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Thread: Aerosol can Shellac shelf life

  1. #1
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    Aerosol can Shellac shelf life

    I want to use the Zinsser rattle can shellac (except there is no rattle to it ) .
    I've read quite a lot of the posts here about the shelf life of the premixed stuff and also the flakes but nothing about the aerosol spray can shellac. So what is the shelf (if anyone knows) of the spray-on shellac? Thanks

  2. #2
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    I can't recall if there is a ball in the can or not. Zinsser's shellac products are good for at least two years after the date of manufacture.

    John

  3. #3
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    I have several cans that are at least 3 years old. I just used one and it seemed to cure fine. What I do is run a test spray and if it dries OK, I use it. I believe its all about the storage temperature.

  4. #4
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    Rodger dodger...thank you.

  5. #5
    The shelf life of aerosol shellac would vary depending on what propellant the manufacturer used. Air is mostly responsible in making shellac go bad so if the can contains propane rather than air the shelf life would be a lot longer. Unless it is stored someplace hot it should last as long as the propellant.

    The cans should have a rattle ball in them. Sometimes you have to shake they a long time before the ball breaks loose. The shellac would settle to the bottom of the can and thicken the longer it sits unused.

  6. #6
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    The spray can shellac I have used from Zinser does not have a ball in it. The reason is that the solid material dissolves in the alcohol rather than being in suspension like paint or varnish. There is nothing to mix.

  7. #7
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    Mr Mann is correct about the lack of a rattle ball. I called Zinsser maybe a month ago and asked about that ---answer: no ball is in there.
    And if someone is wondering why I didn't also ask about shelf life, well, it didn't occur to me at the time (being a novice at finishing and not knowing what to ask). But now I'm thinking that the coding might be decipherable on the rattle can (sans rattle ) same as on the premixed cans.
    Last edited by Patty Hann; 11-08-2019 at 6:27 PM.

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