Tell me about shellac....?

[Doug Rasmussen]

Today a friend offered me a couple pounds of shellac flakes. The bags were factory labeled with three different colors with two saying waxed, one unwaxed. Wax,.... huh?

The bag instructions said mix with various amounts of denatured alcohol. Shake well and strain the mixture. And, a warning the mixture has a shelf life after mixing.

Coincidentally, on my way home at the newsstand there was Fine Woodworking mag with a short article on shellac. The author made it all sound simple to use shellac, but he didn't mention flakes. What's with flakes instead of pre-mixed out of the can?

I should mention I have an almost life long aversion to shellac. When I was a little kid my dad finished a bookcase with what he said was shellac. Twenty years later that so called shellac finish was still sticky which is totally contrary to what the FW article said about shellac with its quick drying.

Why would you use shellac instead of something else?

[Michelle Rich]

because it is non-toxic it dries very fast...it is the universal sanding sealer / undercoat for many uses. It dries FAST. (what your dad did , I have no clue. ) And with the many color choices, you can get great finishes.

[John Keeton]

All shellac starts out as flakes - even the stuff in a can. Shellac naturally has wax in it, so the dewaxed has had the wax removed. Dewaxed shellac is a universal sealant in that it will bond with nearly all other finishes. Therefore, it can be used as an "under finish" or as a layer between two finishes that may not otherwise "like" each other. It doesn't polymerize or "cure." It simply dries, i.e., the DNA evaporates. Like lacquer, subsequent coats "burn" into the previous coats, forming one coat of finish with no "witness" lines indicating successive coats of a film finish like one gets with poly.

I use a LOT of shellac, but mostly as an initial finish and top coated with WOP.

[Edward Weingarden]

One of the benefits of using shellac is the speed at which the finishing process can be completed. Since DNA is the diluent, which flashes off very fast, re-coating can be done very quickly (usually within 30 - 60 min). It's easy to repair a shellac finish, if need be, since the newly applied shellac will "melt" into the shellac already on the piece. Shellac is not as durable a finish when compared to a poly, so the amount of use or handling of the piece should guide you as to whether shellac is an appropriate finish. It does not hold up well to moisture so that should also be a consideration if considering a shellac finish.

[Doug Rasmussen]

Michelle, John and Edward, thanks for the replies. I picked up the shellac flakes and a couple gallons of alcohol this morning.

Still not quite sure of why flakes rather than premixed. Maybe so you can mix only what you'll use immediately?

[John Keeton]

Still not quite sure of why flakes rather than premixed. Maybe so you can mix only what you'll use immediately?That and to get the color one prefers. You might want to start with either a 2 or 3 pound cut.

[Robert Hayward]

You can get a good shellac education at http://shellac.net .

[John K Jordan]

Still not quite sure of why flakes rather than premixed. Maybe so you can mix only what you'll use immediately?

This article by Russ Fairfield might be interesting: Shellac/French Polish (http://www.woodcentral.com/russ/finish9.shtml)

[Steven Green]

Shellac that's past it's shelf life can be gummy and never really dry. I love the stuff because it's forgiving and dries in a big hurry. I stick with dewaxed because you can use it under or over most any finish.

[Robert Grinsell]

Mt friend, a cabinet maker, says shelac beyond it's shelf life will always be sticky. Maybe thats why you would use flakes, cuz they have no shelf life.