Questions & Answers Re: Shellac

Some questions and answers about Shellac for Wood Finishing.

Q: Is Shellac an old-fashioned, outdated finish?
A: No, Shellac is all natural, organic, child safe. Shellac has more modern features and green benefits than any other wood finish in the world.

Q: Shellac turns ugly and dark as it ages.
A: Shellac is naturally UV-resistant and does not yellow or darken with age.
The dark shellac seen in older homes is a less-refined version that was naturally dark, or was tinted by finishers when dark wood colours were popular in the early 20th century.

Q: Is shellac made from bugs or bug droppings?
A: No, Shellac is a resin secreted from the tree sap by the lac insect to form a cocoon, much like a silk worm. It takes about 100,000 lac bugs to make 1 lb. of shellac resin.

Q: Does a shellac finish turn white when water touches it?
A: A properly applied shellac finish is remarkably water-resistant and, in most cases, will stay clear after hours of exposure to water, making it a great finish for most interior surfaces, including woodwork, trim, doors, cabinets, panelling, furniture, and for floors... yes, floors! See next Q n A for Hard Shellac.

Q: Is Shellac brittle or easily scratched?
A: Shellac is a tough, durable finish that is less brittle than lacquer and is not easily scratched. The process of making Button shellac yields a tougher resin. Unlike polyurethanes, a damaged shellac finish can be easily touched up or renewed by brushing on another thin coat.
U-Beaut Polishes, Hard Shellac is about as tough as a melamine bench top with high resistance to scratches, heavy handling, water, alcohol, heat etc.
Q: Is Shellac compatible with other finishes?
A: Shellac will adhere tenaciously when applied over almost any other type of clean,
wax free, and oil free finish.
(To assure a clean surface, especially on older grimy surfaces, wash with a clean well rung out damp cloth containing warm water with mid soap. Rinse cloth in the water and wring out well as you go. Dry off the surface with clean soft cloth or towel and allow to fully dry before continuing.)

Sanding Sealer can be used to seal wood before applying polyurethane or other finishes, Sanding Sealer is a shellac-based universal sanding sealer which is 100% wax-free. It is also brilliant at raising the grain torn by sanding and also as a base before applying dye and stain as it can retard the darkening on end grain when staining whilst allowing water dyes to still soak into the pores of the wood.

To refurbish a worn finish, a sealing coat of White Shellac (dewaxed) makes an excellent transitional coating or bond coat between an unknown finish and a new topcoat.
Note: (Normal shellac may be incompatible as a sealer under some polyurethane, as the shellac contain a natural wax which may not allow the polyurethane to adhere properly.)

Q: Can I make a Shellac sealing coat?
A: Yes All you need is a dewaxed shellac and 90% or 100% Ethanol (Industrial Methylated Spirits or Denatured Alcohol) depending on where you come from They are all the same.
If the bottle or drum you buy doesn't have 90% or 100% somewhere on the label don't buy it as it can have as much as 40% water in it and is no good for using with shellac.

There is a wide colour variety of Dewaxed Shellac flakes, granules or powder form, from very light to very dark tones so if you make your own universal sanding sealer and you may be able to match the shellac colour with your project.

Hope this is of help or interest to some.

Cheers - Neil :U

A little bit more:

Q: Can I add colour to shellac so I can colour match a surface?
A: Yes. Shellac can be coloured using aniline dye and spirit based stain. This is ideal for colour matching however, if you are not experienced ay colour matching then I would advise care and testing on a similar surface before jumping in boots and all.
This may save some tears, gnashing of teeth and frustration. Some things aren't quite as easy as they appear end colour matching can definitely be one of those things.

Q: Can I add colour to shellac for use as a decorative finish where showing the grain isn't the main aim.
A: Yes. Shellac can be coloured using universal tint used to tint paints (the stuff in the carousel in the paint shop). You may be able to get a sample for free from the big green shop or others. It can also be purchased in 500ml and 1 litre bottles and cans. There are a multitude of colours or you can buy the primary colours + black mix your own.

Here are some examples of what can be done with decorative finishes using universal tint in shellac and water dye prior to Shellawax. The examples in above link are for woodturners and this one for flat surface work.

Cheers - Neil :U