Finishing Interior Pine Doors - Amber Shellac?

[HerHusband]

We have eight pine interior doors and jambs we need to finish.

Would Amber Shellac be a good choice for interior doors?

I've applied a single coat to a door scrap, and we like the look, but I've heard that shellac doesn't wear well?

Also, the pine ends up looking rather "yellow" when the amber shellac is applied. Would additional coats darken or minimize the yellow appearance? Should I sand between coats of shellac?

Can I apply an oil based polyurethane over the shellac to improve it's durability?

Any advice for finishing the interior doors would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Anthony

[patriarch]

HerHusband wrote in news:Xns955CCD04D6E13herhusband@216.168.3.50:

Pine ends up looking yellow when I put almost anything on it. Or when I don't put anything on it.

Waterbased poly. Oil based poly. Shellac. Almost anything. Amber shellac will intensify that, because the color is part of the finish.

You can get very pale shellac, and it won't build the color quite so much. Several sources:

from the same fine folks who sell blades for planes, etc., and which, I believe, is now part of Liberon. And there are many good treatises on shellac application to be found by Googling the wReck.

I would not hesitate to use shellac for my interior doors, but then, I paint woodwork in my house every three to five years, regardless. Just to change the look. Shellac repairs SO easily, where poly doesn't.

A little wax. A little soapy water on a rag now and then. Live.

Patriarch

[Mac Cool]

HerHusband:

yes

Relative to varnish or laquer, no; but it is still plenty tough for a door.

Pine is yellow, you will have to stain it or bleach it to minimize the yellow.

and laquer will both 'melt' the previous layer and bond with it, whereas varnish requires that you sand between coats to provide 'tooth' for the new varnish to grip.

No, not really... you can apply the poly but it's double the work for zero gain, it is still sitting on top of the shellac. In some situations people apply one thin coat of shellac before applying varnish or laquer but I don't think you will gain anything by doing that in this situation. How much wear & tear do your doors receive? I use shellac on my end tables and it has held up extremely well (2 kids & a cat); on a dining room table or desk I use varnish.

The best advice is to buy this book:

[B a r r y]

Amber shellac looks GREAT on pine in my eyes. As the pine yellows, the end result is a very warm, country look. No stain is necessary.

I'm not even a big fan of pine, but when I see it in the right setting with a nice coat of amber shellac, I always seem to like the look.

Barry

[Dr. Deb]

If you are worried about the darkening of the amber shellac, do the doors in blond or super blond. You are right the doors will darken, more from the pine's reaction to light than anything else.

As for wear, shellac wears well and the nice thing is that it is probably the easiest finish to touch up. That is because as you add each coat it builds thickness rather than adding separate layers, as urethanes do.

For a nice soft gloss finish, try buffing the piece after you have the thickness of shellac you want with 0000 steel wool and Briwax (or any good furniture wax.)

Deb

[Nova]

"patriarch

[mike]

Amber (orange) shellac is a terrific finish for pine. No need for a varnish top coat. Each succeding coat makes it darker. Shellac wears very well. The only drawbacks to shellac would be on a table or other surface that may see an alcholic drink. Shellac was used for floors for many years, attesting to it's durability.You may want to use a 1 lb cut if you are brushing, less likely to leave brush marks.Spraying a 1 1/2 to 2 lb cut is my choice. No need to sand between coats unless dust settled on the door as it dried.Then just sand the nibs off. Mike

[patriarch]

Nova wrote in news: [e-mail]:

[B a r r y]

Remember, dewaxed shellac is now easily obtainable as Zinnser Seal Coat, a brushable 2 Lb. cut , or Zinnser Clear SPRAY shellac (Not brushable clear or amber).

Barry

[Conan the Librarian]

Amber is fine, but my personal favorite on pine is garnet shellac. Because of the decor in our house, I do a lot of work with pine, and garnet gives you an "instant aging" effect. It also doesn't give you that yellowish tint.

Just be sure and apply a couple of coats of blonde on top, so that any wear doesn't immediately affect the tinting coats.

You shouldn't have to sand as shellac melts into the previous coat. And that's the same reason why shellac is so great, even in reasonably high wear situations (as long as alcohol isn't involved). If it does get dinged, it's a breeze to touch up, as the repaired area blends right in with the surrounding shellac.

Chuck Vance