 2 days scraping and sanding,brushing with wire wool,rinsing in water,then methalated spirits to get the old polish off that the paint stripper couldn’t touch and writing off the top of my work bench in the process, with so much ingrained dissolved paint I will never a be able to do clean work on it ever again.

The only good part of the whole sorry saga is that I have discovered an old fashioned hardware shop in Norwich which had a range of French polishes the like of which I have never seen before, so this is going to be polished with “red polish” to bring out the wood, a polish I have never used before but I think I am going to like. Wish me luck and then it’s just the cane to do.