shellac marks

[Gerald]

Hello .. I have been using a clear shellac on stained stairs and a bannister recently and taped things off with low tack tape to paint the remaining areas. When I removed the tape it came off easy but left the shapes of the tape pieces in a sort of fogged blemish. It did'nt leave a residue and came off with steel wool and a covered with a coat of varnish but I am trying to educate myself in refinishing and am wondering what would cause this blemish? I assume it has something to do with curing time? Thanks for any input.

[loutent]

Hi Gerald,

I have found that working with low-tack tape (or any tape for that matter), it is best to remove it before the finish dries - as soon as it is just tacky.

Since shellac dries quickly, you would have to work fast! Your shellac probably dried and lifted with the tape.

Pull the tape down over itself at an angle in the direction you're pulling.

Lou

[Mike Pio]

I also finished a railing with about 15 coats of clear shellac. It took a few weeks before the finish truly hardened. Before that time, it was quite vulnerable to even soft things like towels or harsh rags, etc. It doesn't surprise me to hear that tape left a mark.

Why not try rubbing out the tape marks with pumice powder then rottenstone? Those two compounds should be effective in removing small marks left from tape.

Good luck!

[Michael Houghton]

That sounds like stale shellac. It should not be soft if it is fresh.

yours, Michael

[nospambob]

[GerryG]