finishing timber kitchen cupboard doors - need advice ASAP please!

[astrid]

Well we all have our opinions and are entitled to them.
as i have said, Im a big fan of shellac myself but in a kitchen, no,
I would personaly go for an oil, that is easier to maintain.If she wants to go non toxic.
But i think Leonie's run away anyway.

Astrid

[LeonieB]

HI everyone
Thank you for all the comments - very helpful.
I know there is white shellac - are there other types and which are you recommending?

What do I need to learn in the hour someone mentioned regarding the skill needed? IN other words, how do you do it?

What was the crocodiling etc?

Is shellac non-toxic and does it yellow the timber over time? Does it make the timber look much darker?

Astrid, I dont want to use what we used on the slab because it is a bit shiny, even the satin version, and darkens the timber a lot.
Thank you
LeonieB

[jerryc]

Leonie,

There are various levels of shellac from a very dark to a white finish. The example I used from my kitchen was the "normal" which is orange shellac. As it's name suggests it does impart a colour, a warm glow which many like. My kitchen is jarrah which is of course a reddish timber and as you can see from my previous attachment the colour of the finish is not unattractive, but taste is something very individual.
To apply the finish I do not use a brush but a rubber (see attachments). The rubber starts with a ball of unmedicated cotton wool, about the size of a cricket ball and a piece of lint free cloth, preferably linen about the size of a man's handkerchief. When folded you will see the rubber finishes with a slight point which is handy for getting into corners.

You will hear some people talk of one pound, two pound mixes which come from the USA. Personally I'm a simple person. When I mix shellac I put the dry flakes into a container and just cover them with meth. If the mix is too dry I add a little more meth. If too wet I throw in a few more flakes.

To charge the rubber I use a squeeze bottle and pour the shellac mix into the back. It has the advantage of being a great filter of any lumps that may be in the mix and also you have great control over the amount you put on the wood. Want more shellac give it a squeeze.. I make up two to three rubbers. The main work rubber, small rubber for awkward spots and a meth rubber which I use as a pull over. Useful for correcting mistakes

I use a light mix because I can take advantage of the quick drying properties of shellac. By the time you've been around once the work is dry and it's possible to put on another coat. On the interior of my present yacht we got six coats on in a morning and the interior of a yacht can be a fiddly place to work. Another advantage of light coats is you have no worries about overlap or tear drops

The first coat I apply by working in circles to make sure the grain is filled. After that I mainly work with the grain.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Unlike any other finish shellac is forgiving.
"Crocodiling" is when the surface shrinks and causes fissures similar to crocodile skin. It can result from several causes. On the boat it happened when my wife got over enthusiastic and put too thick a layer on a locker door which was directly in the sun. As it was her first attempt she was horrified until I gave her the pull over meth rubber and explained that the shellac could be reworked and some of the excess would come off on the meth pullover. Both my wife and my daughter mastered the basics in about an hour. If you are at all worried, just grab a piece of wood and practice. I know you will get the hang of it in no time.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. True you'll have more opinions than you can handle but from them you can extract what suits you


Jerry

Everyone is entitled to my opinion

[jerryc]

leone,

I mentioned how safe shellac is in one of the submissions above but it's worth repeating as the toxicity problem comes up regularly.
Shellac is used to coat many prescription and general chemist pills.

Jerry

Everyone is entitled to my opinion

[astrid]

Leonie
if you check few threads down, you'll see a thread "cedar table" by Anne
I posted baby step instructions here.
Astrid

And yes white shellac is a purer and harder form of shellac and yes you can use it as asealer coat under danish oil. but only one or two coats at most

[jerryc]

Leonie,
My apologies in that I did not mention sanding. Was in too much of a hurry to get further info to you as I know you want to get the job done quickly. What I have found to be effective is to put on two coats with the rubber (remember I use light coats because I find several light coats easier than a lesser number of heavier coats). These first coats seal the surface and raise the grain. These coats are very lightly sanded back with 240 grit paper. I"m only sanding enough to denib the surface. After that I rarely sand at all. Because the coats are light and numerous you quickly develop a feel and the rubber becomes a burnisher, polishing the surface as you go. It's another reason for the meth rubber, which does the same thing as a finishing rubber. (Hope I make myself clear.) The kitchen as you can see was done allowing the grain to show. below is a different approach where I wanted the vanity unit to have a certain amount of gloss. Therefore with this unit I allowed a thicker build up and finished with the meth rubber. The unit has had no polish applied, it is a straight off the rubber finish with no sanding