Shellac

[James Phillips]

Anyone use real Flake Shellac. If so, how does it brush? Do you like it? How easy is it to get a nice finish? I am often playing with finishing techniques to balance ease and appearance....

[scott kinninger]

I just started playing with shellac a short time ago and found that brushing it on doesn't work very well for me, I prefer to "pad" it on. When I tried brushing it went on way too heavy and I had to work to prevent dripping or puddles in the corners.

[Howard Acheson]

Anyone use real Flake Shellac. If so, how does it brush? Do you like it? How easy is it to get a nice finish? I am often playing with finishing techniques to balance ease and appearance....

Once flake shellac is dissolved in alcohol, there is no difference in handling between it and pre-mixed.

Zinnser Bullseye pre-mixed shellac is a 3# cut which is too concentrated for good brushing. It should be thinned to about 2# or, even better, 1 1/2#. Zinnser SealCoat 100% dewaxed pre-mixed shellac is a 2# cut and works well for brushing right out of the can. When you mix our own, you control the cut but the amount of flakes and alcohol you use. The final basic cut should be between 2# and 1 1/2#.

Now, keep in mind that shellac is not the best choice for a brushed on finish. It is difficult to work because is dries so fast and dissolved the under coat of shellac when you apply a second application. The best way to get an all shellac finish is to pad it on. Also, shellac should not be "built up" with multiple coats. It's a thin film finish. Too thick and it can quickly crinkle and craze.

[Joel Ficke]

I use shellac (dissolved flakes at ~1lb coat viscosity) via brush regularly and really like it. Don't have to clean the brushes (because when they dry out, the finish is easily dissolved in new shellac), dries very quickly, is available in many hues from black to ultra blonde, is very clear, and best of all it's easily repairable. Brush on enough coats to protect any die or stain, level, and then pad to the final specularity or surface roughness you are trying to achieve. It's great stuff.

edit: A small taklon brush works best to avoid drips or runs. The brush won't hold much volume, but works great for shellac.

[Jerry Olexa]

good advice above. i usually brush on first coat for furniture. faster, easier. Then i pad on all subsequent coats. it provides a soft, even finish w no brush marks but requires fair amount of patience...

[Gary Keedwell]

I have an old electric coffee bean grinder that I use for the flakes. Cuts

the disolving time way down.
Gary K.

[James Phillips]

Can you get large Taklon brushes? If so where? When I look on line all I find are artist brushes.

[Joel Ficke]

I think 1.5" is as large as they come and that's plenty big enough for furniture. I prefer the one Jeff Jewitt sells -- doesn't hold as much volume as others but lays down a real smooth finish.

[Jim Becker]

In general, shellac purchased as flakes is preferable...'doesn't go bad you, you can mix the cut you want/need and you have a lot more choices in color and wax disposition combinations. I'll admit I do buy Sealcoat for "general" shellac needs, but prefer to use flakes for finishing regimens where I want to use the color to advantage.

Relative to Howies statement that shellac is hard to brush, that's only true because brushing shellac needs to be done very differently than brushing varnish. There is a learning curve, but once you get comfortable with it, it's not too bad, in my experience. I find "close to the edges" the hardest, but am getting there, too...

[Carroll Courtney]

I just finish(will almost) using shellas as an undercoat and had alittle trouble getting it to blend well.Like where the brush overlap the previous brush.I had to take a pad and try to even the color out.I like using it ,but like Jim said there's alearning curve.