Replies

1. 
   Rich14 | Oct 10, 2009 09:40pm | #1

   "How old shellac?"

   Old shellac fine. How you?

   Ba dum, bum.

   If it dries rapidly and is hard enough to scuff sand to a fine, dry powder in 24-48 hours, it is behaving normally. Use it.

   Rich

1. 
   alanplanesaw | Oct 11, 2009 02:10am | #3

   Good one.

   I think you and Steve have given me the practical info I need.

   Thanks,

   Alan - planesaw

1. 
   forestgirl | Oct 11, 2009 08:41am | #4

   Alan, please report back when your complete test results are in.  I've pushed the envelope on the Bullseye by close to a year, but you're well past that.  It'll be interesting to know how things go.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   alanplanesaw | Oct 11, 2009 09:55pm | #5

   Well, I am in my office now with my keyboard sitting on the piece of Baltic birch that has two coats of the shellac-in-question on it.  Everything seems fine.

   However -- the point made earlier about a new piece of wood versus a nonporous surface may (along with the fact that the can was 98 percent full, i.e., little oxygen) explain my "success."  I probably won't push this, and I certainly wouldn't use it on anything I had a lot of time and energy in.

   The amber color seems deeper, but that may be my imagination.

   Alan - planesaw

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Oct 12, 2009 12:51am | #6

   The "esterfication" that causes shellac to go bad isn't an oxygen curing process like what happens to varnish that gels or skins over in the can.  Cool strorage conditions extends life, as does higher cuts versus lower cuts. 

2. 
   SteveSchoene | Oct 10, 2009 11:38pm | #2

   Use if if it dries properly.  But your best test would be to apply a coat or two to an non-porous surface.  It can be hard to tell about the first coat or two that mostly sinks into the wood. 

3. 
   johndk | Oct 13, 2009 03:30am | #7

   I believe that Bullseye shellac includes some chemistry that extends shelf life.  Pure shellac flakes dissolved in ethanol do not have a 3 year shelf life.  But Bullseye does keep a long time ... from experience.