Shellac

Rubbing shellac with steel wool produces a beautiful low-gloss finish that is flat and smooth. I did not know this until a couple of days ago when I came across some steel wool that had been left out.

The difference is drastic. The wood feels completely different; it's warm and extremely smoooth. I'm still marveling at how nicely it turns out.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper
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To leverage the effort and experience, use some paste wax as a lubricant for your steel wool. then polish with a dry cloth.

Also, rubbing with a brown paper bag (grocery) will make the shellac finish even smoother after you steel wool (0000) it.

(Which reminds me, I have a corner cabinet that needs to have the shine taken off of the shellac ... two years is long enough to wait. Thanks for the reminder! :) )

Reply to
Swingman

Don't know why anyone would want to take the gloss of a polished bit of wood done with shellac. I think the ultimate bit of wood polishing is when you can get a glass like finish on wood with using only shellac and linseed. Glass like in look and touch.. Takes a long time, but worth it in the long run

Reply to
George W Frost

Yeah, and try waxing your Johnson. Oops, I meant to say "Try applying Johnson's Paste Wax with 0000 steel wool." It produces a wood with a wunnerful "hand". That's why I prefer the hand-rubbed oil finishes. You can still feel the wood underneath.

I tried Behlen's Rockhard Table Top Finish on the dining set I recycled and it left a nice, hard, shiny, but PLASTIC finish. Tiny scratches show up from repairing tools on it, too.

Newp, no mo. I'll stick with Waterlox, my fave finish.

-- Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences. No good is ever done in this world by hesitation. -- Thomas H. Huxley

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Reply to
J. Clarke

It's like whether you prefer blonde, redhead, brunette, skinny, or Rubenesque.

Mostly I prefer satin over gloss ... but glossy satin knickers on a pleasingly plump blonde, brunette, or redhead would work just fine too.

Reply to
Swingman

And thanks for reminding folks that waiting is a prerequisite before using any abrasive on shellac.

To which I will add that shellac will melt from heat. Don't go vigorously over and over the same area or all your finish will wind up on your abrasive in little balls. DAMHIKT.

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

I have been using a 0000 buffed finish on most of my turned bowls for quite sometime. Something I have found that really bring out the "c_________"(somebody spell the word for me) that really deep luster that makes you feel as if you are being drawn into the wood is a product called "Wood Cream." I have no idea where I got my jar, but it can be googled and ordered from the manufactorer in Washington State. It is entirely food safe and gives such a rich deep finish that I almost never open the can of Briwax that is sittiing under it.

Before any of you shouts - no I do not live under a bridge. ;-)

Deb

wrote:

low-gloss finish that

couple of days ago when I

different; it's warm

nicely it turns out.

Reply to
Dr. Deb

"chatoyance" ... in French (at least in S Louisiana) it sorta equates to the look in a cats eye.

Reply to
Swingman

Is that why I'm unable to maintain my cat's food limit when she sits there and looks at me until I give her more?

Reply to
Upscale

'Pleasingly plump'... now there's a mouthful. I never cared for the 'bag-o-antlers' look either. (Except Twiggy)

The biggest problem with gloss, is that it tends to look like plastic. I once had the chance to see a Yamaha piano next to a B=F6sendorfer grand behind the same stage under the same light. Both shiny/glossy but the Boes was just nicer. Nicer to touch, nicer to look at, nicer reflection. I couldn't figure it out. Then, after a half hour it struck me.... the Boesendorfer was just a miniscule amount less shiny and maybe 1/2% less black towards the ebony side of things...ever so subtle. I suddenly understood how an expert can tell a cubic zirconium from a real diamond=97not what it is, but what it isn't and in the Boesendorfer's case, it wasn't as black.

Reply to
Robatoy

Or "just right" ... like Edie Brickell in 1994 at 2:28

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> The biggest problem with gloss, is that it tends to look like plastic.

Good description of color blindness, not what is is but what it isn't ... like the space between the notes in good music.

Reply to
Swingman

To leverage the effort and experience, use some paste wax as a lubricant for your steel wool. then polish with a dry cloth.

Also, rubbing with a brown paper bag (grocery) will make the shellac finish even smoother after you steel wool (0000) it.

I learned that plain printer paper will work if you don't have a grocery bag handy. Making those printed plans work twice. How GREEN is that?

Reply to
Leon

My brown paper bag green effort has a slightly different use. When I buy alcohol at the liquor store, they put the bottle in a brown paper bag, (plastic bag elimination effort going on). Once home, I save the brown paper bags and then use them for cooking. With a section of brown paper bag lightly covered with non stick cooking spray, I cover a roast chicken for the first 3/4 of the cooking cycle. It prevents overcooking and keeps the chicken juicier. (Traditional Mom cooking tip)

Reply to
Upscale

--------------------------------- SFWIW, bee's wax cut with turps and BLO works for me.

Keep a 1# coffee can with the above sealed and ready to go.

Use the coffee can as part of a double boiler to melt wax.

YMMV

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:4db70f2d$0$773$c3e8da3 $ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:

That doesn't work anymore, since the coffee "cans" are now made of cardboard ...

Reply to
Han

Overnight before using steel wool has worked fine for me. And never had it form little balls with steel wool.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Too close to FAT! I prefer petite women, so fat ain't happenin'. Built-like-a-brick-shithouse is OK. (Sports figure, like Sharapova, but she's too tall.)

Her best song of all time (and a good video)

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"Philosophy, is the talk on a cereal box." "Religion, is a smile on a dog." ;)

-- Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences. No good is ever done in this world by hesitation. -- Thomas H. Huxley

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Probably harder to build the temperature as much because of the air between the strands. I can assure you it happens with 600 or 800 grit paper. I haven't tried the steel wool but will in the future.

For sandpaper I've had the best luck by waiting for a couple of weeks.

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

Larry Blanchard wrote in news:ip7jco$t9g$ snipped-for-privacy@speranza.aioe.org:

Steel wool is also a metal, which would act as heat sink and keep things cool.

I just never got good results with sandpaper. It always seemed like it'd take more finish off than I wanted. (I didn't have any higher than

220 grit, though.)

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

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