build a Sheen with shellac.

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

Im finishen a bowl turned out of elm burl. I use home dissolved dewaxed blonde shellac and Im using a brush and a thin cut. I have applied 3 layers now and the question is will I be able to build up a gloss like finish?

[Jim Becker]

Shellac, by it's very nature is a "gloss" finish unless you bring the sheen down. That said, if you have a wood surface that's got heavy grain, etc., it may take more effort to get there and it's not a great idea to try and "build" shellac up to thickly. It's not like varnish and each coat you apply isn't a separate layer...it "burns in" to the previous coat(s) into a single layer. If you're not getting any gloss after a few coats, it's likely the nature of the wood in your turning that's causing that.

[Allan Speers]

Im finishen a bowl turned out of elm burl. I use home dissolved dewaxed blonde shellac and Im using a brush and a thin cut. I have applied 3 layers now and the question is will I be able to build up a gloss like finish?


What cut are you using?

What brush? (It really does make a difference)

What shellac? If it's from flakes and is old, you will have a very hard time. (Actually, NOT hard, which is the problem.) If it's from a can, well then all bets are off.

Things that will cause a less-than-happy finish:

Old shellac.

Shellac with too much wax. (it will be cloudy)

A too-course brush.

Applying it with air bubbles. - Don't shake the jar / can & don't drag your brush on the opening of the jar / can.

Too thick of a cut. Too thin of a cut.

Lots of dust n the air.

Not sanding between coats, though this is not always needed. (Control your dust and air bubbles!)
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You can also rub-out the final finish, and / or apply a coat of wax.

With a burl, you might consider starting with a clear grain filler. Alternatively, use the french polish technique to fill the pores. I've never french-polished on the lathe, but I imagine it would be pretty easy.

[Prashun Patel]

You don't want to build up a shellac finish. You want to achieve a level, flat surface (by applying shellac and letting it dry, then sanding back to flat until the pores are filled - this should not be a hard thing with tight grained elm burl). Then you apply apply thin, polishing coats. Unlike a thick coat of varnish that can stand up to abrasive polishing, shellac is tricky to 'rub out' to a high gloss unless you are gentle. It is easier to borrow techniques from French Polishing to level the existing shellac with alcohol and a proper 'pad'.

The easiest still is to invest in HVLP and spray it... Then you can truly, easily get a perfect finish. Shellac is about the easiest thing to spray. It does not take a 4-stage turbine; you can get perfect results from the cheaper units...

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

The shellac mix is only perhabs a month old so that shouldnt be a problem. I dont know what cut it is anymore since it has been thinned several times. Im using a very fine varnish brush and Im keeping it in a glass with alcohol. It seems like the layers dry op really quickly and they are not sticky in any way. Its impossible to fill the grain because of tons of little to large holes in the wood due to the burl thing.