Shellac
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 มี.ค. 2018
- WW'nTip-of-Day #048: Shellac
A little basic knowledge on shellac and it'll soon become a favorite finish.
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Bonus: Bob Flexner
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ZINZER DECODED: The first letter “S” identifies the plant that packaged the product.
The first number is the last digit in the year the shellac was packaged.
The second number is the month.
For October, November & December the first letter is used instead of a number: “O,” “N,” “D.” The third and forth numbers provide the date within that month.
Thanks for the valuable tip!
Shellac has become my absolute favorite finish for exactly the reasons you mentioned.
-- For glass smooth finishes, A shellac finish takes 3 hours, where my old oil or poly finishes took between 4 days, and 2 weeks!
--I buy Zinsser and use the 3lb cut to build my finishes. For tabletops, I'll do a 320 grit scuff and cap it with 2 coats of oil poly so junk doesn't get stuck in the grain.
-- When my zinsser cans are down to about half, I top them off with alcohol for a near 1lb cut and use that as my early coats for a finish. It's just super convenient. It doesn't have to be perfect either.
-- I do have the "build can" where I mix my other partially empty cans into it, so the fluid never goes below 1/3.
-- For finishes that ABSOLUTELY must be perfect, like brand new floors, or very chatoyant tabletops, or historic restorations, I'll use flakes or button shellac.
-- Shellac has yielded some of the most beautiful finishes I've ever done. I installed a white oak floor, sanded to 220, 3 coats of 1lb garnet, 2 coats of 3lb amber, and 3 coats of water poly. The owner was okay with my $20/sq ft pricing too. "This is nicer than your demo pieces. I've never seen wood shine like cats eyes, much less the whole floor!"
Sir, your wood shop, is STUNNING. Gosh all that wood against the nice wooden tools. So earthy and beautiful
One of my favorite finishes. Still mix my own from flakes. And I LOVE those little bottles you are using. I use them for everything from Shellac to Glue, to Alcohol. very convenient and cheap as heck. One of the best things HF sells.
I like how you just got straight to the point out the gate!
The great part of making your own shellac at home, is that whether you use denatured alcohol, or moonshine, or Everclear, after the shellac dries and cures, it's food safe, unlike the stuff found on the shelf at your favorite store.
Best video I've seen on shellac so far. Thank you, helped a lot!
Great info. Thanks for sharing all your woodworking wisdom with us..
Thanks
Good afternoon Sean: Thank you for what you do! One additional bit about shellac,,,,shellac is the dissolved shell of the lac beetle,,,,,the wax is the naturally occurring wax cuticle which protects the beetles' shell from environmental exposure and from actually freezing to death even in a warm climate also from fungi, molds and bacteria intrusions. Thank you again for what you bring to the trade. David Murray.
From now on I’m going to hit the thumbs up and then watch your videos. Always great work!
That's an excellent idea.
Great information I've been producing poor finishes just because I didn't have anyone to explain its qualities to me, so thanks for the help Keith from Tasmania
Great vids your the real deal been doing this for years love your honest energy n confidence
Really appreciate the thorough explanation. Cheers
Great video. Thanks for demystifying shellac.
Frickin sweet video! Awesome info! Thanks!
I have used shellac almost exclusively for the past 20 years. While not 'perfect' for EVERY application, it's a great finish.
very forgiving stuff.
Essential to have on hand. For wood turners, it’s great to stiffen up the fibers of wood that is prone to tear out.
I would like to experiment using it as a grain filler. I’d also like to try using it as a toner with alcohol soluble aniline dyes.
Good video.
Really great explanation of what shellac is and how it works. Learned alot. Thanks!
Thanks
Great information to know. When I was a kid my dad used shellac on some doors and they stayed finished for a very long time, no touching up needed. I always wanted to use it but didn't know much about it. Now I do.
Try it.
This is incredible. Much appreciated
Thanks for sharing your wisdom
I've been using the Zinnser bullseye seal coat for years as a sanding sealer under water based clears and two part poly (auto finish) for drum sets, and some art/ turned pieces!
Sprays well also, just like to brush or wipe on the first coat to work it into the pores real well.
Once it's on, dont go back and mess with it till its dry, you can end up with a bit of "dragging" effect.
Thanks for the info neighbor!
Good points
Shellac doesn’t actually ‘layer’, that’s one of its cool qualities. As you add shellac, it liquefies the previously added shellac - so no matter how much you add, it becomes part of the SINGLE layer of shellac. This is why French polishing gives you a deep, flawless result, because you have one perfect layer of finish. (Wellermart has a great selection of quality flakes to mix your own FRESH batch in whatever color or consistency you like)
I don’t think M&M uses shellac anymore, but many candies still do. I’ve been inside a plant where they spray the shellac on the candies and I can tell you it ain’t pretty. It’d make you think twice about that handful of Reese’s Pieces, for certain. Thank you for your excretion, Lac beetle🪲 !
So, if I want to use it for a guitar finish, without going the French polish route, is it possible to get a mirror finish if I keep adding to it?
I’ve read that a water-based varnish can be used with shellac as well. What would you recommend were I to do that?
Again a most help full video. Keep it up
Thanks
Great demo Shawn, thanks.
Thanks
Great stuff. Thanks for the info!
Thanks
Really good presentation…. Thanks
When I first started learning wood repair the "old timers" would say "shellac will stick to anything, and anything will stick to shellac" :) What I do for a good finish is make a wash coat I'll mix 50% shellac 50% alcohol, and then (after sanding) spray 3-4 coats of pre-cat laquear
Thanks, Shawn. I like using shellac, even as a food safe finish.
we eat the stuff all the time. it's a common additive.
Thank you for your explanatory video. I've helped me a lot.
Great video. Lots of useful information.
Thanks
Thank you. I will use for my workbench. Great video. I want the amber finish
Don't use on top of workbench. You want that somewhat rough. th-cam.com/video/4aYZFyFc6RE/w-d-xo.html
Very informative thank you!
Sam Kinison Lives!!!!!! Great video, BTW.
This is a great video. Thanks man!
Thanks
Very helpful. Glad I subscribed!
Thanks
Hey Shawn, they just filter shellac to remove the wax. You can dewax your own by allowing the wax to settle to the bottom of the container and decanting off the clear wax-free portion. I think the solids that had settled in your bottle of 3 lb cut were wax that you re-suspended when you shook it.
Ugh... you forget, I'm lazy. From the can it is!
many years ago when I was in hardware, the sales reps really pushed for filling the shelves with poly. Shellac was so "old timey". I wish I had spent more time learning how to use it and incorporate shellac with other finishes years ago. Thanks for the vid.
Ya, they get to sell more when you have to repair it too.
Wow the world of Shellac all makes sense now! I see my mistakes in using Shellac. Thank You so much 😊
Thanks
Very useful information, thanks
Thanks
Parabéns por essa explicação.
Great video, Thanks for the tips :-)
I really love working with shellac. As you said its easy to use, great sealer & it makes my whole shop smell like a distillery. (I said that, not you). A friend made a turned bowl/art work & coated it with about 30 coats of de-waxed shellac. It buffed out beautifully.
By the way, I miss your longer videos with your Dad. Cheers, Jim
30 coats! That's patience.
Will watch this with great attention tomorrow(it's late here in France,) because you're still mind reading. Like Mr. Davis, below, I am just trying to find a simple finish to stick with and here in France I having the darnest time translating shellac and then finding the product. It's got to exist here somewhere...More tomorrow...Spot on AGAIN Shawn...cheers...rr
I mail order mine when I did flakes.
Someone else has probably commented but what you are making as your applicator is an old style "rubber" which French polishers used to polish furniture.
thank you, you made that look fun
Thanks
About the manufacture date lot code on the lid, here's how to decipher it:
For example: S39225
S: The letter is the plant where it was made, which is irrelevant here.
3: The first number represent the year. In our example, it would have been made in 2023 (or 2013, 2003...)
9: The second number is the month, here September (9th month)
22: 3rd and 4th number is date, 22nd here.
5: The last number is daily batch #.
You might catch a lot code with 3rd digit (month) being one of those 3 letters, O, N, D.
Those are October, November and December, otherwise the code would need an extra digit for 10, 11 or 12th month.
Shellac also lasts well. We have some 18th century pieces that some time got shellac & what hasn't seen water or alcohol is still pristine, mirror like finish & quite beautiful. I once heard a talk by a coffin maker who said his job had been to French polish the coffin so smooth that if a fly landed on it, it would slip & break its neck. By contrast more modern pieces we have with a spray lacquer finish, show many places where the lacquer has failed & needs replacing & often the surface isn't as smooth as shellac. Personally I like to buy the grains & mix with meths (in uk dyed purple, but this doesn't show in end product) making only small amounts as needed. Sometimes adding a tiny bit of linseed oil to improve the motion across wood if it becomes a little frictional. Normally I never tie off the cloth, just wrapping it around cotton waste or cotton wool & recharging the centre. The outside cloth eventually wears but the centre cotton goes on indefinitely, going hard, but quickly re-softening with new shellac or just alcohol. I keep this rubber as usually called in the uk, (could be problem name in US!) in a tight lidded jar that often stops alcohol evaporation. For longer term protection where water or alcohol might be encountered I put food/toy safe acrylic on top, otherwise just beeswax. My favourite finish as I like the colour is natural shellac & also because it dries so fast. Following Paul Sellers I sometimes apply with an hake brush, but I like the rubber best. Thanks for sharing!
Good points.
My biggest issue of woodworking has been understanding which finishes work with which stains and where do the polys fit into all this. Thanx "teach"!!!!!! I look forward to your vids.
Thanks
For my purposes, I prefer multiple coats of 1 pound. I mix flakes (amber or blonde or platina), finely ground with a cheap spice grinder with Everclear in pint jars. I store the pints in my pantry with appropriate labels. Thanks for the video!
Thank you.
Thanks. Shellac is prety much all I use.
I don't use nothing but automotive 2k clear coat I've used a lot of finishes but once I started using the catalyzed clear I can't go back to wood clears and my wood projects come out as smooth and has the look of glass with class.
Thanks I'm just getting into wood working and looking for a good finish for a guitar speaker cabinet. Been thinking about tru oil then wax
Really enjoyed that Man U jamming some info into that one!
Thanks
Shellac is actually the cocoon material excreted by the lac bug, very much like the silk cocoon of the silkworm.
New fan learned a lot thanks
Thanks
Loved the video, I am now a new subscriber.
Thanks
Bug poo, my favorite candy. Yummy!!
thank you
Great info bro
Thanks
I use Shellac for all my finishing projects it has a nice mellow finish and is durable and dries fast now i'm going to purchase a can of sealer after watching your video. Most of my projects I use Cypress wood siding then cut off the tongue and grove then stain the average cost for a Cypress board at the home centers is about $ 9 and it comes 97 inches long the after staining or clear coat the wide grain looks wonderful and is so much cheaper that Popular etc.
Thanks for sharing
I find shellac to be a superior finish because of speed. I can do 5 coats in an afternoon, yielding an excellent film finish that looks beautiful, I would need to do 3 coats of poly to yield the same protection and that takes 3 days.
I love this presentation about shellac especially that you've identified that there is indeed a monopoly as zinsser is owned by rustoleum. I think it's ridiculous that there is one company selling a product with so much usage both historical and current in this country. I would even say it's downright un-American. As usual this is the kind of information that is useful to the majority of us, straight talk no BS.
I'm refinishing mid-century modern walnut veneer furniture. I want a natural, clear, matte finish that you mention. Would this shellac finish protect the wood for a durable finish for dressers? You mention applying oil or wax as a final step. Is that necessary? Does that then need to be repeated for maintenance?
Where did you get those squeeze bottles and how did you transfer the shellac into them from the can?
Zinsser de-coding:
The first letter identifies the plant that packaged the product.
The first number is the last digit in the year the shellac was packaged.
The second number is the month. For October, November and December the first letter is used instead of a number: “O,” “N,” or “D.”
The third and forth numbers provide the date within that month.
The fifth number or letter indicates the “run” on that date.
you are professional
Just now watched a video by 'SHELLAC FINISHES' it seems as though my knowledge was not as complete as I thought it to be! Would recommend that others do so as well.
Basic mixes, Shellac + Methyl Hydra and just about any dye will work great if mixed well. Slow brush on sponge 5 to 30 thin coats. Let cure 30-45 days, 400 wet, 600 wet, 800 wet, 1000 wet, 1500 wet, 2000 wet, 3000 wet, then steal one of the wife's fingernail use the buff side lightly wet then polishing compound and Buff wheel. fair amount of work but i have guitars that make me drool vs using nitro cell. Thank you Buggs
Having a hard time finding the Seal-Coat (2#) version. Can I just mix 1 part of the 3# version with 2 parts denatured alcohol to make a 1# version?
I fully concur with your concept of picking two finishes and sticking with them. I disagree with using anything shellac as one of them. I used to, but I've changed my mind. Most of the things that I make are small and are usually handled. Shellac doesn't like the moisture from my skin, even if I let it cure for weeks. IMHO.
Shellac has a shelf life once mixed with alcohol. If it isn’t rock hard after an hour it’s prolly turnt. Even stuff from cans. They used to put a date on em so we’d know if expired before bought but nowadays.... crap shoot. Best to mix your own as flakes are good for long time.
WE NEED A FAST WAY TO BRING BACK OUR OLD 1959 RANCH HOME WOOD FLOORS, GRAND KIDS COMING , WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF CONSTRUCTION A CLOSET,
You mentioned using wax instead of layering shellac to avoid the plastic look... Paste wax on top of a seal coat of shellac?
Good stuff
thanks
I started a finishing using wipe on poly , but is building really slow, can i put shellac on top, then come back and put one last coat of wipe on poly, or do i need to remove the wipe on poly first?
Great video. Much appreciated. Can I cover the clear, non-waxed Zinsser Shellac with Minwax Polyacrylic Clear? Again, thanks for the very informative video. This is for the inside of cabinets I am building. (non-kitchen.....basement storage, but still kitchen style wall and base cabinets). I can use de-waxed shellac as a sealer under polyurethane or polyacrylic. Correct?
You can put anything on top of shellac.
When I was a kid old guys would put glass marbles in the can to displace the air so it would last longer. Any thoughts ?
Great explanation!!! Ehat the difference between shellac and wood hardener??? Do you have any video about wood hardener?
Thanks for the info what size and where do you get your squeeze bottles?
woodcraft but you can use a mustard or ketchup bottle too. Bottles irrelevant.
Hi there, many thanks for all of your good advise, during this video you used a 4 disc sanding disc holder, what a great product. Can you tell me who makes that product please, I’m in uk and would love to purchase one, thanks again, Yours Ricky
Great content! I'm using shellac to refinish old Globe-Wernicke sectional bannister bookcases that have been badly stained by someone . Unfortunately, I bought the 3 pound cut kind of shellac and am wondering if adding denaturated alcohol will thin it and make it less waxy/thinner? It is also pretty tacky, so may have gotten an old batch. Appreciate any tips. Thank you
Renata Klepacki yes and yes
In the video you said you have to use the bottle fairly quickly, if I recall correctly alcohol bottles are generally green and blue because the alcohol reacts to certain spectrums of light. Have you experimented with keeping it in small green or brown bottles?
It's not the alcohol that goes bad it's the shellac flakes. They begin degrading the moment they're mixed. Even in a solid can.
What do you recommend for wooden spoons and spatulas that will be in contact with boiling water/hot food?
walnut oil
Thanks for the info. I have never used Shellac, but I;m interested.
Does the shellac penetrate below the surface or does the alcohol go into the wood leaving the shellac on the surface?
How water or humidity resistant is shellac?
Wait, what?? I thought Understanding Wood Finishing by Bob Flexner was the finishing bible. What I like about him is that he digs into what is really in the finishes available, he does his own chemical analyses since so many finishes are deceptively named (tung oil for example) and none list ingredients. He was the one who revealed that wiping varnish is simply regular varnish thinned 50%, and Danish oil is simply an oil-varnish blend, along with lots of other info. I learned finishing from a professional finisher here in southern California, Brian Miller. He has finally written down his techniques, and I highly recommend his book The Art of Coloring Wood.
Ya, he's good at cutting through the BS.
I French polished my son's guitar neck
He built his guitar from a kit, and didn't want a heavy finish on the neck
Stretching the finish on the headstock had a bit of a learning curve, but the shellack is very forgiving
thanks for the tips. i finish a guitar kit with acrylic lacquer and came out badly. i just bought some shellac and will give it a try. any tip on how to get a glass like finish? is it possible to wet sand shellac ? shall i also sand between coats or just in the end? thanks
Research French polishing.
Anyway of tinting it, so I can try matching on a repair?
Refinishing a hope chest top and wanting to match the sides.
Its Eastern Red Cedar!
this was very informative. Fantastic video!
I was wondering, could I mix shallac in flakes with 75% grain alchol( the one used to make some liquors) or no?
thank you.
Da Malakay use everclear
@@wortheffort
thank you for your reply!
yes, I have that at home !
I bought it a long time ago for a special liquor but never used it.
Thanks so much,
your channel is awesome.
try yourself you might surprise> like I mixed one time poly+danish oil+mineral spirit in 1:1:1 respectively. the end result was amazingly good
Wipe on poly water-based works pretty well also low maintenance
I'm not a fan of film for utilitarian stuff for the repair difficulty.
I have a few questions: Will the 25% water content in Everclear be problem when refinishing a 100 yr. old shellac finish? I bought shellac flakes to make my own fresh cut shellac. How do I get the flakes to dissolve?
They dissolve in the alcohol. That's why bourbon makes rings on some tables. Everclear is 95% alcohol.
I am a new wood carver. You have talked about making bowls. I have a question . If I carve a spoon what type of finish do I put on it to make it food safe so no one will get poisoned?
spoon butter is an option (beeswax and mineral oil mix)
Its regurgitating not poo.
I would like to ask.
Can you put spar urethane over shellac for durability? The shellac beauty with durability.
I was wondering if the filling process would work.
Tung oil or orange oil cured
Stain - optional
Shellac
Carnauba wax
Spar Urethane
Or...wax over Spar Urethane?
Share you thoughts please. I am new and just getting started with reading and researching first.
Thanks again.
Can you thin the waxed shellac? I can’t find the unwaxed one where I live and I’ll like to apply it with a rag in thin layers like you are doing to an antique chair
with alcohol
@@wortheffortthanks for your prompt answer. The can says not to thin, so I've been trying to get more information before opening it.
Help! I applied shellac with a cloth to my stripped original MCM kitchen cabinet doors. I was overwhelmed and it was definitely the biggest project I had ever undertaken. I watched another youtube video that suggested cutting the shellac with Varsol (I used the Zinnser shellac). It was a sticky job.
I do love the finish, it looks like the 1 # cut finish shown in video here. ****Here is my problem: My kitchen smells awful. The doors smell like a cross between stale vinegar, stinky feet and chocolate. Why?? There are some spots that need a sanding, if I apply an uncut coat or a coat cut with etoh will it fix the smell?
I don’t know what varsol is. Shellac only mixes with alcohol. My guess it’s the reaction with varsol on whatever previous finish you had as shellac is completely neutral.
Thanks for sharing so much information with us. I ordered the book from amazon, although the link you provided didn't work -- check on that, so you can get a little bonus for your recommendation!
Shellac without the precipitation, it was de waxed.
From sellers available both types of shellac: with wax and de waxed.
I will only mix up my own shellac from dewaxed flakes and everclear or vodka after learning this because I don't want poison or toxins in it. Flakes last many years stored in airtight containers in a cool dry dark place. Using mechanical mixing is recommended if mixing old flakes.
Let the flakes sit overnight too.
I appreciate you taking the time to show us newbies how to thin shellac and apply thin coats! You're a big help to people like me who've never used shellac or never had any success with it. Since I have some vodka on hand for making natural herbal tinctures I'll use the vodka instead of using Denatured alcohol ( poisonous) I'll dissolve the flakes soon as they arrive in a quart jar and hopefully after giving it plenty of time to dissolve they'll be fine! Thanks a million! Love your channel!
I'm new to using shellac. At 14:27 you say you put an "oil" on the 1 pound finish. What "oil" are you talking about. I am brand new to woodworking and like the 1 pound finish. Also, where would be a good place to buy shellac flakes? I am building furniture for inside a camper van.
Any oil will work. I use walnut. It deepens the color and adds a little protection. I get my flakes from Lee Valley.