Thread: Shellac, tell me all you know!

kekemo,
Shellac is one of the best and most forgiving finishes for wood and greatly misunderstood, even on this forum. You will hear it cannot stand moisture, it cannot stand spirits, etc etc.
My best advice to you is to go to search on this forum, enter "shellac" and read all you can. There will be many conflicting viewpoints, mine included. For example, I am a great advocate of using a rubber, whilst others prefer brushing. Then come back to the forum with your questions. There will be plenty to offer advice..

Jerry

Everyone is entitled to my opinion

I discovered shellac last year (well, used it properly for the first time). I reckon it's wonderful stuff too. I usually apply it with a pad, which is loosely based on a rubber - a bit of cotton waste wadding wrapped in a bit of old T-shirt. I try to finish everything in flat form before assembly, which avoids having to get into nooks and crannies, but of course that can't always be avoided. I've got some artist's brushes that I use for that.

I don't follow any recipe when mixing it - a handful of flakes in a jar and then just cover with metho. I pad on several coats, then wet sand, then burnish with steel wool, then apply traditional wax (as per instructions in the Polisher's Handbook). Looks great.

I don't sand back between coats - as each successive coat melts in to the previous one. I usually set everything up on a table and then give it several coats every 15 minutes or so (as soon as each is dry). Very light coats, probably about 6 or 8. This works fine for the way I'm using it.

Hi Kekemo,

I'm a big fan of UBeaut's Shellacs - White, Hard and Sanding Sealer. The shellac gets mixed with as pure metho as I can source. I no longer brush it on, but apply with a rubber similar to SilentC's.

Apply a couple of coats, very lightly sand - 400, apply another couple of coats, very lightly sand - 800, another couple of coats, sand again 800 and if I go further than this, I will get into the 1500 and 2000 grits.

Then I try to let the piece stand and cure for as long as possible before waxing with Traditional Wax. I thinkt the curing time could be up to 2 weeks.

cheers
Wendy

What Wendy (RR) said. Shellac is great and thinned down old shellac is great sanding sealer.

But all you need to know is in the Polisher's Handbook - the best $32 you will ever spend! (now can I win a prize draw Neil, can I huh, can I)

Originally Posted by jmk89

What Wendy (RR) said. Shellac is great and thinned down old shellac is great sanding sealer.

But all you need to know is in the Polisher's Handbook - the best $32 you will ever spend! (now can I win a prize draw Neil, can I huh, can I)

JMK, No, you can't.

KK, shellac is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I keep a jar of thinned down shellac for sanding sealer and a brush hanging in the shellac thinner, ready to go at all times. A good finish by itself. A great sealer between coats of differing substance. Your friend.

Oh...what a great response...I thank you all, everyone of you!
It is so good to discover something that your really like...makes such a difference ...but then to find out more information from others who use it...really great. Yes, I am going to do a fair bit of research....reading & enquiring...plus google + archives....I am really excited...and anticipating finding out more advantages to this "baby"...

Ok...I am really getting old now! What's a rubber.....in woodworking terms...I am lost with that one!

I used a rag....( actually I always use "winchy material" its knitted on one side....and very fluffy pile on the other side...leaves no threads & doesn't get caught in the wood ever...I apply using the knit side...rolled up the rage and placed in a sealed air-tight container...ready for the next lot....after it was dried...I sanded back ever so lightly with 800 grit....re-applied & that's all I have done so far....the colour on the pine is almost same as Baltic pine....just supurb....I'm definitely passionate about this stuff...been looking for about 8 yeasrs for just this, it has all these qualities ...easy... quick... smooth... sensational.....& doesn't really smell offensive, actually can't hardly smell it at all!

OK...( I'm not really nuts....but) .....Was just talking to my "Dearest Departed Hubby"...as we all do in our minds when we loose someone we love...you occassionally chat to them...about anything...& everything...but this time....TOLD him..." if you blunt all those tools in God's workshop before I get there ..... I ain't bringing you any Shallac..!!" Do you think he will take heed of that!....lol It's really good stuff...specially requested I want my coffin coated with it....lol....

All I can say...."You little beauty...you bloody little BUG!"

Keep that info rolling in ....I am reading and really enjoying...not greedy but will take all I can get.....
Cheers to everyone....thanks again...
Kekemo....

Down the shed now....glue that bed together....should be able to post pictures tonight....

....

kekemo

A properly made and folded rubber consists of a ball of unmedicated cotton wool about the size of a cricket ball. Then take a piece of lint free linen about the size of a man's handkerchief. (I use my wife's old pillow cases.) Fold as in the pictures shown, and make sure the face of the rubber is smooth with no creases from the fold. When using the rubber it is best to use a squeeze bottle to recharge the rubber from the back. This stops picking up any bits and transferring them to the work. The cotton wool reservoir is very useful because you can control the amount of shellac you put on the work just by squeezing the rubber. The rubber is folded with a point at the leading end to make it easier to get into small spots. I make at least two rubbers, one to put on general shellac and the other which is almost pure meth as a finish rubber. Keep the rubber in airtight jars and you'll be able to use them until the linen wears out.
After the initial coat to raise the grain, I rarely use abrasive. Use of the rubbers can give you a finish almost as good as glass, if you want it.


Jerry

Everyone is entitled to my opinion

Use of the rubbers can give you a finish almost as good as glass, if you want it.

Yes but don't expect to get it without some instruction and a lot of practice.

Beauty of shellac is the ease of use. Wouldn't agree about needing instruction, but practise yes. As with all things, practice is the key to success. The person who has never made a mistake has never done anything worthwhile.

Jerry

Everyone is entitled to my opinion

great stuff to spray, keeps in gun for ages, then just spray wait 5 min spray again,and so on ,you can get a very good shiny finish after a bit of practice, no mention of where it comes from ,just google it,you will be amazed where it comes from,wont say though (may be wrong) and there are a few who watch posts waiting for someone to make a mistake ,them bamm,they're onto you.bob

i always had trouble spraying it, maybe not enough metho

Wouldn't agree about needing instruction

So how did you find out what a rubber was and how to make one? How did you discover the purpose of a finishing rubber? Did you come across the way the rubber is swirled across the surface by chance, or did somebody show you? Did you discover these things through practice alone within no-one telling you how to do them?

All I'm really saying is that if you expect a glass-like finish from shellac on the first try, you'll be disappointed.

Again thanks to everyone for posting your replies...seems I'd already make myself a "rubber" jiust didn't know it....lol....yes I like the method of wiping on the "shellac" its just glorious to use.

I guess that I am propbably going to disappoint a lot of woodworkers here...I understand the pursuit of the "glass finish"...but that is not exactuly what I am after in my case.

Don't need it to be finished to that extent...that beautiful smooth glossy look certainly can't help but make the furniture look absolutely magnificent. ......... so truely don't need to go to that extent...(hope you don't consider that cheating or being slack....I crave for that country-cottage look....don't want the glass reflection...lol....miight show the dust too much.....)

Well must love & leave you all....Cancer support meeting today...(wont miss them....they have been great since I lost my dearest ED)...but hey...straight home from that & out the shed!....Oh that aircon's nice!

Cheers everyone....thanks for the responses.
Kekemo

It's a personal thing, but I prefer the low-sheen look too. That's why I use the 'waxed French polish' method from Neil's book. It really is dead easy too. Difficult to muck up, unless you accidentally sand through the finish. Even a clot like me can good results from it.