There are many different shades of shellac flakes available online. Grouped product items; Product Price Qty; Bulls Eye® Shellac-Amber, Quart Item #16049. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. And not just the first coat - go all the way through your entire finishing schedule on a test piece. Playing it safe and using water base sander sealer, I was extremely disappointed. 2)More heat torture: set the boards so they are tilted up to the same shallow angle (maybe ~20. Use Dewaxed Shellac for Your Best “Clear” Finish On Curly Maple: Before – curly maple board sanded to 220 grit, just before being finished with dewaxed shellac: After – with 3 coats of dewaxed shellac: Of all the basic clear topcoats you can choose from, dewaxed shellac provides a surprising chatoyance that you just don’t get with other finishes. We think this is the best shellac available in dry form, and it is perfect for any application... More Details View Full … #3, Spraying catalyzed urethane over wax is always risky, I tested a few different catalysts on shellac and had adverse affects, a chemist that viewed the tables said the wax was reacting to the catalyst. Hard to say. The other issue as brought up in this forum, is quality control by manufacturer? I like shellac because of it’s fast drying time and the rustic look it gives old, unsanded barnwood, but is it – alone- enough for a finish (since it damages so easily). Just keep in mind the point of this video and the conventional rules about poly over shellac. I am scared to death afer all that work to put poly over it now!!! Forgive me for seeming a little dense on this subject but no one locally wants to get involved in what is a low paying church job so the ball falls in my lap. Haven’t looked back since. Also a tiny tiny(!) Shellac dries really fast comparing to other finish such as lacquer or oil based finish. The color varies from gold amber to deep brown caramel. Yeah you can get dewaxed in the same amber, orange, garnet, and blonde. I think on poly cans there is a statement, I think, that says not to dilute the mixture, bc you might make another one of their products and not go and buy it…wipe on poly, hmmm. Bulls Eye® Shellac-Amber. Shellac, amber, 8 oz dewaxed. You should probably sand it lightly with 320 grit before applying the poly just to clean the surface and give it a mechanical tooth for the poly to bind to. (I understand Mark would not approve of this at all :-) ). Do you have any ideas? Poly, lacquer, waterbased poly…. Unfortunately I have never used shellac in my woodworking. To slow down cure, try isopropyl alcohol instead of denatured, since it evaporates slower. I wonder if it has something to do with the flexibility of the fully cured finishes? I think i'm going to use this method on my next acoustic guitar build. I always give honest opinions, findings, and experiences on products. Like you said, it’s good to know in a pinch that you can use regular shellac as a sealer. It looks as if I carefully sanded the top surface where names are that area would clean up and nothing gouged the wood or even seems like it went through what appears to be a very thick finishing coat or coats. (This was years ago, long before seal coat was available, and long before any cautions were being made about the urethane/waxed shellac combination). Walt. Home depot had a gallon can of it but at $38.00 I passed on it. I then sanded some more. This happened to me with tables that had sat for several weeks. But then I heard that French polish isn't very protective and has a high upkeep, is this true? This is a bit lengthy so please bear with me. The parents are happy and we get a few referrals to new customers. Our Orange Shellac is highly refined and is the best quality on the market. When refinishing floors, cannot splice or fan a finish in if the customer has been waxing their floors. Then depending on my choice of top finish I add either: And hopefully we’ll hear from some folks who have had experiences, good and bad, with this finish combination. Brooklyn Tool and Craft - Shellac Amber Flakes 1/2 lb. They developed after a significant amount of time — weeks?? But using a good quality marine varnish as a top coat should help. Perhaps I should delve into this finish. I figured this is no big deal, let it dry and then put a layer of poly on top. Clear and amber liquid shellacs are three-pound cut. Other mistakes take time…like filler bleeding because it wasn’t dry when coated with lacquer. I let the tape work it’s way onto the surface for 3 summer days and when I pulled it, nothing came up. Item # GRP17630_1. It is important to examine the piece in between different grit to make sure no heavy marks are left from previous sanding. In order to have the best mixture result, I let the mixture sit for a day or two so that all flakes are dissolved in alcohol completely. Shipped with USPS First Class. This type of Shellac is extracted by dissolving the Seedlac in a solvent, usually ethanol. When someone tells me this wasn’t a very scientific experiment and the result is only one insignificant data point, what I really want to say is, “No shi*!”. Why? Did you make this project? Have you ever done a video that was so long, you found yourself being influenced by yourself toward the end? You’ll just have to buy flakes instead of buying it in the can. What could I possible put over the top to waterproof now.. I have ADHD and woodworking is doing wonders for me I feel like a sponge soaking up all this info. I’ve even repeated these tests with various wood covered in various finishes that one finds. Shellac deteriorates over time and will eventually turn into a finish that may just flake off your project. It’s not the standard percentage method used for all other finishes. A traditional, quick-drying finish – with a touch of color. We just accept them as fact. Beautifies wood with a lustrous glow that will not darken with age. hey Chad. At this point the shellac is watertight and no grain will rise (I actually never have used only the seal-coat but after sanding it it is not always totally water-tight so the grain might rise). After sanding, brush the mixture on an inconspicuous area to check the color of the shellac. But you have to find the right balance. Extra-clear dewaxed shellac in solution. Interesting to see this old technique explained. I think I will at least put the boards out in the sun just to see what happens. THEN, I started finishing the Colonial moulding. Has anyone done this or why would it not be advisable? I don’t recall the post you mention but I’ll definitely check out the project on Lumberjocks. In my ignorance of this myth(?) The manufacturer makes no representation as to its value. The grain looks like something between mahogany and walnut . Thanks a bunch :). Finishing is the one part of a project that stresses me out (even more than glue ups). Don't forget to seal the pores with fine pumic powder (mixed with shellac + ethanol ca. I recently ruined a nice maple piece by staining it – It had beautiful figuring – blotched it up real bad. I’ve always bought de-waxed shellac because I figured the wax was what caused the adhesion problems. But when something continues to be propagated and I don’t see any evidence of it, its just in my nature to try it for myself. So by doing the video, I really hang everything on that disclaimer. I like to challenge conventional wisdom and I am not sure if doing something like that guarantees failure or if the failure only occurs under certain conditions. Thanks for doing this test and showing the results Marc. No affiliation whatsoever - just passing on the info. Very cool. It looked gorgeous … just like wood from a real 1920s house. Let it dry well before next layers (=over night). And I have used several coats of non-dewaxed shellac under the poly just to get to the right shade on some pieces. Orange shellac is often used in … The first session you do will give you a good sense of how much shellac you should put each time and how much lubricant oil should be used. Hi, Thanks Mark for all your videos, i try to see them all. :) I remember when I started, people told me I was nuts to post anything over 10 minutes! 1. To answer that question, I decided to do a little experiment for myself. I would. Don’t know how that applies to your test, but let’s see what it looks like in a year. I am told the wood is probably Chestnut. In 1964 my father had a house built. Test. 9 months ago I’m a dork because when you popped that first circle of epoxy off the waxed shellac and poly board and it came towards the camera, I flinched. A second issue is the way solids content is measured. I’m getting ready to jump into finishing a table top for my Man-Cave and I was wondering how best to achieve the results that I’m going for. 2. Is it ok to use shellac as a stand alone finish on some things? Make sure that you stir the mixture thoroughly to dissolve the shellac. :). So now I focus on something else to apply my energy. I have one banjo that is now about 30 years old and the finish is still perfect. The 8oz jelly jars from your local big-box retailer are perfect for shellac. Shellac Shack P O Box 1027 Port Orford, Or. I have a pine table I am building and want to control the blotching prior to staining and then apply polyurethane on top. It needs to be diluted with alcohol before using it. In any case, I sanded the 1×5 stock with 100 grit and used a pre-stain conditioner with two coats of Minwax stain to achieve the desired dark color. We really need experiments like this, as there are some of us (much older than you) that dont read directions. Two coats. NOW THAT I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT YOU CAN’T do it, I started using dewaxed shellac, I haven’t seen much difference except that you have to work smaller areas and faster to keep it from drying completely in order to take color properly. so you can choose different colors for different finishing needs. All content on The Wood Whisperer is copyrighted, and may not be reprinted in full form without my written consent. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. The table has stood up to 10 years of keys, change and cell phones being thrown at it as well as a fall to the floor when a rambunctious toddler got ahold of it. Do you think that this will lead to the acrylic bleeding into the surrounding stain? I’ve just built a kitchen cabinet for trash and in the process of testing out different. . so say that I wanted to apply many layers without letting the layers cure fully, and then you make grooves and cuts in the finish while it is still gummy to make some art. I don't know how universal this is but some common tinned shellacs are sold as a 3lb cut (very strong), and it's frequently preferred to apply it as a 1lb cut, requiring that you thin the … I made a coffee table about 3 years ago. You will be rewarded with surfaces shining like mirrors ... that's worth all efforts. I am sure this is a beginer misstake but i have sanded through the first coat in to the stain. Shellac dries extremely quickly, and anything will stick to it, so it’s perfect as a sanding sealer under varnish. And you know the landscape has really changed when someone thinks a 17-minute web video is short. I should still have my test boards in the shop. 1- It could have several purposes. "I long for the days when coke was a cola and a joint was a bad place to be" (Merle Haggard) Save Share Seeing that there was no going back I just went ahead and put the poly on top and hoped for the best. Thanks Marc for this! The whole shellac/poly thing was a bit iffy in my humble opinion. Shellac, amber, 8 oz dewaxed SKU: SHELLAC4. Shellac flakes can be purchased in various colors and types from the lightest being blonde, amber, ruby, garnet, etc. Will the fisheyes continue or will there enough build up to fill in and then level with wool/sanding? The stain still needs to absorb into the wood to some degree. Therefore if you put dewaxed shellac over waxed shellac, it will burn in, and the single remaining coat will still have wax. Pound the bottom on a flat surface a few times so that the bottom sits firmly flat on the wood surface. Condition is "New". It gets direct sun light about 6 months out of the year. Shellac is a resin formed from lac bugs in south east Asia. Slight blue cast. Enjoyed that short video and test thanks Marc. I used to use an oil based system but the government decided to crack down on oil based products due to invironmental concerns here in Canada. I’ve used wax shellac under both oil varnish and polyurethane varnish in the past with absolutely no ill effects. is there a maximum safe tempreture for faster curing. Rubbing with Xs and Os will drag some of the filler out of the grain. To save money he was allowed to paint the interiors and finish the floors himself. Write a Review. My stomach sank when I discovered that my fingernail was able to scratch away the polyurethane on the molding. Add to Wish List. I reaqd that an oil-based varnish may work. You should mail these boards to Matt, and let them winter there. Great instructable! 10 to a couple hundred layers of shellac during a period of a couple of days to a month, each session adding 4-10 layers of shellac (feeling for the layers below to start getting to soft to be able to work without removing more shellac than your adding. If that doesn’t work, throw them in the pool for a day and then the sun again. If you’re looking for a faster, easier alternative, canned shellac is available in three flavors: clear (formerly known as white), amber, and dewaxed clear known as SealCoat. I’ve recently started doing Pet Portraits on Basswood slabs and my paints and the end coat of poly were soaking in at a ridiculously annoying rate. Many hardware stores have 99+% purity. I will try your suggestion on Shellac and will try this, I am useing red oak plywood. Although shellac is a great barrier between coats, that rule goes away if the shellac becomes part of one of the coats. 3) Mixing your own shellac is cheap. But my results gave me enough confidence to say that if you are using the finish as a sealer coat (2lb cut or less), I see no reason not to use whatever shellac you have on hand, even if it has wax in it. I'll go to a couple other places tomorrow. When a hardwood floor is waxed, there’s a significant buildup of pure wax on top. Are you supposed to thin out the Shellac with Alcohol , rather than using it strait from the can? If you wax your hardwood floors, sand, and add a coat of poly, the poly will peel right off. Designed and developed by Underscorefunk Design. And, of course: Test. Nice post Mark, I used shellac as a sanding sealer or grain sealer under poly for many years, and never had any problems. I can sort of agree with what Barry said. You should be able to see that all the high spots are sanded and eventually the surface is flat. 3 years ago. 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