shellac survey

[todd the wood junkie]

I am in the market for dewaxed shellac, but have not been happy with price of reliable suppliers and availability of cheaper suppliers. I ended up contacting several Indian companies myself, and have been able to negotiate a decent price, but for 30kg (66lbs). There is no way I'll use this much shellac in my lifetime as a recreational woodworker.

I'd like to know who out there would be willing (not a commitment by any means) to purchase 1 lb of top quality, clear (blonde) dewaxed shellac for $12 us dollars a pound + whatever shipping costs are to your location. So far the cheapest I've seen is on shellac.net for about 15 bucks. They are totally out of stock, however.

I am not in the shellac business and I don't really want to, this is a one time deal for woodworkers.

who would pay this?

[mp]

Not me. There are other suppliers of good quality shellac, like woodfinishingsupplies.com or homesteadfinishing.com. I'm sure if I were to purchase 60lbs from either supplier I could get it for less than $12/lb.

[patriarch]

"mp" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

the same good woodworkers that brought you excellent plane blades.

Good stuff, too.

Patriarch

[David]

Can't you find Zinnser's Seal Coat, which is dewaxed shellac with a pretty good shelf life? It is hassle free; no mixing flakes.

david

todd the wood junkie wrote:

[Conan the Librarian]

FYI, there was once a galootish wooddorker and erstwhile rocket scientist somewhere in LowCal who had the same idea. The next thing he knew, he had about a ton of the stuff and it took over his garage, then his home, then his marriage, his collection of jack planes and then his job. He wound up in Ohiyuh somewhere where he nearly froze to death, before finally selling all of the stuff off, getting a new job and moving back to LowCal where he lived happily ever after.

Amen.

Chuck Vance Just say (tmPL) In other words, it sounds like a great idea.

[Swingman]

LOL ... and with no roof whatsoever needed over his workbench!

So, you're saying that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it? ;>)

[patriarch]

"Swingman" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Or end up living in Ohiyuh?

There's lots of things that seem to be really good ideas, when taken a little bit at a time. Handplanes seem to fit in that category, too.

The garage is already history...

Patriarch

[John McCoy]

"Swingman" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Let us quickly check the condition of Todd's workmutt, then: is it in one piece or two?

John

[todd the wood junkie]

ok, ok, I think I get the lesson here. I like my day job, and I do want to stay married etc. It is damn frustrating however.

Couple of side notes.

1. I have lived in "Ohiyuh" almost all my life, so maybe it's something about this great state that makes one want to take that plunge
2. Don't have a workmutt. I really don't even know what one is for that matter (so maybe I do and don't realize it). Could this be a reference to some kind of smallish bench? (like a black and decker WORKMATE?).

I appreciate the "pearls of wisdom" from this group, but am still outraged by the 'lack of shellac'. Something must be done here.

Todd

[Patrick Olguin]

Not that I have any personal experience in the matter, but a person can theoretically fit twenty-four 25Kg boxes of shellac flakes into the back of a 1995 GMC Suburban, with all the seats folded flat. The shellac-hauling capacity of a 1991 Buick Century is approximately

160Kg, give or take a flake or two.

This is of course, purely speculation on my part.

Humbly submitted, O'Deen

[gustav]

I use this supplier which IMO has an excellent product sold in flakes. I use their denatured alchol which is pure 200%. My furniture reproductions demand the finest finishes and can honestly state that their products are tops.

[todd the wood junkie]

I truely appreciate the advise, humor and concern (feelin' the love). I am aware (and do struggle) with balancing this hobby with my commitments to God, fatherhood, wife, job etc... (btw, even God knows NOT to enter shop during glue-up)

I am asking if there is interest in a 'shellac co-op'. If there is, I will sell at $12/#, $13 on ebay and probably keep 5 or so pounds for myself. If there isn't, I will buy from shellac.net for $15/# when they finally get stock, or somewhere else for 22 bucks a pound.

If you've seen or heard all this before, don't judge me based on a few experiences.

Todd

[nospambob]

[Lou Newell]

[David]

that's "new math", Lou. :)

David

Lou Newell wrote:

[David]

Todd? have a brewski and calm down... :)

David

todd the wood junkie wrote:

[Mike M]

I think you were entirely to subtle and should have shamelessly plugged your website.

MikeM

[Russ Ramirez]

The shellac business is not as simple as it might at first seem. There are several changes underway right now with respect to shellac distribution in this country because it's an ever-changing business. Some folks "in" this business, who are for all intents really are "out" of business, have learned the hard way that it's a difficult business to do on a large scale. My advice to you is to keep any endevour small and focused. I wish you luck and BTW do not actually care if you even sold the shellac at cost (for those that might think I'm trying to discourage you) although some smaller vendors might.

Russ Ramirez

[todd the wood junkie]

It sounds like you have some information that would help my understanding of the problem. Would you care to expound to the humble masses the details of these changes?

Todd