Matereal for project to rest on that wont stick to shellac

[Joel Wesseling]

I'm Applying shellac to speaker cabinets. when I let the top side dry for one day I'd like
to turn it 180 and brush shellac on this side. So after finishing any one side I'd like to leave no more
then one day and go at the other sides. Cabinets are kind of large and heavy for hanging but thinking about this as a last resort

The problem is whatever material I put down on the underside it either sticks or imprints into the surface..

Any Ideas? Much appreciated

[Steve Jenkins]

If the cabinets have an obvious bottom or back finish it first, then if they do imprint it won't be visible. I'm surprised that shellac will still imprint after 24hours. I have had some luck wrapping small blocks with the newish nonstick aluminum foil and setting a painted object on them after 24 hours or so. I typically use lacquer or conversion varnish and I can turn the pieces after a couple hours. I thought shellac was similar in that respect.

[Scott Holmes]

Joel,

tell me more about the shellac you are using... Fresh from flakes? Straight out of a can?

Two things come to mind...
1.Old canned shellac that still has the wax.
and/or
2.Too thick a coat of shellac.

I have a bucket of shellac waiting for me right now... 1# cut garnet as a seal coat on kitchen cabinets.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Yeah........I apply shellac in thin coats with a pad...3/4# up to 1-1/2# cuts. Ready for 2d pass within 15 minutes at most. Being cautious, I usually wait a few hours before turning it over. Never an issue. Always fresh [meaning maybe a month or so] from flakes.

Something sounds weird if you are getting imprinting after 24 hours.

[HANK METZ]

Shellac is my finish of choice, I use child's jacks to "float" my projects whilst drying:
211636

The heavier the object, the more jacks I lay down:
211637

- Beachside Hank

[Joel Wesseling]

I'm using dewaxed flakes disolved with Iso Alc and used within a week after disolved
It is 1# cut of blonde and flowed out with brush and reaplied after
each hour and total of 6 coats. Then left for a day and turned..

Used somefelt strips underneath and fibers were imprinted and pulled out
thing is shellac seemed totaly fine to touch
I know the one time it was to thick at the edge but the the felt part I didnd expect by how hard the shllac appeared
the cabinet is about 90 pounds

Going to try the childs jacks

[Joel Wesseling]

missed that foil. Have to try non stick foil as well. Looking
for A table surface(30"x100) to flip the cabinets.

[Scott Holmes]

Six brushed on coats of 1# shellac is about 4 coats too many.

That may be part of the problem. try wiping it with a linen rag very damp with alcohol and see if you can refine the smooth finish and remove a bit of the shellac at the same time.

The perfect shellac finish is the thinnest possible finish that is flawless.

[HANK METZ]

...Going to try the childs jacks

Got mine here:http://www.shindigz.com/party/Ball-and-Jack-Game.cfm?addFlag=1


When ordering a quantity of one you will receive 12 packages of the game which consists of one red rubber ball and 12 metal jacks. So a total of 12 balls and 144 jacks. $5.99- that comes out to $.04 ea. plus shipping.


- Beachside Hank

[glenn bradley]

Scott's got you covered as usual (thanks Scott for all your input here). I'm no expert but, I do use shellac frequently. As I have said in other shellac "problem" threads; more problems are due to too much shellac than any other cause I hear about. When I overdo, I soak a rag in DNA and rub the piece down as close to clean as I can get it. I then reapply two thin coats, very rarely three. As Scott said; as thin as you can and achieve a good finish. Also, weather depending (I'm in sunny CA), I can turn pieces in about an hour with no transfer or imprinting for each coat.

[Joel Wesseling]

Thank for the replies

Scott, I'm new at this but have done a lot of reading over the last year and found
many people are applying up to six coats at one time and then sanding level. Then applying 6 more
One of my the sets(walnut veneer) has 10 coats to fill the grain and then it was leveled
I'm now going for the final layers for and after 2 coats its clearly not enough to look consistant

Another pair is anigre and grain isn't deep so It looks like the finish is building sooner

Are you saying 2 coats is all that you need or is this where you sand and then apply again

Can you advise me on the a typical shellac finish schedule

Thanks, Joel

[Scott Holmes]

To use shellac to fill the pores, I brush on 3 or 4 heavy coats of shellac usually about a 2# cut. Then after it has dried, I will sand it back so that the shellac is only in the pores, no shiny spots where the grain is not filled. Then one or 2 light coats and you're done.

Building shellac to thick film will cause it to alligartor in the future; maybe a year, maybe 10 years, maybe a month.

As for the people that apply shellac and build it up thick as if it were varnish... guess they don't know any better.

If you are spraying from the rattle can and doing 3 or 4 coats that's still a very thin layer of shellac. I don't know the actual cut of the spray can shellac; I would guess somewhere less than a 1/2# cut. Therefore the build will be very thin.

[Joel Wesseling]

To use shellac to fill the pores, I brush on 3 or 4 heavy coats of shellac usually about a 2# cut. Then after it has dried, I will sand it back so that the shellac is only in the pores, no shiny spots where the grain is not filled. Then one or 2 light coats and you're done.

Building shellac to thick film will cause it to alligartor in the future; maybe a year, maybe 10 years, maybe a month.

As for the people that apply shellac and build it up thick as if it were varnish... guess they don't know any better.

If you are spraying from the rattle can and doing 3 or 4 coats that's still a very thin layer of shellac. I don't know the actual cut of the spray can shellac; I would guess somewhere less than a 1/2# cut. Therefore the build will be very thin.

I like this as it would be less work and without a problem in the future..

Are your 2 final coats applied with brush? if so Are you wet sanding to get it smooth and with enough build to do so?

I did spray some cabinets with disolved shellac outdoors one time and the fininish is so consistant after one spray but with a brush cant seem to get that..

[Joel Wesseling]

One more thing. Is the brush technique the same for grain filling and final finish?

Thanks, Joel

[Scott Holmes]

I usually brush shellac to fill grain; smooth is not a requirement. Let each coat dry before you apply the next coat. Then sand it back to bare wood with shellac in the filled grain. If I brush a seal coat I use one coat, if I spray 2 light coats is enough. If you wipe it on 2 -3 coats should do.

Brushing shellac takes a bit of practice; flowing it on with one smooth stroke is key. If you fall back to your brushing varnish technique, you will fail miserably.

[Joel Wesseling]

Thanks you put me straight on some things

The only thing now is I really like wet sanding and polishing as to not have any dust in my finish room
When I wet sand back the grain filling the water will contact the bare wood and I dont like this plus white powder on wood as well

I'd like to grain fill and wet sand to a point where a thin layer of 2# shellac is left on the surface and using water is no problem, then go to light finish coats, Maybe not good idea because layer of the 2# cut is remaining
If I cant do this I'll sand outside in good weather

[Scott Holmes]

In general wet sanding is for final sanding. e.g. "finishing the finish". Wet sanding between coats tends to cause white powder sanding slurry to get trapped in the wood pores.

I use an open coat sandpaper between coats. 220 or 320

[Joel Wesseling]

In general wet sanding is for final sanding. e.g. "finishing the finish". Wet sanding between coats tends to cause white powder sanding slurry to get trapped in the wood pores.

I use an open coat sandpaper between coats. 220 or 320

open coat sandpaper - never heard of it - Cliche: you learn something everyday.
Ok think I'll try and sand(not wet) back after some coats of grain filler.. Got to be carefull about oversanding veneer.. Then go for thin coats of shellac

Thanks for all of the help

Joel