Applying Shelac tips and tricks

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Hey Guys,

Well tonight for the first time I am going to be using Shelac as a finish. I have read that it seems to be the best way to apply Shelac is using a pad. I have used a pad in the past to apply varnish and like it, so that sounds good to me.

Do you guys have any tips for applying Shelac for the first time? I don't want to mess up my project. Yes, I will be practicing on scrap first! :)

Thanks!

Jeff

[Erin Raasch]

Hey Guys,

Well tonight for the first time I am going to be using Shelac as a finish. I have read that it seems to be the best way to apply Shelac is using a pad. I have used a pad in the past to apply varnish and like it, so that sounds good to me.

Do you guys have any tips for applying Shelac for the first time? I don't want to mess up my project. Yes, I will be practicing on scrap first! :)

Thanks!

Jeff

Jeff,

What I've done - and it seems to work pretty nicely - is to wipe on lots of very light coats. I can't tell you off the top of my head what cut I use, but it's a pretty thin cut. I apply 3 or 4 coats, allowing only a few minutes of drying time. A thin cut of shellac dries very quickly - If I have several pieces to finish, by the time I've gotten to the last pieces, the first ones are already dry to the touch.

After the first 3-4 coats, I then let it set for a couple of hours, sand lightly with a foam sanding block (not sure what grit - but fairly fine), then repeat.

It takes awhile, but eventually you will start to build up a really nice finish. To give depth to the finish, you can start with a darker color and work up to finish with clear shellac. This is what I did with my last project, and I was really pleased with the results. I used garnet, then blonde, and finally clear.

Once the last coat of shellac has set, you can apply paste wax and buff out with a fine Scotch-Brite pad.

HTH!

Erin

[Chris Daigh]

Erin is right, thin coats. I keep a small bottle so I can squirt more shellac on my pad when it is getting dry. The first coat takes the longest, I continue until the pad is sticky when in contact with wood. Its hard to screw up, I did it without problems. I have also used Bullseye shellac and it was very easy, I used a brush and it was so easy. Homesteadfinishing.com has a great how to article on padding shellac.

[Alan Turner]

For padding, I use a traditional rubber, which is a lint free muslin cloth, about 12 x 12, and some medical guaze, which is lint free. HOmestead finishing has both. Wad it up to about the size of a golf ball, and it lives inside the muslin. Charge the gauze, and wrap the muslin around the golfball, and twist. Use a glove. The amount of downward pressure will determine the amount you are applying. It it begins to get sticky, then you can add about 3 small drops of mineral oil to the pad, and rub all you want, in circles. Ultimately, it becomes french polishing, but even for the initial coats I have found this method to work well.

You could also spray the first few coats to get a build quickly, and then polish it to smooth it. It is quick way to french polich.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Thanks for the responses everyone, you have all confirmed what I had read. Thanks!

[Tyler Howell]

Erin's Back,:eek:

We missed you!:o Does that mean it's warm enough to go into the shop???

[Jim Becker]

Here's a link that you might find useful at my friend Steve Mickley's site. Steve is a pro and knows his stuff. If for some reason you accidently end up back at his "home page", just click on his wrist-watch in the picture to get back to the "private woodworkers" pages.

http://johnjacobmickley.net/Shop%20Pages/Finishing%20Frame.htm

There is an entry for Shellac in the left-menu.

[Erin Raasch]

Erin's Back,:eek:

We missed you!:o Does that mean it's warm enough to go back into the shop???

Oh, I've been around, lurking . . . but no, it's still not warm enough to get out in the shop :(

and even if it was, my hubby's got plenty of not-so-fun stuff lined up before we can start on the fun stuff.

Some (crappy) built-in shelving to tear out to give us more space, wired-in electronic ballast fluorescent lights to install, 240 circuit to wire up for our NEW BAND SAW!!!!! (Rikon 18", to be delivered the first weekend in April).

Then the fun begins :D

Erin

[Jerry Olexa]

Jeff Shellac is VERY forgiving. If you mess up (which is hard to do) you simply apply alcohol and dissolve the prior finish. I agree very much w Jim Becker : Steve Mickley is a guru/purist who knows his craft. Follow his instructions and you'll be happy. I was and be patient: takes several light coats before you see the nice effects and yes, padding is the way to go...Enjoy!:)

[Peter Lyon]

My preferred method for hand applying shallac is to utilize a piece of gray synthetic steelwool (scotchbright?). This advice came from a neighbor of mine, Michael Dresdner, a noted author of numerous books and magazine articles on wood finishing, including "The New Wood Finshing Book". If I recall Michael's rationale correctly, the gray material was just abrasive enough to lightly sand any minor imperfections and to essentially create a "slurry" out of the shellac.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Thanks for all of the advice everyone!

I was using this shellac to finish the inside of a dresser, the outside will see witches brew. I went to the local paint store and they had amber shellac pre-mixed, but they were fresh out of clear. So I got the amber and some clear spray.

The clear matched better with the witches brew on scrap, so I used that.

It worked like a charm! I put on about 5 of the lightest coats you can imagine. It is a little rough, so tonight I am going to sand it and put down one more coat.

I probably wouldn't use this method on the outside of the dresser where it will really show, but on the inside it is looking great to me! Best part is it was very quick to do.