adding poly to shellac?

[Bob]

I'm considering adding a bit of poly to shellac in order to harden the finish. Good idea? Bad idea? Thoughts on the ratio if it makes sense to do so? It's over white oak that's been oiled.

[John McGaw]

Why not just put poly over the shellac? I've done that on pieces that have been oiled and had padded-on shellac applied generally. The poly was placed on the high-wear area, generally the table top, etc. As long as it is put on thin and the underlying shellac was dark (I was using garnet) there was no noticeable change in color. Since shellac uses alcohol as the solvent and poly uses either water or petroleum-based solvent it would seem to me to be questionable to mix them together directly.

[Nova]

Shellac is alcohol based. Poly is oil based. I wouldn't try mixing the two as the shellac will probably float to the top of the poly.

-- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA (Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)

[Mike G]

I don't know if the two will mix or not but it doesn't make much sense to me. If you want varnish protection put varnish on, if you want shellac level protection put shellac on, if you want more then shellac and less then varnish put lacquer on. But, hey, if it makes you feel warm and fuzzy.......................

[Chris Merrill]

BAD IDEA! They use different solvents.

But if you try it...let us know how it turns out! Pictures might be entertaining, too.

[John W. Higgins]

Shoot why fool with the two. Liek the other guy says, use one or the other. I've used polyurethane (Minwax) that looked pretty good. I applied several coats and then sanded it until it was perfectly smooth and slick. It was as slick as a sheet of glass. I then sanded all the scratches out of it all the way up to 800 grit sandpaper. It now has a nice satin finish that is smooth and pretty. Not as good as a french polish, but I don't sweat the lamp sitting on the table.

[Silvan]

I think some poly/shellac mix would look good on my solid walnut table that I veneered with poplar.

[Bay Area Dave]

LMAO! Go Silvan!

dave

Silvan wrote:

[Baron]

If you want to end up with a finish a bit harder than shellac, you should start with something other than shellac. If you are determined to use shellac, you can try adding a little resin such as copal, sandarac, or even benzoin. These will all make the film a little bit harder but you may need to rub out the finish to achieve the level of gloss you may be after. In essence, you are adding a little spirit varnish to the shellac.

Good Luck.

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