Replies

1. 
   Joe Sullivan | Apr 07, 2007 03:45am | #1

   Try asking Peter Gedrys in the Ask the Experts section. He is very responsive. I can tell you that foam brushes are fine for shellac -- if you are careful not to make bubbles, but Peter is professional finisher and can tel you the best way to do what you want to do.

   Joe

2. 
   frenchy | Apr 07, 2007 03:57am | #2

   simchart,

    I use a house painters brush when I need to shellac anything wider than 4 or 5 inches. I don't like foam brushes because they can't hold enough "paint"  shellac is something that has to go on fast! Carefull brushing results in streaks, ridges, and in general poor finish.. I flood it on.. really flood it on.. it runs but If you are fast enough you get all the runs to flow together..

       It's extremely important when doing this to thin the shellac down to a 1 pound cut..

    This is a case of slow methodical painting will yield terrible results.. however thin coats dry really fast (15 minutes for the first one)  allow a quick sanding (the secret to a great finish)  and the next coat flooded on..

       If it's not in your nature (and trust me there are some here who deeply resist me and my approach) find a five year old and tell him to "paint" the door as fast as he can. (Do a Tom Sawyer on him)  Don't worry about runs or skipped areas,  Honestly they don't matter!

    The next coat melts into the first coat and solves all the issues..

     You will drip shellac onto the floor so plan on it!   Put plastic or a rubber mat down or something so you don't panic when your shellac is running down  (unless you happen to live where gravity doesn't work)  ;-)  If you slop it on fast enough it doesn't have a chance to dry before everything is coated and the finish will be that much easier to sand out..

     Shellac will dry litteraly in moments so never and I repeat never go back over anything!

    You get one shot and the more your bring to the door the greater the coverage that's why I don't like foam brushes!

3. 
   SteveSchoene | Apr 07, 2007 05:37am | #3

   Approaches for brushing on shellac very a lot.  I prefer a very fine bristled brush, which for furniture is a Taklon gold watercolor wash brush.  I would use the 2" version mostly because I have it and because I am confortable using it. 

   The idea with the fine bristle brushes is that the shellac can be neatly applied in very thin coats that don't leave ridges or brush strokes.  This can be made to work well for the door, but a larger brush, still with fine bristles sort of mop like, would work more quickly, though I don't know where you would find one, and particularly where you would find one that was close to affordable.  For me, this would be overkill for furniture. 

   If I weren't comfortable brushing I would consider padding on the shellac.  This is generally more foregiving than brushing.  The key is still to work quickly and apply shellac in just wet, thin coats.  Never go back to pick up a missed spot or to try to level an overlap.  With thin coats these problems disappear after a few more coats.  If the pad starts to drag or be sticky--even a little bit--it is time to stop and let the finish dry before applying more shellac.  I find that roughly 1 1/2 lb. cut shellac works well for padding.  Super thinning makes the first couple of applications easy, but that is not enough shellac on the item to provide any protection or to look like a film finish. 

   Do not flood on the shellac--you might get away with that once if you have been using super thin shellac for only a coat or two, but once you have build any sort of film, applying too much shellac, especially if the previous applications haven't dried thoroughly, risks dissolving too much of the prior coating and creating rumples and other nasty problems. 

    

    

4. 
   myoung | Apr 09, 2007 01:39am | #4

   I would go along with the padding method. You could use a good sized pad for a door.  Can you take the door down and lay it flat?  For me this makes doors so much easier.

   Malcolm

   http://www.shellacshack.com

    

1. 
   theoldboy | Apr 09, 2007 10:05pm | #5

   I have tried a brush on large panels and just never have had good luck, always end up with streaks. I have found what works best for me is to use and old T-shirt (Clean-clean), which I have wadded up with the rubbining part smooth, no wrinkles. I pour the shellac into a plastic container and dip the pad into into it allowing it to absorb quite a bit of shellac. Wipe across the panel and, as stated before, do not go back over until it is dry. By working fast with just a little overlap, I find I get good results. I suppose a brush would work well on narrow strips such as moulding but, not on larger panels.

   Regards,

   TheOldBoy

    

    

    

   Regards

5. 
   HowardAcheson | Apr 10, 2007 03:41am | #6

   >> Could someone tell me if a foam brush will work with the shellac.

   No, denatured alcohol will "melt" the foam.

   Howie.........
1. 
   Joe Sullivan | Apr 10, 2007 08:15am | #7

   Not necessarily. I have a foam brush in a pot of shellac right now that has been there for a couple of days and still works.Maybe it depends on the foam, but shellac causes me no trouble with the bargain foam brushes I pick up by the handful where ever.Joe

   Edited 4/10/2007 1:18 am ET by Joe Sullivan

1. 
   Kevin | Apr 10, 2007 09:03pm | #8

   I rarily use foam brushes, but from what I've seen it seems like the issue is more with the adhesive used to glue the two sides of the foam together than it is with the foam itself. I've had the adhesive fail very quickly while the foam itself wasn't affected nearly as much.

1. 
   Joe Sullivan | Apr 10, 2007 09:18pm | #9

   Aha.  I'll watch for that. 

   J