Replies

1. 
   TrueGentleman | May 27, 2006 09:12am | #1

   You can try Mineral sprits, and then use Lacquer thinner to remove the oil left behind from the mineral sprits.  That might work.

    

   Good Luck!

    

   Rich

1. 
   jblogan | May 27, 2006 09:14am | #2

   Thanks Rich. How do mineral spirits differ from thinner?"I tried to think of that but I couldn't"

2. 
   SteveSchoene | May 27, 2006 01:54pm | #3

   Have you checked to see if your original discription--shellacked-over--is literally correct?  If shellac was used, then denatured alcohol will redissolve it and loosen the paper. 

   And, paint thinner is a variety of mineral spirits.  If you want to avoid any oily residue use VS&P Naptha. (It doesn't seem to be the solvent of choice in your current situation though.)

1. 
   Gretchen | May 27, 2006 02:33pm | #4

   I doubt it was shellac, unless you have tried what Steve suggested--denatured alcohol. Definitely try the denatured alcohol as he suggested. It may be more likely that this was a decoupage project--VERY popular in the 60's and 70's. They used a decoupage medium of unknown (to me) etiology to attach the pictures to whatever the project was.  May need to be a physical scraping.

   Gretchen

   Edited 5/27/2006 7:35 am ET by Gretchen

1. 
   SteveSchoene | May 28, 2006 02:59am | #5

   Your probably right, but sure should try the alcohol first.  As I recall they sold stuff like polyester resin or epoxy resin for decoupage--though later the craft stores seemed to find acrylic something all the rage. In any event it's likely to be a good card scraper, or a ROS. 

1. 
   jblogan | May 28, 2006 10:13pm | #6

   Steve,
   The alcohol did the trick. Once the shellac was off the paper, a little soapy water loosened it up & the rest scraped off easily. Thanks to everyone for the help. Nice to have a place to go where someone knows everything I want to learn...Jerry
   "I tried to think of that but I couldn't"