Great protective sealer for Crafts and household projects. To apply shellac, flow it liberally onto the surface, working in long, smooth strokes along the grain of the wood. range - you can use a brush or a rag to apply the shellac. ya got to watch for loose hairs. Easy to use – Shellac is user-friendly and virtually goof-proof. The gun is a CA Tech. Allow ample time for the shellac to dissolve. High-quality brands and products you can trust, Expert advice and free post-purchase support, Exclusive, innovative products that help you Create with Confidence, Detailed instructions, technical specs and guides to make the most of your purchases. This technique works only when padding on the shellac , much like one would do when French polishing. We spray Sealcoat all the time. In manufacturing, shellac is used as a finish for furniture, an ingredient in hair spray, and in other cosmetics. just make sure the blo is 1000%dry and cured before topping with anything. If you realize you need to shellac after applying Chalk Paint®- that is okay…go ahead and apply the shellac. I use an Earlex 5500 HVLP sprayer. Spray. For international returns, please click here. Wood that has been finished with shellac looks soft and natural, not plastic-coated. Paint with Chalk Paint® 4. I don’t like wasting the stuff so I inevitably revert to my usual method. If you buy pre-mixed in a can look at the date it was made. And I’ve sprayed both, my preferred method. The trick to successfully painting over the shellac is in the preparation of the finish and the wood itself. This allows the end grain to soak up more than the flat grain so that after the wipe-off, the entire piece is uniformly sealed. Visit http://www.FineWoodworking.com for more woodworking technique videos. 2. I have better control with the spray gun. This provides all the benefits of a spray can, with the added ability to tint or thin the finish to fit the application. Bring out the natural beauty of wood grain like no other finish can, with Rust-Oleum® Zinsser® Bulls Eye® Shellac. This was a commissioned project where the client provided the wood. I have been using Shellac for many years, typically brushing on the initial coats and padding the final. If you have a long line set then use the ammonia and water mix to purge the last remaining shellac before using it for waterbased clears. : 060217 1 .DESCRIPTION ANDUSE S . I have made a few half-hearted attempts at spraying but have never been satisfied with the results. Heck, I sprayed everything (including my toopaste ;-). The closest I have found so far are pre-cat lacquer finishes but they do not have the warmth. The longer Shellac is mixed with alcohol the slower it will harden. Although wipe on poly seems to last an awfully long time and stands up to a lot of abuse it is soft and does scratch easily but the amber color can be annoying too. Use a new, clean, good-quality brush, and use only new shellac, thinned to a 1-pound cut. I do French polishing on older instruments and often use this as a base coat to cut “build” time. cut de-waxed shellac applied by rag. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Shellac. If you want to build a shellac finish, use heavier cuts - 3 lb. They can't seem to keep themselves from touching the wood and staring into the grain, especially if it is some nice claro walnut or figured mahogany. The oil allows the cloth to flow over the shellac without any drag or noticeable lap marks. Wrap the piece of muslin around the sock, holding the edges of the fabric behind the sock. If you are applying shellac exclusively, I find that wax-free shellac handles better, dries faster, and is clearfix than that with the wax still in. I love to use shellac for finishing…though I prefer lacquer. Shellac has a relatively thin consistency, and can be applied using most methods of painting, depending on what it is being used for. The client would have been perfectly happy if I had used a typical two coat post-cat or Conversion Varnish, but it was an expensive piece and I could not live with myself knowing it left my shop 90% perfect. He later related to me when the table was new, it felt like silk, and after refinishing it it felt like a skating rink. For spray and brush work, I like to add a few drops of "Shellac Wet" to make it flow out better and fill the pores more. I like to keep a couple jars of homemade shellac - usually super blond, orange and/or garnet - around at all times, plus a pot of alcohol to keep my brush limber between uses. If you want to build a shellac finish, use heavier cuts - 3 lb. Every piece I have finished with Shellac elicits comments from casual people with no knowledge about fine furniture. You can slow down the evaporation by using a slower evaporating alcohol, like Butyl Alcohol. (Ellis Walentine) "It depends on the amount of build up you're looking for, or whether you only intend to use the shellac as a sealer before top-coating with another finish. Q. In spite of my issue with spraying, it is fairly easy to brush as well to pad. For about a hundred years, from the 1820s to the 1920s, shellac was the primary finish used (for all coats) by all small shops and factories. Shake the jar frequently to prevent a lump of shellac from forming in the bottom. That means it’s quick and easy to apply several coats, which if put on thin, will dry really fast. All-natural, non-toxic, easy to use. This finish beautifies wood with a lustrous glow that won’t darken or yellow with age. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Dries lightning fast; can be recoated in under 45 minutes. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Proper Preparation. We proudly stand behind all of our products. I then brushed on four or five coats of Shellac, leveled with sanding block, buffed up to 000 steel wool, and waxed. One thing to remember is that for shellac, using a brush gives much larger volumes than say using the technique of French Polishing to apply shellac. It also is the best barrier to water vapor. It still had the typical heavy pores of oak so I used a French polishing technique to fill the grain with sawdust and Shellac. Shellac is water resistant but will not withstand large amounts of water. ) Immediately before applying shellac, clean each surface thoroughly with a tack cloth. Be sure to strip the shellac, clean the surface, and sand as necessary. i would brush the shellac and spray the finish. Brushing just lets it dry to quickly and it can get streaked. At least three to four layers of … Thin it out with denatured alcohol. December 31, 2012, KnowledgeBase: Finishing: General Wood Finishing. Whether you have large or small wood furniture, you can apply this sealer using a spray to get into corners and ensure even coverage even on the most intricate woodwork. It’s one of the least expensive but for my level of production it works perfectly. Spray shellac with wet spray technique to coat the wood. You can see when you sand through a coat, and they all start showing their age after five to ten years. Artists, however, will find brushing to work best for most applications. Sand lightly between coats. is about right - and brush it on with a badger or china bristle brush. i also would never put shellac over blo. Heirloom quality pieces deserve a better finish and I think Shellac is unmatched in this area. In foods, shellac is used as a coating or color. Work on one area at a time. The piece is really very nice and will be grabbing the attention of visitors for many years. If you notice a drip mark after it is dry, use some 250 grit sandpaper and sand it until it is level with the rest of your project. Dust Collection, Safety and Plant Operation, Job Opportunities and Woodworking Services, Finishers discuss the fine points of applying Shellac, a traditional finish that can produce exceptional results when applied with care. If you use it alone, or topcoat with regular shellac, you’ll get a durable finish with a glossy sheen. Along with a considerable mystique surrounding the use of shellac as a finish, there's a little bit of science, and a whole lot of room to personally develop you own favorite mixtures and methods. I get the best results using flake and regular denatured alcohol. Recoat as required until you’re happy with the finished look. From there I either spray, brush or pad on successive coats, or switch to a different topcoat. I moved away for a few years. What is Shellac? Items shipped directly from the manufacturer cannot be returned in store. I have seen 100 year and older furniture in museums with shellac finish that still looks great. 3. (Finishing Forum) As with oil-based finishes, spray shellac and lacquer only in well ventilated areas using explosion-proof exhaust fans; these start at around $600. Plus, you can easily repair a shellac finish, which I’ll cover in a bit more detail below. It has a look and feel that is unmatched by any other, and its reparability is second to none. It has also withstood the test of time. In a properly labeled glass jar (do not use metal or plastic), measure the desired amount of dry shellac. If it is older than a year don't buy it. SHELLAC-BASED PRIMER (SPRAY) Form: GDH-1014 Rev. We are proud of the quality of our products, and we stand behind them 100%. The technique is to add mineral oil to shellac in a ratio of 25 percent oil to 75 percent shellac. It can be applied with a brush, pad, sprayer, or wiping cloth. Shellac is a type of interior-use wood finish that easily absorbs into the previous coat. For thinner coats - in the 1-2 lb. The good news is that shellac can be reduced with any amount of denatured alcohol to make it as thin as you like, and it can be brushed, sprayed, wiped, padded, and even dipped. OK , the key word here is cloth. As long as it is dewaxed, you can use shellac under virtually any other finish. It doesn’t seem to want to flow out like lacquer. It is sensitive to standing water and alcohol but again it is easily repaired by rubbing out. If you get shellac on them it can seep into the joints and stiffen the mechanism so it is best to avoid this. A. (Michael Dresdner) "The 'best' way is whatever works best for you. It can be applied with a brush, pad, sprayer, or wiping cloth. If for any reason you are not satisfied with the merchandise you ordered, just return it within 90 days to receive a refund in the manner of original payment for merchandise only. I used to spray all my shellac. Is anyone out there having success with this? The advantage of flake is that is hardens much faster. Created from the dried secretions of the Lac beetle, this natural … Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac Traditional Finish & Sealer will bring out the natural beauty of wood grain by leaving you with a stunning glow that does not yellow or darken with time. Oily wood, old finishes, and places where nothing sticks are places that shellac may save the day. Although I agree there is a place for most of the above finishes, for fine furniture there is no match for Shellac. Lightly sand after using to prevent paint from crackling. Question When you apply shellac, each subsequent coat dissolves the previously laid coat or coats. Shellac should be sprayed in a warm atmosphere and each coat takes only a few minutes to dry. By better I mean it dries faster. Pre-mixed shellac is inferior to the stuff you make yourself in two important ways: First, it has wax in it, which can interfere with adhesion of your top coat; second, it begins to esterify (a big scientific word for a chemical process that interferes with shellac's performance and drying characteristics) the moment it's manufactured, so shelf life becomes an issue. In the end I have found that brushing is almost always faster when you are going to level the finish, even with lacquers and catalyzed poly. range - you can use a brush or a rag to apply the shellac. Definitely not in the budget! It sprays beautifully, but has a strong odor. Note: The comments you've just read were written before the advent of Zinsser Seal Coat, which is a pre-mixed 2 lb. It dries well and accepts lacquer or synthetics. Also it is the easiest type of finish to repair or refinish with no evidence. All-natural, non-toxic, and easy to use. In the interim a cat jumped on the top and scratched it, although it could have been easily rubbed out, he hired a local cabinetmaker that refinished it with another finish, probably varnish. If you want to go to solvent based varnish flush it with lacquer thinner prior to cat varnish or alcohol only. Set the spray gun properly and move the gun consistently to get the even wet coat. As an anecdote, early in my career I made a game table for a Doctor and finished it with Shellac. A good brush carries more shellac to your project and that allows you a better flow of the shellac for a smoother finish.