Replies

1. 
   Alan | Feb 07, 2003 10:35pm | #1

   Kevin,

   I always wax my shellacked pieces, mainly because I like the look.  I also believe--with absolutely no evidence in support--that wax adds a bit of resistance to abrasion, and maybe a little resistance to water as well.  I use store-bought pigmented waxes (my favorite is a dark brown wax over orange or garnet shellac) or a concoction I make up of varying proportions of carnuba, bees wax and/or paraffin with turpentine as a solvent.

   Alan

1. 
   Gretchen | Feb 08, 2003 06:32am | #2

   With all due respect--if you put soomething wet on your wet/shellacked piece you WILL have a water mark.Gretchen

2. 
   dpearce | Feb 09, 2003 02:31am | #4

   Alan, I too am a big fan of shellac and I would like to know how long you let the shellac cure before waxing.  I used wax once after only a few days and it stuck to the shellac, had to be stripped off, and a new layer of shellac sprayed on.  Someone told me to let the shellac cure 30 days prior to waxing. Your thoughts?

1. 
   Alan | Feb 09, 2003 03:47am | #5

   D_

   I never heard of that.  I usually wax it as soon as it is dry, either the same day or more often the next day.  I don't let it "cure" for any length of time.  After all, IIRC once all the alcohol has evaporated the shellac is as cured as it's going to get.

   It sounds to me like you might have used some old shellac.  Shellac that has been mixed for more than a few months won't dry properly.  It may be that the surface on your piece was dry to the touch but the shellac remained sticky underneath.  Perhaps all you did with the wax was to slough off the top, dry layer.

   Just a thought.

   Also, I didn't mean to suggest that if you wax a shellac finish you could use it for a cocktail table.  A shellac finish is inappropriate where it will likely get wet.  All I meant was that if a stray dribble gets on it the wax might prevent the shellac from clouding while you run for a towel.  A white spot in wax is lots easier to fix than a white spot in shellac.

   Alan

   Edited 2/8/2003 7:53:13 PM ET by Alan

1. 
   dpearce | Feb 09, 2003 04:03am | #6

   Thanks for the reply. Actually, it was very fresh shellac made a few days before application with new flakes from behlen and mixed with behlen's proprietary solvent.  The piece did, however, have eight coats of 1.5 - 2 # cut shellac sprayed on, each after about 24 hours of drying time.  The shop is temp and humidity controlled.  The only thing that I can figure is that that many coats of shellac may need time to harden off completely.  Thanks again. [email protected]

2. 
   Michael6255 | Feb 10, 2003 03:43am | #7

   D.......

   Yes.......shellac really needs to cure, and it CAN and will fool you.  You can get it "dry" enough that you can wetsand and woollube it, but if you've put on a few coats.......the film will still orange peel ever so slightly, and turn a wool lubeb surface to an imerfect one.  If you have several coats......... I'd say wait 3 to 4 weeks.  Fewer coats equalks less time.

   Mike

1. 
   Michael6255 | Feb 10, 2003 03:46am | #8

   D......

   Forgot to add a tip.  Go to HOMESTEAD FINISHING and get a product called "shellac wet".  It reduces surface tension and prevents the shellac from thickening at edges.....corners and such. Its good stuff.

      I'm sure you noticed that you get those thick corners that you had to do a little extra work on them.... 

   -Mike

3. 
   SVSander | Feb 12, 2003 11:04am | #10

   To all,

   DPEARCE000 said:

   "I used wax once after only a few days and it stuck to the shellac, had to be stripped off, and a new layer of shellac sprayed on."

   Is it possible that the solvent used in the wax dissolved the shellac? Aren't there different solvents used in some waxes, and wouldn't that make some of them inappropriate for certain finishes?

   Thanks,

   Dick Baker

   Sunnyvale, CA

3. 
   MarkRoderick | Feb 10, 2003 04:09am | #9

   As I understand it, I don't think the wax adds to either the abrasion protection or the water resistance. As to the abrasion, all the wax does is help objects that might otherwise "dent" the finish glance off it instead, if they hit lightly at an angle. The thickness of the wax is so miniscule I don't think it helps with moisture. But it does make the shellac look darn good, which I believe is why people use it (I do).

2. 
   garth | Feb 08, 2003 08:24am | #3

   I am a lover of shellac, but I agree with Gretchen, if this piece will see use in which any kind of drink may be placed on it you need some varnish over the shellac for added protaction.

   Scott T.

3. 
   jgaiennie | Feb 12, 2003 01:32pm | #11

   Kevin,

   What variety of pine is that and what's your source.  It looks like it could be old growth resawed pine to me, but then I have some reservation about that guess.  But the apron board has an interesting and unusual figure for pine that I'm familiar with.  Anyway, that figure is what's raising my question.

   jdg

1. 
   KevinLBS | Feb 12, 2003 06:57pm | #12

   Believe it or not JDG, it's just southern yellow pine. AND, I couldn't find any select or clear grades, so it's just #2 SYP from the home store.  I wanted the legs thicker, so I laminated pieces. as for the top and apron, I just picked through a stack of t&G (get this) SIDING!!!! I looked for good tight grain quartersawn pieces, and was lucky to find just enough.

   Really, I had never used SYP before, but for the price it might be good to do some prototypes in... I got some tearout (not much) on the ends of boards, but the sufaces milled up really smooth on their own and almost waxy...

   The apron you mentioned really did have terriffic grain... It was super tight, q.sawn, but not straight- very swirly and looks great. I'm attaching another pic that is just a closer detail of the apron.

   Kevin

   
1. 
   jgaiennie | Feb 14, 2003 01:12pm | #13

   Kevin,

   That really is a bit unusual figure for pine.  Nice.

   Some Home Depots here in the south carry a product that is also available at many of the lumber yards around here - Arkansas SYP - clear.  I'm not sure HD uses "Arkansas" in their description - just clear pine.  I'm guessing it's from the same source as what's in the lumber yards only based on appearance.  Pretty nice stuff, but sorta pricey for pine.  I think @ HD, it runs around a $1.70 / bf.  I think at the lumber yards it can be had for a $1.20.  I havn't seen this material at Lowes.

   In your search for affordable suitable pine, remember this helpful tip that I read about in a mag article.  The knots generally occur in the center of a board and  you can often rip a clear vertical grain piece off of each side of a wide #2 board.

   Good luck

   jdg