How long does dewaxed shellac last

[William C Rogers]

I have a gallon of Zinzer dewaxed shellac. It is about 3-4 years old and had been opened when bought. I opened it and it looks fine, but was wondering if shellac goes bad?

[John TenEyck]

Put a little on a piece of glass or in a plastic lid and see if it dries hard. If it does, it's good.

John

[Jon Nuckles]

John is spot on with his advice. FWIW, I believe Zinsser claims either a 2 or 3 year shelf life from manufacture date for dewaxed shellac. That is supposed to be much longer than what you get when you mix your own. Of course, if you mix your own, you can make up only what you need.

[glenn bradley]

As stated, Zinsser Seal Coat has a 3 year shelf life. The DNA in shellac contains some water. I have had metal containers rect reportedly due to this factor. I decant my gallons into mason jars and have used Seal Coat that is years old. I do test older product as John describes; it just take a short while to tell the tale.

[Allan Speers]

Put a little on a piece of glass or in a plastic lid and see if it dries hard. If it does, it's good.

John

You also have to make sure it doesn't dry cloudy, unless you're just using it as a sealer/ primer. - And even then .....