Water rings

[Marcus Ward]

Can I put linseed oil over shellac and will it defeat the wet glass water ring? I love shellac, I use it on everything, but I can't defeat my wife's tendency to set a wet glass anywhere she wants to. I either need something I can put over the shellac to keep the rings from appearing or I guess I'll have to sand it off and put something else on it. Anyone got any suggestions?

Thanks.

[glenn bradley]

I don't know that the BLO will solve your problem. I doubt it would ever dry with the shellac sealing the surface and allowing no soak-in. If you used dewaxed shellac you could topcoat with lacquer, varnish, poly or just about anything else. If you used a regular shellac, Jeff Jewitt talks about vinyl sealers here: http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/FWNPDF/011145052.pdf they can go between just about anything and will act as a water barrier in their own right.

[Marcus Ward]

Well #%, I'll probably have to sand it off and use poly or something else gross. I love shellac.

[Jim Becker]

The shellac sealed the surface, so BLO will have no effect whatsoever. I agree that if coasters cannot be used, then you'll need to consider a top coat...but it doesn't need to be polyurethane. In fact, it's better if it isn't. Poly was designed for floors, not furniture and it will not give you the clarity you like. Instead consider using de-waxed shellac for most of your finish as you currently do and then top coat the table top using wipe-on techniques with a soya oil based varnish, such as Pratt and Lambert #38 or the one from Varithane thinned 50% with mineral spirits. A ready made alternative would be Waterlox, which is ready to wipe. This method will give you a more durable surface relative to standing water without clouding up your wonderful shellac-focused finishing preference.

And to be fair, I have the same problem with a walnut side table in our current TV room...wonderful shellac finish...the best application job I ever did with a brush...but the girls have on a number of times "accidentally" left a watery glass on the wood surface, rather than using the ten million coasters available in the same room. When I repair the finish, it will be with shellac, but then top coated as described above.

It's interesting that shellac has about the best moisture resistance properties of any finish, but will spot with standing water over too long a period of time.

[robert hainstock]

Bob Flexner says, "apply an oily substance, Furniture polish, petroleum jelly, or mayonaise. leave it over night. Works sometimes.
Or DAMPEN a cloth with DNA. Wipe the spot gently Warning! Alcohol will dissolve the shelac and damage lacquer and water base finish. Gently is the way.
start wity very slightdampening, and add more dna as necessary. DO NOT rub hard. Should work! happy trails. :eek:
Bob