Cherry Shellac Rescue needed!

[Jerry Olexa]

<TABLE class=forumline cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=row1 vAlign=top align=left width=150>



</TD><TD class=row1 vAlign=top width="100%" height=28><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%"></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>I put BLO on my overdue Cherry headboard project and it popped the grain nicely, and followed with garnet shellac giving it a nice color/tone. Because it looked so good,I considered not varnishing and leaving as is.Then I tried to "blend in" a very light coat of garnet just in some repair areas and later, rubbed w 000 steel wool to level out and blend . I'm not really happy w results.The blending together is OK but the lustre is now reduced and not totally uniform.What are my options? Does it simply need another coat or 2 of shellac? or proceed to varnish or keep buffing or ?? In past, I found shellac easy to work and love its usual look plus this beautiful cherry. I'll appreciate your advice. Thanks .</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Mac McAtee]

I'd go with another coat or two of shellac. It is fairly forgiving stuff unless you start messing with it as it dries. Worst case is a rag soaked in alcohol and wipe it all off and do it again.

[Paul Dwight]

Jerry,

You might try dipping your finger in alcohol and lightly rubbing the problem area. The idea is to liquify just enough of the shellac to fill in the scratches from the steel wool, without rubbing all the way through. If this doesn't work, your best bet is probably to re-coat the piece with another layer of shellac.

Good luck! -- Paul

[Jim Stastny]

Let me add my two cents, for no other reason than to reinforce the above. Go with your instincts. You've used shellac in the past. You understand its qualities. So, keep working with it.

[Jerry Olexa]

Thanks Mac, Paul and Jim! Added another coat of Shellac and then padded (w more alcohol ) and the blending took place, Big improvement!! Only one panel still giving me some headache but I'll work it out tonight and then do a final padding w mostly alcohol. Looks much better! Thanks again. Good advice!!

[Hal Flynt]

Jerry,
I like Shellac too. Jeff Jewitt told me that isopropal alcohol was slower drying than denatured and acted as a retarder. I got my drugist to get me some 99+% Isopropal for that purpose.

I also buy quarts of 90% Isopropal at the drug store to use to remove shellac. Well wouldn't you know it, I got mixed up once and used the 90% to dilute some shellac and it didn't seem to hurt the results at all. No clouding or anything else that I can see. I have used very light cuts of shellac to touch up areas like you mention. maybe a 1# cut and a soft brush to quickly cover the areas that I want to blend. If it looks funny, I can always go back to a standard cut or pad it as the case may be.

Most of my new techniques are the result of a mistake that worked out.