French polisher
Apply stains, paints and polishes by hand to complete or restore beautiful pieces of furniture.
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£327
Entry level
£577
Experienced
Monthly
£1,417
Entry level
£2,500
Experienced
Yearly
£17,000
Entry level
£30,000
Experienced
8,600
people are currently employed
High growth
600 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
You would use traditional hand skills to prepare and treat wood. You’d work on new furniture or restore old pieces of furniture.
You might also work on fitted items such as staircases, wall panels and doors, and musical instruments like pianos.
You would:
Decide on the type and colour of wood stain
Calculate quantities
Mix and apply the stain
Finish with French polish (a special varnish)
Apply several coats of French polish until the finish you want is achieved
Apply other finishes, such as lacquer, paint, varnish, oil and wax, usually by spraying
You may also do simple carpentry and repairs, although a cabinet maker or restorer would deal with more complex work.
Customers will expect you to be careful with their furniture; it will help if you are patient and methodical in your work. You’d estimate the costs of the work and explain it to customers.
If you’re self-employed you’ll need to deal with the business paperwork.
Hours
Environment
Travel
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- problem solving
- verbal communication
- attention to detail
- time management
- making decisions
- taking responsibility
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Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Practical Craft Skills
Practical Woodwork
There are no formal qualifications required to enter this role.
Some employers may ask for qualifications at SCQF level 4/5 especially for Modern Apprenticeships.
You can enter a Furniture National Certificate courses (SCQF level 5) with two National 5 qualifications (SCQF level 4/5).
You can enter Higher National Certificate (SCQF level 7) or Higher National Diploma courses (SCQF level 8) with National 4/5 qualifications and one to two Highers or equivalent qualifications.
Qualifications that show creative and craft skills such as Skills for Work Construction Crafts (SCQF level 4/5) or a Higher National Certificate in Furniture (SCQF level 7).
Once in a job you may gain relevant qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualifications in Finishing Furniture: Hand Finishing or Spray Finishing (SVQ level 2) or Finishing Furniture (SVQ level 3).
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