Another shellac question

boxer

I was wondering if there is a wood that shellac should not be applied on. Specifically, purpleheart. What say you good people?

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bobj3

HI Boxer

I'm not the pro.when it comes to shellac but if you clean the wood with Acetone then shellac should stick...they use shellac on just about all woods..

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jerrymayfield

Shellac is the universal sealer, I think it would stick to peanut butter. If shellac were invented(discovered) today it would be proclaimed as a miracle finish. Can you tell I like shellac ?.

Regards

Jerry

jerryc

Properly prepared shellac should stick to any wood. I've used it on teak --oily.
Merbau another oily wood and western red cedar.
Only problem you are likely to encounter with shellac is if you use old shellac. Once mixed with meth, shellac begins to absorb moisture. True it's at a slow rate but why cause yourself potential problems. I keep dry flakes and only mix enough for the job in hand. As the others have said, it's a wonder finish. I've even used it on the interior woodwork of my yacht instead of varnish, on vanity units in two bathrooms and on kitchen cabinets.

Jerry


Everyone is entitled to my opinion

boxer

I appreciate all of the replies. I'm just starting with shellac and I gotta say, it's far from the ease of the Danish oil I've been using.
One more question, please. Can anyone tell me the difference between applying a shellac finish and french polishing?
Boxer

jerrymayfield

One major difference, in french polishing the grain of the wood is filled with pumice. Forget all about varnishing when using shellac,its a different animal.

Regards

Jerry

boxer

Thanks, Jerry. I knew I could count on you. I really appreciate your willingness to share your experiences and knowledge on finishing. It's a real weakness for me and it's great to be able to rely on knowledgable people like yourself and others here to set me on the right path.
Boxer

jerryc

Boxer,
You say using shellac is far from the ease of using Danish Oil. To me shellac is one of the easiest finishes. What troubles are you having? Perhaps I can help.
Shellac? I love it.

Everyone is entitled to my opinion

Jerry

boxer

Jerry, I am finishing boxes. Some are 6" square, to 6"x9" and others. I really have a hard time doing the inside of these boxes. I did a little research on applying shellac and french polishing and I may be getting some aspects of the two mixed up. Or it may be the denatured alchohol in my closed up garage that's screwing me up. Even on the outside, I can't seem to get a good even coat without smudges from the pad on it. I've kinda given up on it and gone back to spraying lacquer for now, as the boxes are backing up a little. It's really frustrating because I'm usually able to do anything that I set my mind to with just a little practice. I just can't seem to get the hang of this right now. I'm sure I'll try again later this year. Right now the conditions are perfect for spraying lacquer. But when Summer hits, not so much.
Thanks for responding, Kevin

jerryc

Boxer,

I have to confess I have little experience in dealing with small box interiors. I use a rubber when applying shellac but whether it would be suitable for the interior I know not. Perhaps the interior could be flock sprayed.

The fact that you are finding the shellac smearing might be because you are either using too thick a mix or applying the finish too liberally. I know in your country they talk of one pound, two pound,, etc mixes but I'm a simple soul. I put shellac into a container and just cover it with meth. If it's too thick I add more meth and if too thin it gets more flakes. I don't buy premixed finish because once it is mixed it begins to absorb moisture and it is that that gives shellac a bad name for not being waterproof. I only mix enough for the job in hand or for the next few weeks

If smearing occurs it's easy to correct. I make three rubbers, one general purpose, one small for fiddly bits and a meth rubber to correct mistakes. Just use the meth rubber to reactivate the finish

My rubbers are made of a ball of unmedicated cotton wool just a bit bigger than a baseball wrapped in linen. The shellac is poured into the back with a squeeze bottle. Putting it in from the back has the advantage of filtering any rubbish out and means you can control the amount of shellac applied. Want more? Give the rubber a squeeze.
You can use a brush but they are expensive and a cheaper way to go is to buy a blusher makeup brush. Just wash it in meth first to get rid of loose hairs.

I've included the way I fold a rubber in attachments and hope this submission is of some help

Jerry

Everyone is enitled to my opinion

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