Dewaxed vs non dewaxed shellac

[larry in cinci]

I got part of my order from shellac.net and made up some small batches to practice (play) with. It is very easy to see the difference between dewaxed and non. However my question is "Is there a difference in the finish after drying? Does the wax in the shellac make a different method of application a preferred way to apply it? If so which one spray, pad, wipe, brush, total submersion in a swimming pool (VBG). As for the last method I got rid of my pool and can't afford to buy enough shellac to fill one anyway. Thanks for the help. Larry

[Chris Merrill]

IIRC, Flexner says that dewaxed shellac makes for a more water-resistant finish than waxy shellac.

Not that I've heard or read.

[Steve James]

One difference: if you are using the shellac as a sealing coat and intend to apply another type of finish on top of it, you want the dewaxed. Another difference is that the shellac containing wax gives a someone cloudy appearance.

[Nova]

Yes. The shellac with shellac will yield a softer surface. It is not as moisture/water resistant as dewaxed. It is also slightly less heat resistant.

No.

Okay, we will forgo the swimming pool, but I have finished fret work (intricately scroll sawn pieces) by submersing them in a shallow pan filled with shellac.

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

[BeerBoy]

There is an article in the December FWW on shellac. I don't know if it will help you out or not but it might.

[Howard Ruttan]

If you are worried about it just de-wax the waxed shellac. The orange shellac I use isn't de-waxed so I take the wax out of it (the vast majority of it) by the way I mix it. I place the flakes in a jar and crush them with a rounded dowel, then cover with alcohol. I read the latest posts on rec.woodworking while I shake the crap out of the jar every few minutes for about half to three quarters of an hour until I am finished reading the wRECk. Then I set the jar aside in a dark place for a day or two until the wax settles out leaving the clear shellac on top. Then I pour off the clear stuff, passing it through a coffee filter into another jar and voila! De-waxed orange shellac. There is probably a little wax left in it but not enough to affect the finish. I haven't had any problems top coating it anyway (that includes poly, lacquer, varnish, what have you).

[Luigi Zanasi]

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 09:48:52 -0800, "Howard Ruttan" scribbled

Ah, someone who actually does something useful when reading the wreck.

Luigi Replace "no" with "yk" for real email address

[Howard Ruttan]

"Luigi Zanasi" a ecrit...

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

What? Drinking isn't a useful activity?

Better drinking while reading the 'wreck than while playing with sharp tools and power tools!

Barry