I know I’ve been a bit obsessed with shellac lately, but I’ve been experimenting with it to get grain pop something close to oil, but without the hours of weeping, or the smell (especially on the inside of boxes, drawers, etc.)

I’m sure there are a lot of finishes that can accomplish that, but I’ve watching a number of french polishing videos and one thing that struck me was a guy who said when the rubber starts to stick, push a bit harder and work through it, or something like that. Also, the very small amount of shellac used.

So I thought, maybe it could also apply to a brush. So I tried multiple coats of brushing with a very diluted mix and brushing back and forth over about a 12” area and kept brushing as it became tacky...kept going until it felt like a dry brush. Maybe nothing new, but I’m pleased so far with the grain pop, the lack of any brush strokes and the general shine. This is walnut, no grain filling, about 15 brush applications.

D579BEE1-5C5E-4DB0-81D5-BFCB225CFC16.jpg