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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
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    Default Good finish for brass escutcheon plates - will shellac take/hold?

    Hi, This question needs a back story - I usually use inset brass escutcheons, either polished or "antique" finish for darker woods, and my usual shellac (brown button waxy shellac) for my restorations and new builds alike and that is fine over the small amount of metal showing. However, I have just built a jewellery box as a Christmas present for my American daughter-in-law out of American flame maple (name it was sold to me under) and Tasmanian and Queensland Blackwood. It went well until I used the wrong drill bit to cut the hole for the drop in escutcheon. Even though mounted in the drill press, it slipped sideways in the highly figured/uneven texture of the timber. Now, I could fit the escutcheon and then bog-up the small gap, but that goes against the grain especially for the front of the piece of beautifully figured timber.

    The box is finished in shellac.

    IMG_1048.JPG

    So, I bought a small fancy surface mount escutcheon plate from Goods and Chattels. It arrived a bit tarnished so I will polish it up before I fit it. In the past I have used Incralac on larger brass items, but don't have any at the moment.

    So, finally, to my question: have members successfully used shellac to get a reliable protective finish on brass escutcheon plates?

    David

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 1999
    Location
    Grovedale (Geelong) Victoria
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    9,665

    Default

    Shellac has been used for ever as a protective coating over brass. Orange (regular) shellac will make the brass go a deeper gold colour. Dewaxed White shellac won't change the colour and will leave it with a beautiful protective coating.

    Hope this is of some help.

    Cheers - Neil
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Townsville, Tropical North Qld.
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    76
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    Default

    Really nice looking box David, any chance of a photo with the lid closed? That grain looks pretty special.

    You have the answer to your question already from the master so nothing i can add there.
    Cheers, Ian
    "The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot.. it can't be done.
    If you deal with the lowest bidder it is well to add something for the risk you run.
    And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better"

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    St Georges Basin
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    0

    Default

    [QUOTE=Xanthorrhoeas;1829786

    In the past I have used Incralac on larger brass items, but don't have any at the moment.

    [/QUOTE]

    Incralac is good stuff! I wonder from the name if there is any shellac component to the ingredient list. It would be very handy if it came in tins rather than spray cans.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
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    Brisbane
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    596

    Default Thanks, just what I needed to know

    Quote Originally Posted by ubeaut View Post
    Shellac has been used for ever as a protective coating over brass. Orange (regular) shellac will make the brass go a deeper gold colour. Dewaxed White shellac won't change the colour and will leave it with a beautiful protective coating.

    Hope this is of some help.

    Cheers - Neil
    Thanks Neil, that is a great reassurance, as well as being the easiest for me!

    Cheers

    David

  6. #6
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    Nov 2012
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    Default Thanks

    Quote Originally Posted by Nanigai View Post
    Really nice looking box David, any chance of a photo with the lid closed? That grain looks pretty special.

    You have the answer to your question already from the master so nothing i can add there.
    Cheers, Ian
    Thanks Ian,

    Only have a quick snap at this stage. and just taken quickly and obliquely sitting on my table saw. I will take some more once I have completed it, if you are interested.
    IMG_1047.JPG American "Flame Maple" (may really be what they call Curly Maple from reading Fine Woodworking magazine.

    I have made a similar box for my daughter out of Huon Pine, which I have yet to finish for Christmas too!
    IMG_1051.JPGIMG_1052.JPGIMG_1053.JPG Birds-eye Huon Pine with fiddleback Blackwood base (ply veneered both sides with sequential sheets so as to appear a solid piece).

    I like to use spiffy timbers so that my workmanship is not the primary focus!

    Regards

    David

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Townsville, Nth Qld
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    Default

    Absolutely beautiful. Very "spiffy " timbers indeed - well done David

    Out of interest, how did you get the continuous grain going from the lid to the sides - a very wide board to start with?
    regards,

    Dengy

  8. #8
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    Nov 2012
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    Brisbane
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Dengue View Post
    Absolutely beautiful. Very "spiffy " timbers indeed - well done David

    Out of interest, how did you get the continuous grain going from the lid to the sides - a very wide board to start with?
    It was not very wide, and was not rectangular, being wider at one end than the other, but was thick enough for me to bandsaw it into a number of thinner boards with very similar figure, which I then used for the lid (two boards joined) and sides. Because it has such a distinctive fiddleback figure it was not too difficult to line up the figure to the best effect. I have to give credit to the wood, really, as it made it easy for me. That's why I love spiffy timbers (OK only one of the reasons!)
    Regards

    David

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Townsville, Tropical North Qld.
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    Default

    Thanks David, it was as I thought, well executed and very nice grain.
    The HP version is pretty nice as well, well done and thanks for sharing.
    Cheers, Ian
    "The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot.. it can't be done.
    If you deal with the lowest bidder it is well to add something for the risk you run.
    And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better"

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