Source for shellac flakes

[LanceC]

I have decided to try my hand at using shellac for some finishing. Are there preferred suppliers, or will any source of flakes do? Are there any gotchas I need to be aware of when purchasing?

[China]

U-Beaut Polishes (http://www.ubeaut.com.au/ubhome.htm)

[DaveVman]

I just got into this a few months ago. Purchased the fkakes and pure spirits from Goods & Chattels (http://www.goodsandchattels.com).

Mum and Dad business.

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[homey]

xfigio,

If all you want is basic shellac flakes, you can get them at Bunnings. If you want something more specialised, e.g. dewaxed or white shellac try someone like Carbatec, Timbecon, Good & Chattels etc. I don’t like the brown tint of the more traditional shellac partly because I use more light coloured timbers, but even over walnut I prefer a clearer shellac. As a result I use mainly U-Beaut Hard Shellac. Love it.

Brian

[LanceC]

Thanks all.
What is hard shellac? I have only seen it as a pre mixed product, not as flakes. This concerns me based on what I've read regarding limited shelf life of prepared shellac.
Also, are white and blond shellac the same? Am I correct to assume it's just a shellac with minimal pigment?

[ubeaut]

Thanks all.
What is hard shellac? I have only seen it as a pre mixed product, not as flakes. This concerns me based on what I've read regarding limited shelf life of prepared shellac.
Also, are white and blond shellac the same? Am I correct to assume it's just a shellac with minimal pigment?

Hard shellac (http://www.ubeaut.com.au/hardshell.htm) is Dewaxed White (http://www.ubeaut.com.au/dewaxed.html) (bleached) Shellac that has a hardener added to make it much, much more resistant marking from Alcohol, water, heat and pretty much anything else that will damage a shellac finish.

We give our White Shellac an 18mth shelf life and it will work for longer than that but not our recommendation.

It is always best to buy any bleached/white shellac in solution as the raw (powder/granulated) form of the product can have a very short shelf life if not properly stored. Our raw product is kept in a refrigerated shipping container at between 8-12C and will last like that for many years. As little as a few days in a hot shop, warehouse or your shed can degrade the shellac quite dramatically. That's the main reason for buying it premixed.

The other problem of buying raw is that most people have no idea what it is and so it can sit on the shelf in a shop for a very long time before being sold. When mixed with shellac and filtered there will be a lot of gel. I have seen on line people saying you discard after filtering. Well stored and fresh white shellac shouldn't have any gel. The gel is a sign of poorly stored product. and that portion of gel which is discarded will degrade the lliquid product.

With our refrigerated shellac the most gel we have had in a 120lt batch is a little over 1 tablespoon, even after 5 years storage. The only time we have had more is when we purchase from a supplier who did not refrigerate and we had a little over 5 litres in a 100lt mix. Never purchased from them again.

Difference between white and blond.

Blond: has a much longer shelf life in raw flake form. But can still be damaged by extreme heat.
White: way shorter shelf life in raw form if not refrigerated
Blond: will slightly yellow timber when applied.
White: will not darken timber any more than wetting the timber with water.

White dewaxed: slightly harder finish than waxy shellacs and can be mixed with ethanol to make a sanding sealer as there is no wax in the shellac to stop finishes from adhering to the surface.
White dewaxed: When "Best by" date is reached what is left can be cut with ethanol to make sanding sealer that will continue to work for many years.


Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil

PS if you buy ordinary shellac flakes and it won't mix down in ethanol but looks like soggy, mooshy, Cornflakes then the shellac is old, badly stored and useless.

Do not store any shellac (liquid or solid) in metal container.

[LanceC]

Thanks for the explanation Neil, very informative.

[madwilson]

Thanks for the timely (for me) information Neil,
I just mixed up some soggy cornflakes and it doesn't look too enticing, I strained off some of the liquid through a paint strainer but I guess it is pretty useless too.

Cheers Mark