Shellac Shack

Repairing White Rings in Shellac Finishes

Removing white rings
Water rings can often be removed, the success depending on the condition of the finish, how long the ring has been there, and how deep into the finish the water has penetrated.
Care must be taken when attempting this procedure as you are using alcohol to fix a problem, and alcohol is also the solvent used to liquefy this particular finish. You can create unevenness in the finish if  you 'work' too hard. The trick is to start off very cautiously and observe how the finish responds.
Here is the procedure:
Get a small soft cotton rag and form it into a small pad, such that there are no folds on the working surface. Lightly dampen the working surface of the cloth with denatured alcohol - start with very little. Wipe the effected area lightly in a motion like you landing a airplane on the finish and taking off again - just kissing the surface. Do not rub hard. You will have the cloth dampened enough with alcohol that it leaves the appearance of a comet's tail trailing as you wipe. The comet's tail is caused by the alcohol evaporating.
If you do not see the comet's tail you can add more alcohol, but pay close attention to what is happening. If you notice that your pad begins to stick upon 'landing', stop or move to another area of the ring. You don't want the pad to stick as that indicates that you are beginning to dissolve the finish.
If you find you are not affecting the ring, it may be deep in the finish and you should probably consult a professional refinisher.
If you remove the white ring and you see a dark ring in it's place, that means the wood has been damaged.
This may need a professional refinisher also.

Shellac and water bourne finishes

 

Shellac works great as a barrier coat between oil stains and water bourne top coats.

There is often a situation where oil-based stains are used in conjunction with a water bourne top coat. This can create a problem of adhesion. At the least, the stain will need to cure for 4 or 5 days for the finish to bond properly. If, however you were to apply the stain, allow it to dry overnight, then apply a coat of dewaxed shellac, you could move ahead with the water bourne topcoat within several hours.

Water based finishes tend to have a 'cool' look, even over a stain. A coat of dewaxed shellac before the waterbourne top coat will help 'warm up' the end result.

 

Shellac works great as a barrier coat between oil stains and water bourne top coats.

There is often a situation where oil-based stains are used in conjunction with a water bourne top coat. This can create a problem of adhesion. At the least, the stain will need to cure for 4 or 5 days for the finish to bond properly. If, however you were to apply the stain, allow it to dry overnight, then apply a coat of dewaxed shellac, you could move ahead with the water bourne topcoat within several hours.

Water based finishes tend to have a 'cool' look, even over a stain. A coat of dewaxed shellac before the waterbourne top coat will help 'warm up' the end result.

Customer Information Sheet

 

Thank you for purchacing shellac from the Shellac Shack. We stand behind our products and insist on your satisfaction.

Because we have no control over how our products are stored after they are shipped, our guarantee has a time limit. Please check our website under 'Terms & Conditions' for details.

 

Here is some information you may find helpful.

-Store you shellac flakes in a cool, dry place and they will remain fresh for years. Humidity and light are the 2 factors that effect the quality of shellac flakes. If the flakes should clump or cake together, this is called blocking. This can happen in warm weather, but does not indicate there is anything wrong with the flakes. Just break up the blocks and add to alcohol.

The Cut

With regards to shellac, the term “cut” refers to the proportion of shellac ( in pounds) to alcohol( in gallons ). Thus a 2 pound cut means 2 pounds of shellac flakes dissolved in a gallon of alcohol. Since few people would use a gallon of shellac for a project and because liquid shellac has a relatively short shelf life ( approximately 6 months ), it is best to mix up only what you think you will need. For example, to make a 2 pound cut you could mix ¼ pound of flakes with 1 pint of alcohol.

Below is a chart for mixing 8 - 10 ozs. of finish at various cuts:

#1 cut...........................1 oz flakes.....................8 oz alcohol

#2 cut...........................2 oz flakes.....................8 oz alcohol

#3 cut...........................3 oz flakes.....................8 oz alcohol

Of course you can make a little over a pint of finish by doubling the flakes and the alcohol.

The flakes can take up to 24 hours to completely dissolve. It helps to stir the solution every now and then.

After the flakes have totally dissolved, the liquid will need to be strained either with a fine mesh paint strainer or tightly woven cloth.

When dissolving the buttonlac it is best to crush the buttons, as they will dissolve much quicker. I wrap the buttons in a clean cloth and smack them with a hammer. Perhaps you have a more creative method.

There are 3 ways to remove the wax from buttonlac:

1.  
   1.  
      1.  

         1. Wrap the pulverized buttons in a double layer of large paper coffee filters. Tie the top closed and set this in the appropriate amount of alcohol.

         2. Dissolved the pulverized buttons in the alcohol, then filter it through a couple of large coffee filters. This method takes time as the solution filters through slowly. There is also some alcohol evaporation.

         3. Dissolve the pulverized buttons in the alcohol and allow the solution to sit for a number of weeks and then decant the dewaxed layer into another container. This method is the least recommended.

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-Do not store shellac – either liquid or flakes - in a metal container.

-If your mixed shellac is over 6 months old, it is best to test it by pouring a drop on a hard nonporous surface such as glass or clean metal. If it does not dry to a hard surface in an hour or so, discard that batch and mix up a new one.

-Some folks talk about using chemical- grade ethanol to mix with their shellac flakes. I myself have never run into any problem using the denatured alcohol from the paint or hardware store. You will know if there is a problem if you get “ blushing” when the coat has dried. Blushing will indicate that either your alcohol has water in it, or you are applying the shellac on a very humid day.

Application

As with any stain or finish, it is wise to try it out on a scrap piece of the wood you are planning to finish.

In air temperatures above 70` the alcohol in shellac dries more quickly, so it is important to remember to move fairly quickly with your application and don't go back to catch spots you have missed. Because one coat of shellac burns into the next, any missed spots can be covered on the next coat and still produce a level finish.

If you are using shellac for the first time, or for the first time on a species of wood , it is wise to try it out on a piece of scrap along with any stain you plan to use , to see what you can expect as an end product.

Wipe-on or padded:

With padding, I use a 11/2 to 2 pound cut of shellac.

Use soft, lint-free cotton cloth formed into a pad. You can either put the shellac into a container so that you can 'blot' the pad against the side after you have dipped it into the finish. You can also put you shellac into a squeeze bottle and apply it to the pad this way. In either case you want enough shellac on the pad to moisten it, but not enough so that it drips.

I like to use as long a stroke along the surface as I can. I find I can usually cover an area, and even pass over it a second time to even out the material, but then I leave it. Remember, if you don't like the way the finish is laying down, you can fix it on the next coat. One of the benefits of using shellac!

Brushing

 

With brushing, I use a 1 to 11/2 pound cut of shellac. It is best to use a natural bristle brush or a Taklon synthetic brush. The method is similar to padding in that you don't want too much material on your brush and you want to move rather quickly. I sit the brush on the wood a ways from the edge as there tends to be a more material 'dropped' the initial contact. I move the brush in one direction, then back over the contact spot towards the other direction.

Spraying

Here, I will limit comments to spraying shellac is similar to spraying nitro-cellulose lacquer regarding application. They are also similar with respect to the problem of blushing. Lacquer retarder will prevent blushing with shellac.

I will not try to describe French Polishing here, but will suggest checking out books and articles by Jeff Jewett and Bob Flexner for detailed information on French Polishing and more on the above methods.

Waxy vs Dewaxed

Question: What is the advantage or disadvantage of the waxed product vs. the non-waxed?

Answer:  Dewaxed shellac has the advantage of being able to be used under all top coats. Most all finishes adheare to it and it adheares at most all finishes. This is unique among wood finishing materials.  Dewaxed also give you a clearer finish.

Unless one were using buttonlac -the one waxy shellac I sell- for the color  or hardness ( and you would go ahead and take the wax out yourself) there is little reason to use waxy shellac these days. I sell the buttonlac mostly for those doing French Polishing

Shellac on mahogany boat

Question:
I just bought what I believe is a cold-molded mahogany boat, which has been painted.  I am going to strip the paint, and was wondering what color shellac you would recommend I put on the wood?  Someone recommended putting boiled linseed oil first, then shellac, then varnish.  From what I understand with the shellac, I should start with a clear shellac for first coat, then the color I want, then another coat of clear shellac.

Answer: 
You will want to top coat the shellac with a spar/marine varnish. The irony of shellac is that although it is an excellent moisture barrier, it does not hold up well as a top coat for exterior or boat applications.

Since shellac is a surface coating, applying linseed oil first is an additional step to help protect the wood from moisture. It will also influence the color of the mahogany.

 

Regarding color of shellac flakes to use depends on individual preference. Since I like my mahogany to show off it's red tones, I think orange would work well, especially after using linseed oil.

 

I would either find a scrap of mahogany or use a out of view spot on the boat to see what combinations work b

Using Shellac as Adhesive in Wooden Boats

I got a call today from a company that builds wooden boats. They were inquiring about grades of shellac to use as a adhesive between the two wooden layers on the hulls of boats. This is a traditional use for shellac that has gone out of favor in the last 40 years with the advent of modern glues.
This call was spurred by an article in a wooden boat magazine ( I happened to see this article several weeks ago and made a copy of it), It seems like the use of shellac for this purpose could take off among the many small companys that build wooden boats.
Anyway, the man I talked to wondered what grade of shellac would work best. They want something with little refinement and something that is as inexpensive as possible as the need a very heavy cut for this adhesive.( Woodworkers use a 2 pound cut - he will use a 9 pound cut)
We discussed what would have better adhesive qualities for wood - dewaxed or waxy. I told him I thought dewaxed would work better. What do you think?
If waxy would be better, we thought he could possibly go with a seedlac. I told him about the debris involved and he didn't think it would be a problem.
Lately I have been wondering what I can do to increase the market for shellac and this discussion shows up as a real possibility. I am planning on advertising in this wooden boat magizine's next issue and continuing to look for further markets for shellac.

Old Shellac Flakes

The gooy mass indicates the flakes are getting old.
I do not have personal experience with this, but an old french polisher explained the following to me:
First thing you would do is the metal test. Put a drop on a smooth hard surface - painted metal or glass, wait a half hour or so and see if the solution drys and gets hard. If it goes, you can strain out the goo and use the rest.
The french polisher says that the resultant solution is as good if not better that fresh flakes because it has polymarized to some extent and will produce a harder finish. The bottom line, of course, is this is just his opinion and experience. Of course you are no longer sure of the cut as you have left some of the shellac resin behind.
I'll let you make your own judgement on this, but since you have already used the everclear, you might at least experiment with the results and see what you think.
If you discover anything interesting, I'd appreciate hearing the results.
The old dry flakes can not be reprocessed easily, if at all.

Shellac is Food Grade

I think your main concern is sanitation/free from organisms (a concern since it comes from india)

There is a bleached dewaxed powdered shellac that is derived by percipitation. There is powdered shellac produced by dissolving the raw material in industrial alcohol (nearly 100%)and filtered. Then there are the flakes which are produced by the alcohol method.
The fact that the shellac is refined using alcohol, then put in alcohol solution by the end user makes me think that it would be germ free. I personally have no qualms about handling the stuff. It fells pretty natural.
I do not carry the two powdered kinds mentioned above, but can get it. mininum order of 50 to 100 lbs.
I do carry the flakes. You would probably want to use the super blonde as it is the clearest and the most filtered.

Shellac Uses

I recently talked to a customer who uses in his formulation of an adhesive for his electronics business. He says that it works as well as the new adhesives, but that he prefers this method.

I heard today about a man who uses shellac to refurbish pipe organs as well asbuild new ones.

We have also sold shellac to wooden boat restorers who use shellac as an adheaive to hold the "bungs" that cober the screw heads in the hull planks.