Shellac users only need apply

[ozwinner]

Hi all
When you are useing shellac, how runny do you have it??
At work ( my second, non paying charity job) I have a pot of shellac reeeeeeal thick, its great for bodying up, I just slooooop it on with a brush.
Dries realy quick too.
Am I useing it toooooo thick, this stuff is like warmed toffee, sort of like Barry Whites voice after a few reds...... Ohhhhwhhh, now baby I, cant get enough of your love, baby.............................etc.etc.

Al

[Gingermick]

The last table I french polished I used a very, very thin cut of approximately a jar full of shellac flakes and a dash or three of metho. It probably should have been a dash and a half rather than three. I put one coat on thick and 6 coats on after. The coat on the bottom left some lines that I couldn't get rid of. Bugger, as other than that it looks excellant.

Mick

[echnidna]

what works for you works

[Gumby]

If it isn't at least 50/50, I can't get it smooth before it dries. Nice 'n thin is the secret.

[Grunt]

I think all you shellac users should enrol in a detox program. Bloody drug addicts.

[Sturdee]

I think all you shellac users should enrol in a detox program. Bloody drug addicts.

Good idea, I'll do that next week. Meanwhile here is my secret recipe handed down by an old master.

2 measures of flakes mixed with 1 1/4 measure of 100 % metho is a perfect brush polish mix as a first couple coats. Apply this with a decent polishers mob.

Then mix the brush polish with an equal mix of 100 % metho to make a french polish mix which is applied with a rubber.

For the final coats thin this down even more by adding drops of metho to the charged rubber.


Peter.

[Gumby]

Good idea, I'll do that next week. Meanwhile here is my secret recipe handed down by an old master.

Peter.

You have learnt well grasshopper

[bitingmidge]

What about a brew for spraying??

Anyone tried, or more importantly mastered the art?

Cheers,

P (Who threw all his brushes out after one fatefull afternoon at Major P's)

[ozwinner]

I sprayed some of Neils hard shellac, had too, I couldnt swallow it when I heard a good joke.


No really, I have sprayed Neils hard shellac and was more than happy wid the results, I guess it depends on your type of sprayer as to how thin you have it.

Al

[echnidna]

What about a brew for spraying??

Anyone tried, or more importantly mastered the art?

Cheers,

P (Who threw all his brushes out after one fatefull afternoon at Major P's)

I tried spraying it a few times but not real happy with the result.
So I used it as a base just to develop a shellac type patina then I always overcoated it with a couple of coats of sanding sealer, then lacquered the job.

[echnidna]

Just remembered that I sprayed the shellac over oil based stains that the lacquer/sanding sealer would have lifted. The orange of the shellac helped tone the stains I was using.

[Duncanmck]

Old timers refer to shellac in terms of "pound cut". A 4 pound cut (thick) is 4 pound of shellac to 1 gallon alcohol (400gm to 1 litre). A 1 pound cut (thin) is 1 pound shellac to 1 litre of alcohol (100gm to 1 litre). I mix a four pound cut and then dilute to a 2 pound cut when applying. I thin down further towards the last few coats. If applying by brush I find the best way is to apply a 4 pound cut and brush with an artists sable or mink haired brush. Be careful with thicker coat application as sometimes there can be aminute cloudy haze left on the coat.

Hi all
When you are useing shellac, how runny do you have it??
At work ( my second, non paying charity job) I have a pot of shellac reeeeeeal thick, its great for bodying up, I just slooooop it on with a brush.
Dries realy quick too.
Am I useing it toooooo thick, this stuff is like warmed toffee, sort of like Barry Whites voice after a few reds...... Ohhhhwhhh, now baby I, cant get enough of your love, baby.............................etc.etc.

Al