I've been shellacked!!

[Jason White]

Just built my wife a jelly cupboard made of white pine and clear fir. For the finish, I thought I'd give shellac a try. I'm wishing I hadn't, though...

I tried Zinnser "amber" shellac (with wax). The can specifically says "DO NOT THIN" so I didn't. It must be 2 or 3 pound cut, though, because it went on really thick and now I've got some dark, raised gummy spots. I've tried sanding them flat, but they just clog up my sandpaper and make a mess. Have also tried flattening them out with a rag and denatured alcohol but that's not working well, either. I'm guessing that's because of the wax.

Any suggestions for removing the dark spots or at least blending them in with the rest of the finish?

[Tom Scott]

My first thought would have been wiping down with a rag soaked in DNA. The other option is to let it dry and use a scraper to to take down the high spots.
I mix my own, but would not hesitate thinning the Zinser with a little more DNA...and then try on some sample boards.

[Dennis Peacock]

I have used and thinned Zinser shellac before with very good results. The good part of this is.....it's shellac and it can be removed with as much or as little as you want via a rag and DNA. Shoot, just wipe it down with DNA and start again with thinner shellac this time. I've found that shellac does really well when put on in thin coats. I've done french polishing, applied as padding shellac, applied with a brush, and applied with my HVLP spray setup. My least favorite is large application via brush.

[Rich Riddle]

I make the shellac from the flakes ordered. It's much better than the stuff in the can.

[Sam Stephens]

BTDT. Shellac works better padded that ragged on imo -easier to control how much is laid down. a 2-3 lb is not really a problem this way. I'd use a pad charged w/ DNA and put some mineral oil on it to keep the pad from sticking. just rub the area in small circles trying to blend to the surrounding. It never seems to work as quickly as i'd think it should, but shouldn't take but a minute or two. Otherwise, scrape it off then sand to get the remainder.

[Mike Henderson]

Or spray the shellac. I never had a problem when I sprayed it. Had (and still have) problems if I try to put it on any other way.

Mike

[Jason White]

Yes, I guess I should've mentioned that I used a 4" bristle brush to apply it. I guess padding it on might have yielded better results. Will definitely thin it next time, too.



I have used and thinned Zinser shellac before with very good results. The good part of this is.....it's shellac and it can be removed with as much or as little as you want via a rag and DNA. Shoot, just wipe it down with DNA and start again with thinner shellac this time. I've found that shellac does really well when put on in thin coats. I've done french polishing, applied as padding shellac, applied with a brush, and applied with my HVLP spray setup. My least favorite is large application via brush.

[Stephen Cherry]

This is a dewaxed shellac, easy to pad on

http://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/zinsser/interior-wood-finishes/sealcoat-universal-sanding-sealer/

[Jim Neeley]

Shellac, like many other finishes, contain warnings not to thin in order to meet emission standards in stringent locations.

The MSDS on my can of DNA states 790g/L of VOC.

Since I'm not an industrial user and use small volumes, in my area, I'm not governed by the VOC laws. I not only thin my shellac but have also found DNA to be a great carrier fluid for spraying Transtint dye. Not being highly skilled with spraying, applying multiple dilute coats of dye permits me to sneak up on the color and intensity I want.

When I've got what I want, I spray a coat of dewaxed shellac and then whatever topcoat I desire. I've even had good results spraying Transtint and shellac in sub-zero temperatures as long as I start out with warm wood and bring it in to dry. Then I'll use a wiping varnish in my garage to finish it off.

That prevents me from having to hold projects for summer finishing.

Just my $0.02.. YMMV.

Jim in Alaska

[glenn bradley]

Most problems I read about with shellac are the result of procedural issues. The best coat of shellac is the thinnest possible, film-wise, that will do the job. I generally hit Zinsser's Seal Coat 1:1 with DNA for padding or spraying. Seal coat is a 2lb cut. Their waxed shellac products are a 3lb cut so I would thin them even more. Remember that shellac, like other volatile materials, is explosive when sprayed so use the usual precautions. The most common broken rule that will get you into trouble when applying shellac by pad or brush is to go back over an area that you have just applied. Shellac dries too fast to tolerate much in the way of "go backs". Apply a coat in one run, wait about 30 minutes and then sand and apply a second coat if required. Remember that shellac is not normally used as a build finish (although some folks have the patience to use it as a grain filler). If you want a thick film you should use another product. My usual application method is to apply via pad, wait 30 minutes, touch sand with 400 grit to remove nibs and apply via pad again; done.

[michael nicholson]

I thin Zinsser 4 parts DNA to 5 Parts shellac and get good results. Got it from this chart.
278569

[jeffrey bailey]

I used a spray can of Zinsser clear on a box yesterday. I sprayed 3 thin coats. It went on smoothly but seemed to clump up as it dried. It looks really bad. I am going to try smoothing it with steel wool before waxing it. Does anyone have any better advice?

[Chad S Fisher]

Hello guys, sorry to hijack a thread but I am very curious to understanding the chart Michael posted on the Shellac.
I am finishing our walls and ceiling out in Knotty Pine and applying the Shellac to the 8ft long boards with foam brush is a little cumbersome. I have some HVLP sprayers I could use. With having close to 600+ 1x8x8ft boards to coat 3 to 4 times the sprayer really beats the hand method

My question is understanding how much to cut the Zinsser Bulls-Eye Clear 3# Shellac. Assuming I use 8ozs of Shellac do I cut it with roughly 3ozs of alcohol to achieve 1/3 : 1 ratio. I would like to spray 3 to 4 coats

Thanks in advance

[jeffrey bailey]

As an update to my post above, the steel wool didn't work so I am going to remove the shellac with DNA. Once it is removed, I plan to spray the box with Minwax Polycrylic. The original base on this box is BLO. Does anyone see any problems with spraying the polycrylic over it? Would like to hear any comments on this.

[David Eisenhauer]

I don't remember if Zinser Bulls Eye Clear #3 is waxed or dewaxed ( I suspect it contains wax), but if it is waxed, it will probably not work. If it is dewaxed, it will work. Shellac rule: Dewaxed shellac will stick to any kind of finish and any kind of finish will stick to dewaxed shellac. I use dewaxed over BLO before covering it with poly/varnish, etc. or when jumping between water based and oil based finishes. If in doubt, HVLP some dewaxed over what you have (thinned as you desire), then come back over with the poly. Spraying shellac works very well for me because I typically use it on larger pieces that would be some while being padded-on. Spray light coats, with a very light cross hatch pattern on the first coat on vertical surfaces. It will run on vertical surfaces if you come on too heavy at all and then you will have to break out the razor blade/scraper/etc.

[Darcy Forman]

I thin Zinnser amber shellac with wax at a one to one ratio. I find with a brush it applies nicely with good results. Just finished a birch fire place mantel tonight with this finish in fact.