I have never used shellac. I have used lacquer, varnish, polyurethane - both oil-based and water, danish oil, tung oil, mineral oil, but never shellac.
I have read that shellac will bring out the grain and depth of woods like cherry and walnut when used as a first coat. Is this true? What is the procedure? Can I/should I do this with cherry cabinets? Can I do it with water-based poly as the top coats? Is this a good idea?
Thanks, Harvey
There was an article in FWW a month or so ago comparing oil, oil-based varnish, and shellac for accentuating figure. While this one article is certainly not the be-all, end-all scientific measure, the author's conclusion was that oil (and oil-based varnish) popped the grain more, shellac brought out more chatoyance, more subtlety.
I've used it and like it. It has a tendency to scratch a little more easily than many finishes, but it is the most reparable of them all, with the possible exception of oil.
You can use absolutely use *de-waxed* shellac under water-based poly...shellac is the best seal coat there is, and very commonly used as an in-between coat to keep incompatible finishes from fighting. But remember, if it doesn't *say* de-waxed, it isn't.
"CW" wrote in news:Jditg.3855$vO.1587 @newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net:
Well, it looks good, it's forgiving of application errors, repairable and relatively economical, too.
Other than THAT, it's nothing special. ;-)
Patriarch
As do other finishes. Shellac doesn't stand out here.
Good thing as it's more likely than most film finishes to need it.
Even more problematic is alcohol (as is liquor and bars), the solvent for shellac. Otherwise, it's a versatile finish, as mentioned elsewhere.
I agree, but add a word of caution: Shellac does not age well. If you mix up a batch, mix only what you expect to use, and discard unused. I am sure someone will be able to suggest shelf life for a batch of shellac.
Cannot find the link, but I think even the shellac flakes have some sort of shelf life, so you should purchase from a source that has high turn over of stock.
Phil
"Phil-in-MI" wrote in news:C2stg.3994$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net:
Well, if it has a 'life', I haven't hit it yet. Over the last 5 or 6 years, I've disposed of more oils, varnishes, dyes and stains that have been 'past their prime' or otherwise unsuitable.
The shellac keeps on ticking. Gone through maybe 10 lbs of flake from three or four different suppliers, without a problem. There's a couple of pounds of Jeff Jewitt-supplied flake on the shelf, in a cool, dark place in the shop now, waiting for the craftsperson.
Certainly stuff gets old. I know I have. ;-)
Patriarch
And it's the only finish approved for use on food. Not food containers, food! As in M&Ms.
Other than THAT, it's nothing special :-).
Freshly mixed shellac is remarkably durable and very water resistant. I tested a piece of fir with a couple coats of 2# shellac by covering half the piece with foil and leaving it outside for the month of February. Rained most every day and after a month, the shellac showed no signs at all of any damage. In fact the only change in the piece was the color of the fir that darkened by being exposed to the light.
Things to avoid with shellac:
Shellac is a natural, non-toxic resin that can be applied in such thin coats that the nature of the wood glows through. No shrink-wrap-effect with shellac. There really is nothing more attractive than a rubbed finish of shellac. Nothing. Just say no to petrochemicals.
If you're f> I have an abiding love for shellac inherited from my mother who used it
My tests have proven the same. One thing I wasn't aware of, as stated by Jeff Jewitt, is that a shellac finish that has aged looses it's ability to resist water. The article didn't mention how old the finish has to be before it begins to degrade.
"Take a board that has been finished with fresh shellac and after it has fully dried (about a week), pour some water on the finish and let it sit overnight. When you come back the next morning you will still see the puddle of water, but the finish will be only slightly marred. Shellacs ability to withstand water decreases with the age of the film, so don't try this on old finishes.
An interesting feature of shellac is that it resists water-vapor very well. In tests done by the United States Forest Products Laboratory on the moisture-excluding effectiveness of wood finishes (the ability of a finish to prevent moisture vapor from entering the cellular structure of the wood ? called MEE), shellac rated above polyurethane, alkyd and phenolic varnish and cellulose-nitrate based lacquers."
See:
Ron,
I'm with you...I love the beauty that shellac imparts. My only complaint is the ease with which a shellac finish scratches. Is there anything I can do on the front-end to minimize this tendency?
TIA
eclipsme wrote:
Shellac is one of the easier finishes to apply. It brushes nicely and dries quickly, reducing the amount of dust settling into and messing up the finish. It's much easier than varnish in this respect. It dries hard enough to sand overnight. I am looking at a chair I refinished in shellac a LONG time ago. It still looks good. For a cherry cabinet I'd give it three coats, sand between each coat. Finish off with a coat of paste wax (Butcher's wax). As others have mentioned, shellac is not water proof or alcohol proof. It's rugged enough for ordinary furniture but I would not use it for high wear things like kitchen cabinets, bar tops, or dining room tables. The final coat of paste wax is needed to protect the shellac from occasional spills. I have never mixed shellac from solid flakes. I buy it ready-to-go and make a point of buying a new can if there is any question about the age of that can sitting on the shelf from the last project. I apply it just as it comes out of the can. If desired you can thin it in alcohol (shellac thinner) which also cleans the brush. Should you forget to clean the brush and it hardens, you can still get the brush clean with alcohol. The alcohol will dissolve even the hardened shellac. Shellac gives an effect similar to varnish or lacquer except the finish looks "softer" and the film seems thinner. I like the look of shellac, however varnish and lacquer look very fine too.
David Starr
Yes.
Just get some, a cheap bottle of ready-mixed, then try it out on samples. It's easy to work with, gives good results, and is unlike most other finishes. Pretty much anyone who tries it finds it useful for something.
Nice article. Thanks!
Harvey
I've heard that some flexibility can be added (brittleness reduced) with the addition of various plant resins such as Manila Copal, Benzoin, sandarac, damar, and mastic but I've seen very little written about them and have done little of my own research. Anyone know more about these resins?
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