I just finished an old bureau with shellac.
Turned out MUCH better than expected with a new cheapo HF HVLP sprayer. Finish is a little rough since it was done outdoors.
Can SHELLAC be finished with sanding, pumice, and/or rotten stone and compound like OTHER furniture finishes ???
Suggestions on how long to wait before using the above ?
TIA
Shellac is a very easy going finish. I suggest starting with some #600 wet sandpaper with water. That should smooth it out and give you a good flat slightly matt finish.
Of course you could just flow on another finish (using a brush this time, I don't think Shellac is really a good finish for any kind of sprayer other than industrial units made for it) and thin it with say 30% alcohol.. The alcohol help dissolve the existing rough layer. You don't really get "layers" with shellac, each new one melts into the existing one.
You might want to post on rec.woodworking
Remove the 'remove' in my address to e:mail me.
Absolutely. Make sure you build a good layer before sanding too agressively, though.
I'd wait one - two hours between coats, depending on the cut you've used, and probably 48 hours before finishing. The lighter the cut the quicker it dries. If you sprayed it, you're probably using a 1 lb cut so it will be drying quite quickly.
You can also apply it using french polish technique.
Posting on rec.woodworking is a good idea, but doing a quick search on groups.google.com may give you what you need.
Shellac is wonderful stuff.
djb
Try this--Very lightly rub with a fine brillo (steel wool) pad.. Another thing I've done on the advice of an old pro and it worked just great--Lightly rub with a brown paper bag. I waited overnight. MLD
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