Thread: Need a finishing advice

Hi Detlef

Please don't paint it black!! it would ruin such a beautiful box.

The good news about shellac finishes is that you don't have to 'french polish' every project, everytime you want to use shellac. Yes, using the techniques in french polishing will help you get a great finish, but again I say, you don't have to 'french polish' every piece.

I'm slowly learning and practising using shellac as a finish and building up my skills towards french polishing. I use UBeaut's Book as my guide and try to incorporated another step when I use shellac for a finish. At the moment, I'm up to using rags and rubbers for applying shellac instead of brushing it on and also trying out staining the timber before applying the shellac - great fun

Are you able to try some shellac on your test piece?

cheers
Wendy

Hi Detlef,
PLEASE don't paint it black.
If you are that desparate and in need of a quick finish, then I would try a can of spray lacquer..the quick dry sort (dries in about 10 mins between coats). There is a full gloss or satin (40% gloss) and a couple of brands on the market. Anchor is about $10 can.
Sounds like sacrilege, but it is quite a good finish. It should act as a bit of a grain filler if you sand between coats with a fine grade paper (600 plus grit). Personally I don't like the smell of lacquer, but this can beovercome a bit if you apply a wax with OOOO steel wool as a final coat. Better than black!!
cheers,
kerrie

I would try, on a test piece first:

Brush on two coats of shellac with a good brush. (let it dry between coats)

Apply a coat of wax using 0000 steel wool.

Apply 3 more coats of wax with clean rags.

No need to french polish, fairly easy to do, easy to fix stuff ups (just sand it back if needed), and gives a lovely finish.

Tex