A wee history of floor polishing...???
October 10, 2014 6:35 PM Subscribe
Wooden polishing blocks, for floor polishing. Does anyone know anything about these? How about a picture?
I am doing the props for a play set in a convent-run laundry in rural Ireland, 1963. One scene is all about cleaning and calls for a mop and bucket, sweeping-brushes, polishing cloths, old wooden polishing blocks, and a tin of polish.
I'm having a hard time finding anything online about what these old wooden polishing blocks would look like or how they'd be used. They're directly referenced in the play though, and the ladies on-stage are supposed to get down and use them.
Here's hoping someone can describe/find a description online/better yet, pictures (!!!) of blocks used for floor polishing.
And failing all of this, what do you THINK it might have been? Is this what you used to grind the wax into the floor, and you'd buff it with the polishing cloths? What???
thanks!
I am doing the props for a play set in a convent-run laundry in rural Ireland, 1963. One scene is all about cleaning and calls for a mop and bucket, sweeping-brushes, polishing cloths, old wooden polishing blocks, and a tin of polish.
I'm having a hard time finding anything online about what these old wooden polishing blocks would look like or how they'd be used. They're directly referenced in the play though, and the ladies on-stage are supposed to get down and use them.
Here's hoping someone can describe/find a description online/better yet, pictures (!!!) of blocks used for floor polishing.
And failing all of this, what do you THINK it might have been? Is this what you used to grind the wax into the floor, and you'd buff it with the polishing cloths? What???
thanks!
If the floors were stone, some sort of stone polishing block?
I can only imagine a wood block to be of use on a floor for polishing is if one attached the polishing cloth to it, such as people do with a sanding block, to get a better grip on it.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 7:35 PM on October 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
I can only imagine a wood block to be of use on a floor for polishing is if one attached the polishing cloth to it, such as people do with a sanding block, to get a better grip on it.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 7:35 PM on October 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Are you sure that they're wooden polishing blocks (i.e. definitely made of wood) or wood polishing blocks, which could be something of a different material but used for polishing wood?
posted by acidic at 7:38 PM on October 10, 2014
posted by acidic at 7:38 PM on October 10, 2014
Best answer: Paddy Doyle, The God Squad: "I used a polishing block which was a large piece of wood, with felt tacked to its base."
First person account of floor polishing in Ireland.
posted by Jahaza at 10:01 PM on October 10, 2014 [4 favorites]
First person account of floor polishing in Ireland.
posted by Jahaza at 10:01 PM on October 10, 2014 [4 favorites]
This university building which used to be a hospital for the insane mentions having one. "an old wooden polishing block (still in existence), used for the polishing of the floors - must have been quite cumbersome and heavy to use." Maybe they would send you a photo of it.
posted by interplanetjanet at 7:43 AM on October 11, 2014
posted by interplanetjanet at 7:43 AM on October 11, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 7:22 PM on October 10, 2014