How to apply Bullseye sealcoat to bowl?

[Jack Gaskins]

Im not to great at applying finishes. I purchased a can of Bullseye Sealcoat and was going to use it to seal the maple bowl then apply some WOP over it ( I do not know how to thin Poly that is why I used sealcoat first). I did not thin the first coat, just put it on with a foam brush and it looked like crap. Let it sit for a week before I could get back to it to sand it back, then thinned a 50/50 mix and applied with a foam brush then wiped off the excess with paper towel. My question is what is your guys technique for using Bullseye Sealcoat? Do you thin it, brush it, wipe it, spray it, how many coats, how do you sand it. One more question, what kind of shop jars do I need when trying to thin stuff like shellac or poly? Should I buy some special mixing gadgets? What do you guys use? Thanks, Jack.

[Grant Wilkinson]

Sealcoat is a dewaxed shellac/alcohol mix. It seems to be about a 1lb cut, but I'm not sure. I don't thin it, as per the instructions. For the first coat, I brush it on, rub it in, then wipe off the excess until the surface feels a bit tacky. When I use a second coat, I brush on a thin coat and don't touch it. I've never used more than 2 coats. If you seach on bullseye sealcoat, you will find all the instructions you will ever need.

[Bill Bukovec]

I use a piece of cheesecloth formed into a ball with a round smooth face.

Don't go back over it, the pad will stick. Pad it on and leave it.

Since it dries fast, you can put another coat on in 20 minutes.

I've heard that shellac and foam brushes don't mix.

[Jon Nuckles]

I think Sealcoat is a 2 lb cut. I like to thin it about 50/50 with DNA before using.

[John Coloccia]

I think Sealcoat is a 2 lb cut. I like to thin it about 50/50 with DNA before using.

Yep...2lb cut as far as I know. I usually thin 50/50 for use as a sealer also, and use multiple coats. It seems to work better that way.

[Richard Jones]

Jack,

I use the same shellac, but thinned 2:1 with DNA. My container is a tall plastic squeeze bottle (ketchup bottle size) and have encountered no ill effects. I wouldn't get hung up on the amounts to thin, just whatever works for you.

I really try to do all shellac processes ON the lathe, just have better luck with the finished product. I cut it back with steel wool or a ScotchBrite pad and occasionally 320 or so paper, but figure on a bit of clogging. Keep your lathe speed really low to minimize heat. Let the abrasive do the work and not your hand pressure.

My "technique" is to pad it on with a paper towel and allow to dry a few minutes before sanding (PAF :) ). I normally only do one coat, using it more as a sealer than a finish. The only place it doesn't get covered with something else, like DO, is on the inside of a box or canister.

As an aside, I've found shellac seems to "set" the color of certain woods, so that the subsequent finish doesn't yellow them too much.

[Prashun Patel]

Please confirm: you're using Zinsser Sealcoat, right? Zinsser Bullseye is a separate, thicker, waxed version of Sealcoat.

Applied as a sealing coat, I don't worry too much about lap marks. I just sand them down with 220. If I end up with a white, dusty, smooth bowl, the sealcoat has done it's job for me. I apply Sealcoat at full strength. I find it can be brushed, padded, or ragged well. YMMV. If you don't like the results with a foam brush, you might try using a folded shop towel (blue). Instead of rubbing it in and around like you might with WOP or oil, you can try to just swipe it on in thin overlapping stripes. If I get marks, I don't bother going back. I find they will either sand out, or rub down with a dna-soaked rag.

WOP is already thinned, and I find that for me it doesn't require further thinning to be applied as a sealer.

Also, it is my opinion 'sealers' are really just there to speed production time, to create a surface that has no variance in porosity. This helps me when creating very thin film finishes or when using color on figured or blotchy woods. However, for most of my practical purposes when I'm not coloring, I usually don't "need" a separate sealer; you are welcome to try skipping the sealcoat and going start straight away with WOP (unless you like the color that the Sealcoat imparts).

[Richard Jones]

"There's no reason to thin Sealcoat."

You mean, other than that's what I think works best? Please, there's nothing here set in stone.

[Prashun Patel]

Didn't mean to imply my way was the only way. I re-read and fixed my post to be a little less highnmighty.

[Jack Gaskins]

Thanks for the replies today. So I can leave the bowl on the lathe and instead of a foam brush I can use a shop paper towel while the bowl turns or not spinning? How do you guys measure your mix of DNA and Shellac, just eyeball it? How long will a mixture stay in a container? Just a thought but can you add dye or thinned paint to shellac?

[John Coloccia]

Thanks for the replies today. So I can leave the bowl on the lathe and instead of a foam brush I can use a shop paper towel while the bowl turns or not spinning? How do you guys measure your mix of DNA and Shellac, just eyeball it? How long will a mixture stay in a container? Just a thought but can you add dye or thinned paint to shellac?

You can add anything alcohol soluble. I usually use transtint if anything. Mixing = eyeball. It's not critical, and as Prashun says you can apply it straight too.

[Jon Nuckles]

Eyeballing is plenty accurate for my purposes. I feel that it is easier to apply when I thin it, but there is certainly no magic to it and you can build faster if you don't thin it (if you are interested in building). I usually apply it off the lathe, just because I want to finish the bottom at the same time. Having it on the lathe makes it easier to apply than having to hold it with one hand and apply the shellac with the other, though. If you spin it while applying with a shop towel, go at a low speed. It dries so fast, that it can start to "grab" at higher speeds because of the friction and resulting heat. If you use a little oil with the shellac and the lathe spinning, you can approach a french polish type finish, but it can take a little while to get the hang of it. Most shellac is supposed to be used within about 6 months of being mixed, but I believe Zinsser says Sealcoat is good for 3 years. You can test it by putting a little puddle on a piece of glass and seeing if it dries hard. If it does, it is ok; if it stays gummy, throw it away.

[Jack Gaskins]

Well I think since this bowl wont see much hard use probably just collect stuff on the counter maybe some apples I think I will just put on some coats of Shellac and call it good no WOP.

[John Beaver]

Jack, Thought you might like to read this directly from the manufacturer regarding display bowls.

"The Sanding Sealer is actually designed as an undercoat, so it would not give you as durable of a finish as a polyurethane would. In your case, it would probably hold up okay considering it's for decoration rather than performance or functionality."

You can get a beautiful finish with the Sealcoat. Here's my process. Sand piece to 220. Wipe shellac on with paper towel. Sand 220 - 320- 400. Wipe on second coat. Sand 400-600. Repeat as desired then sand last coat up as high as you can. (I use micro mesh pads all the way to 12,000) On light to medium woods it leaves a beautiful warm finish. Dries quickly, and has reasonable durability.

Personally I think WOP has a nice gloss, but can look a little plastic. In California you can't buy the oil based WOP any more so I now use a oil / varnish mix instead.

[Roger Chandler]

I did not have time to read all the above posts......leaving to take care of business in a bit, but I did read your original post, Jack. I use Zinzer seal coat all the time. A foam brush in my opinion is not the right applicator........it will create bubbles in the finish. I use a piece of old tshirt material. Sometimes I use a piece of blue paper shop towel, but think the tshirt works best.

I like to apply the shellac with no thinning, and on the lathe at about 100 rpm. I usually have a pretty good amount on the tshirt, and then try to get an even coat all the way up the piece. Let it dry for about 5 minutes ......[you can speed it up with a hairdryer] ........and then put on another coat.

It makes for a good base layer, and one of my reasons for using it, is that it pops the grain. After drying for 30 minutes you can then put WOP or another finish on.........it works great! Good luck!

[Jack Gaskins]

Jack, Thought you might like to read this directly from the manufacturer regarding display bowls.

"The Sanding Sealer is actually designed as an undercoat, so it would not give you as durable of a finish as a polyurethane would. In your case, it would probably hold up okay considering it's for decoration rather than performance or functionality."

You can get a beautiful finish with the Sealcoat. Here's my process. Sand piece to 220. Wipe shellac on with paper towel. Sand 220 - 320- 400. Wipe on second coat. Sand 400-600. Repeat as desired then sand last coat up as high as you can. (I use micro mesh pads all the way to 12,000) On light to medium woods it leaves a beautiful warm finish. Dries quickly, and has reasonable durability.

Personally I think WOP has a nice gloss, but can look a little plastic. In California you can't buy the oil based WOP any more so I now use a oil / varnish mix instead.

Thanks John. I have read several posts on other places where woodworkers state they have used only Shellac as a finish on furniture and it holds up very well in most cases so I think this will be a trial bowl. Guess I should put the word shellac on the bottom so I remember what finish I used.

[Jack Gaskins]

I did not have time to read all the above posts......leaving to take care of business in a bit, but I did read your original post, Jack. I use Zinzer seal coat all the time. A foam brush in my opinion is not the right applicator........it will create bubbles in the finish. I use a piece of old tshirt material. Sometimes I use a piece of blue paper shop towel, but think the tshirt works best.

I like to apply the shellac with no thinning, and on the lathe at about 100 rpm. I usually have a pretty good amount on the tshirt, and then try to get an even coat all the way up the piece. Let it dry for about 5 minutes ......[you can speed it up with a hairdryer] ........and then put on another coat.

It makes for a good base layer, and one of my reasons for using it, is that it pops the grain. After drying for 30 minutes you can then put WOP or another finish on.........it works great! Good luck!

Hi Roger. Yeah I have read that you can put WOP over the dewaxed shellac with no problems. May try that if I don't like using just the BSC. When I used the foam brush it just flooded the bowl and I couldn't get it even by the time I tried to wipe it out most of it was dry and it had a very uneven surface that took a while to sand out but then the 320 and 400 sandpaper left sand lines in the finish sooooo I guess I suck at apply a finish!

[John Keeton]

...I couldn't get it even by the time I tried to wipe it out most of it was dry and it had a very uneven surface that took a while to sand out ...Jack, one of the many nice things about shellac is that all you need to do to 'repair' a bad surface is spin the piece slowly against a lint free cloth wet with DNA. It will reconstitute the shellac and you will end up with a smooth surface. Most of the shellac will pull off, but you are back where you started with the first seal coat. MUCH easier than sanding - and, no sand lines.

[Roger Chandler]

Jack, one of the many nice things about shellac is that all you need to do to 'repair' a bad surface is spin the piece slowly against a lint free cloth wet with DNA. It will reconstitute the shellac and you will end up with a smooth surface. Most of the shellac will pull off, but you are back where you started with the first seal coat. MUCH easier than sanding - and, no sand lines.

That is a good tip, John........I hope I can retain that info in my memory banks!