Thread: Any Hard Shellac Finishing Advice?

I love the stuff. Have you got Neil's book? (The Polishers Handbook). If not get it. If you dont have the basics down that really is the place to start. there are also net tutorials, Millburn seems to be the most popular with Luthiers but Robbie O'Brien has one on YouTube I believe.

As for Hard Shellac, Ive had good results using it cut 50/50 with "Pure Metholated Spirits" from my local car finishing stuff retailer. I use Diggers Linseed Oil from Bunnies to lubricate the pad. I get 4-5 layers on each time and do about four sessions. You cant really leave it for weeks and expect to pick it up again as it hardens remarkably.

The key to all french polishing technique is the "spiriting off" at the end of each session. This is using a mostly dry pad with a tiny bit of lube and really polishing your finish up. You then leave it to smile at you from somewhere for a couple of weeks before stringing up. loverly!

Pretty well nailed it for French polishing Sebastiaan just a little bit something else you might like to try. Get rid of the linseed oil and use paraffin oil for your lubricant. It works a lot better with the Hard Shellac. Because paraffin oil is a non drying oil it can be left between sessions and won't scum like the linseed.

I've also had excellent success with brushing the finish 2 -3 coats of 4 parts metho to 1 part Hard Shellac. leave till touch before then recoating, sand lightly with 800 grit wet n dry then apply a final coat of full strength. Leave sit for a week then cut lightly with 1200 grit and finish with EEE-Ultra Shine. BrillianT finish.

Don't try it unless you have a really good brush like these CLICK HERE

Cheerzs - Neil

I have a copy of a book called "Understanding Wood Finishing" by Bob Flexner. Do you think I need to get Neil's book as well?

Cheers,

Chris

It's useful but you shouldn't go wrong with Neil's advice above and the instructions on the ubeaut website.

It's also worth practising on a bit of scrap.

There is a reason why we listen to Neil carefully here and its not only that he is the Forum sponsor. He knows what he is on about.

Thanks for the brushing tips Neil. I know a lot of people follow up the EEE with a coat of wax. Is this to get more gloss?

While virtually none of my finishing with shellac is of the mirror image super fine variety; and it getting slapped on amplifier cabinets and all sorts of practical things; one of the things I have found is that:

Even a crap coating of shellac on not very carefully finished wood tends to look really good.

As long as it's not on too thick and the coating is able to dry at a consistent rate from one side to the other....

The "wet" high tide marks look bad...

(but they can be blended in)

Neil, you mentioned paraffin oil. Would paraffin lamp oil be ok?

Cheers,

Dan

PS sorry for minor hijack

The first thing I did when I decided to french polish my Stewmac 000 kit,was to go and buy Neils Book - I found it to be really easy to follow (with a bit of humour thrown in as well)

The second thing I did was to go and get a bottle of Hard Shelac..

I have used it on heaps of things now and absolutly love the stuff...

I dont know if I have just fluked it, but I have not had problems with it and ended up with some great results.

As Niel suggested I used Paraffin oil ,Its a couple of dollars from the grocery store,and lasts forever.

Good Luck

Originally Posted by daninjt

Neil, you mentioned paraffin oil. Would paraffin lamp oil be ok

Paraffin oil may be known in Indonesia as mineral oil, nujol, adepsine oil, alboline, glymol, medicinal paraffin, saxol. or white mineral oil.

Paraffin lamp oil as you know it is known in Australia as kerosene, it is used for us a fuel for fires, lamps, and also as jet fuel. Definitely not the same thing.

Cheers - Neil

Originally Posted by ubeaut

Pretty well nailed it for French polishing Sebastiaan just a little bit something else you might like to try. Get rid of the linseed oil and use paraffin oil for your lubricant. It works a lot better with the Hard Shellac. Because paraffin oil is a non drying oil it can be left between sessions and won't scum like the linseed.

I've also had excellent success with brushing the finish 2 -3 coats of 4 parts metho to 1 part Hard Shellac. leave till touch before then recoating, sand lightly with 800 grit wet n dry then apply a final coat of full strength. Leave sit for a week then cut lightly with 1200 grit and finish with EEE-Ultra Shine. BrillianT finish.

Don't try it unless you have a really good brush like these CLICK HERE

Cheerzs - Neil

Hi Guys, not for a second discounting any other finishing advice ... just thought I would add a technique I was given by an old timer in Lapidary/gemstone polishing, some 40 years ago: "when you have gone to the very final finishing process (not waxing etc. I guess for Schellac it would be the final buffing), go back two steps, as Neil suggests, to 1200 grit AND with a very very light hand, eg minimal pressure, and take off all the gloss. Then return to your final finishing processes. You will be surprised at the difference it makes. I have used this tip over and over. Gems, Epoxy and Polyester resins, metal finishing for stress distribution, polishing my wife's fingernails .............

Thanks Neil,

back to the drawing board on that one.

I thought I'd try and do this right, so I've ordered a Gramercy Finishing Brush. I also got some 100% metho from Paintspot (they had to order it in but it only took a couple of days to arrive) along with numerous jokes about "not drinking the stuff", etc.

Originally Posted by cpsmusic

I thought I'd try and do this right, so I've ordered a Gramercy Finishing Brush. I also got some 100% metho from Paintspot (they had to order it in but it only took a couple of days to arrive) along with numerous jokes about "not drinking the stuff", etc.

Please post some pictures when you are done