Thread: Shellac looks like mud!

That’s normal. It’s good stuff on warm timbers. It enhances the warmth. On pale timbers when you want to keep it light in colour it’s not so good. Bleached or Blonde shellac is better for that. How much you apply has a big effect as well. If it’s pale wood and you keep the coats thin then It’l be fine.

if you let it sit for a long time, some stuff might settle. If it goes on and you see clarity and quick drying, don't worry about it. The level of clarity of even the most waxy looking buttonlac is still far to clear for what's stylish with a lot of people now, and to my eye looks like a full gloss.

https://i.imgur.com/l7NCSDo.jpg

apologies for the glare.

I'd have to shake my buttonlac jar to get it cloudy again, but it looks like it's got pasty bits in the jar - probably the wax in buttonlac - that's what it looks like near the end of the process on khaya and french polish.

Always easier to make a test piece and tell what you're getting than guess by look. Same as you can have a clear settled shellac that's past usefulness and apply it and find it won't harden properly.