4 ms·

Amateur woodworker here. Shellac is relatively easy to work with, but hard as nails when it dries. It’s a great tool in the tool belt.

moistly 5y ago
My love: nitrocellulose lacquer over shellac over oil. Pops the grain like magic.
- exDM69 5y ago
  Nothing wrong with that but a damaged nitro surface is difficult to fix. On the other hand it's probably more durable than just shellac.
  - moistly 5y ago
    Dead easy to fix… if you have some nitrocellulose lacquer. Alas, it is increasingly difficult to find.
- kaydub 5y ago
  Anywhere I can read about nitrocellulose lacquer? How is it applied?
  - moistly 5y ago
    I imagine google is your friend for researching lacquer. I apply lacquer using a quality natural bristle brush; it can also be sprayed, but it is very flammable and requires a proper paint booth setup. Also, the fumes are very poisonous, so proper masking and ventilation is a requirement. I apply boiled linseed oil to "pop" the grain, then a layer of clear shellac, then several layers of lacquer. Every few layers I do use a scraper (facedown) to knock down the dust irregularities. Both the shellac and lacquer dry extremely quickly. After the final coat I use the scraper and then 0000 steel wool to give a fine satin finish. Lacquer (and shellac) damage is easily fixed by applying more. The fresh coating melts the old; the only hitch is in blending out the edges. I find lacquer much easier to work with than the newfangled concoctions. Easier to apply smoothly, easier to knock down the dust, easier to polish with steel wool, and easier to repair any mistakes. Not nearly as durable, though, and a much greater health hazard while applying.
exDM69 5y ago
A very nice property of shellac is that is easy to repair and difficult to screw up. I recently restored a large cupboard that would've been a whole lot of nasty chemicals and sanding had it used modern film finish lacquer. Instead, it being shellac, it was a matter of a quick clean up for the worst scratches, followed by applying more shellac coats and blending it in with the old finish. It's also very pleasant to work with on new projects and the results are awesome. With the right kind of wavy grained wood it can have a three dimensional hologram-like chatoyance, almost like a gemstone.

moistly 5y ago

My love: nitrocellulose lacquer over shellac over oil. Pops the grain like magic.

exDM69 5y ago
Nothing wrong with that but a damaged nitro surface is difficult to fix. On the other hand it's probably more durable than just shellac.
- moistly 5y ago
  Dead easy to fix… if you have some nitrocellulose lacquer. Alas, it is increasingly difficult to find.
kaydub 5y ago
Anywhere I can read about nitrocellulose lacquer? How is it applied?
- moistly 5y ago
  I imagine google is your friend for researching lacquer. I apply lacquer using a quality natural bristle brush; it can also be sprayed, but it is very flammable and requires a proper paint booth setup. Also, the fumes are very poisonous, so proper masking and ventilation is a requirement. I apply boiled linseed oil to "pop" the grain, then a layer of clear shellac, then several layers of lacquer. Every few layers I do use a scraper (facedown) to knock down the dust irregularities. Both the shellac and lacquer dry extremely quickly. After the final coat I use the scraper and then 0000 steel wool to give a fine satin finish. Lacquer (and shellac) damage is easily fixed by applying more. The fresh coating melts the old; the only hitch is in blending out the edges. I find lacquer much easier to work with than the newfangled concoctions. Easier to apply smoothly, easier to knock down the dust, easier to polish with steel wool, and easier to repair any mistakes. Not nearly as durable, though, and a much greater health hazard while applying.

exDM69 5y ago

A very nice property of shellac is that is easy to repair and difficult to screw up. I recently restored a large cupboard that would've been a whole lot of nasty chemicals and sanding had it used modern film finish lacquer. Instead, it being shellac, it was a matter of a quick clean up for the worst scratches, followed by applying more shellac coats and blending it in with the old finish. It's also very pleasant to work with on new projects and the results are awesome. With the right kind of wavy grained wood it can have a three dimensional hologram-like chatoyance, almost like a gemstone.