Oil finish? Stairs WIP

**Xanthorrhoeas** · 5th February 2016, 05:55 PM

As luck would have it my little book of instructions has done a disappearing act - however, I think that my memory is OK (never too sure these days!) and the info above will work. I find that shellac is a delightfully uncritical product to use.

If I were finishing fine carving or detailed features of table legs etc. I would use a fine lacquer brush of natural hair (Squirrel or Badger) and a good brand like Leonhardy. They can be obtained from The Gold Leaf factory The Gold leaf Factory International | Manufacturer of Fine Gold leaf | Art Supplies | Artists Materials and probably other places. I also see that Shines now have a (basic) web site shines.com.au and that they advertise that they sell a lot of different shellacs and brushes too. (I have no financial or other affiliation with either company, just a customer).

However, I do not believe that you need a special brush for the work that you are going to do, I have only included those details in case you, or others, need the contacts.

We have cedar doors in our house and when we had the place painted a few years ago the painters offered to "freshen up" the doors with my shellac at no extra charge. They used good quality paint brushes to shellac on the doors, so they should be OK for the stair work that you have to do.

**DaveTTC** · 5th February 2016, 05:56 PM

I hope to get some painting done tonight and shellac tomorrow

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

**DaveTTC** · 5th February 2016, 06:39 PM

Would you use the shellac on the treads too or shukd i look at tung oil or decking oil etc?

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

**Simplicity** · 5th February 2016, 06:56 PM

Nothing on the treads for now
Oil no way if your planning more work down the track
What about just carpet sections stabled on for now on the treads

**DaveTTC** · 5th February 2016, 06:57 PM

No carpet and no staples. Took forever pulling the staples and taxks thatbwere there

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

**Simplicity** · 5th February 2016, 07:27 PM

What about a stair runner then

**DaveTTC** · 5th February 2016, 07:29 PM

Dont think she will go for it

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

**Simplicity** · 5th February 2016, 07:43 PM

There very traditional and later you can turn the things can't rember there name to tie the carpet down

**DaveTTC** · 5th February 2016, 08:29 PM

After much deliberation and toing and froing I have finally started a mix of shellac.

From bunnings.

It says 250 gm to 1 L

Letting it sit overnight and see what happens. It is flakes

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

**rwbuild** · 5th February 2016, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by Simplicity

There very traditional and later you can turn the things can't rember there name to tie the carpet down

Stair rods
FAQ's — Stairrods Australia - Manufacturers of Luxury Carpet Accessories

**pickles420** · 6th February 2016, 12:44 PM

Im a timber floor sander by trade and tnere is a new australian standard for all timber stair cases treads have to be coated in an anti slip protection

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

**DaveTTC** · 6th February 2016, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by pickles420

Im a timber floor sander by trade and tnere is a new australian standard for all timber stair cases treads have to be coated in an anti slip protection

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

Yes i wondered about that. Whatare the options

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

**pickles420** · 6th February 2016, 12:53 PM

Well i use the bona intense for sealer
Bona mega for 2nd coat
Light rubback with a fine grit sand paper to eliminate grain raise fill all tack and nail holes then the bona hd anti slip goes on job finished

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

**Xanthorrhoeas** · 6th February 2016, 02:56 PM

Traditionally the stairs were usually covered by a runner - a long strip of carpet that ran down the middle only. The edges were usually either shellac or Black Japan finished. With time many of the carpet runners wore out and the bare timber treads were sealed with shellac. That just seals the timber, it doesn't make it slippery. If you are worried about slipperyness you can just mix some grit into the shellac (for the treads only). On boats it is common to mix some grit or sand into the paint or other finish (often a marine finishing oil for boats) as or after you apply the final coat. Because shellac dries so fast it would have to be mixed in beforehand rather than sprinkled on later as can be done for slow-drying finishes. Marine shops will sell suitable grit/sand and so might many specialist paint shops. Usually, an old stair tread has plenty of wear on it so the seal with shellac may just raise the grain a bit to prevent slip - or else if you wipe the bare wood treads over with water to raise the grain slightly, let it dry then shellac. It is worth a try as the shellac is so reversible it doesn't lock you in for the long-term like all the modern finishes which would have to be painfully sanded off if you want to change later..

**DaveTTC** · 6th February 2016, 03:16 PM

Part of the stair priject is to paint the room at the top of the stairs

Some was old work and some is new work from an extention towards the rear of the house

I have gapped (as in filled the gaps) to some of the new molding and boards and partial undercoat

But a close inspection will reveal a lot of gapping yet to be done.

It will be all white when its done. No seriously it will be all white. So pics will be hard to show up any detail once painted. Might need a refresher from oldgreybeard as to how to make it atand out.

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

Thread: Oil finish? Stairs WIP

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Similar Threads

Internal stairs - hardwearing top finish

stairs

carpeted stairs - two tone finish

Stairs

What finish to use on Victorian Ash Stairs?

Posting Permissions