Replies

1. 
   RW | Dec 03, 2002 05:39am | #1

   Believe it's simpler than you are thinking at the moment. Denatured alcohol. Readily available at any paint store. I wouldn't know the difference between methanol and ethanol besides they try to get us to put ethanol in our cars around here and it screws everything up!

1. 
   Hempstalk | Dec 03, 2002 06:00am | #3

   Funny thing is I've been to three paint stores and the big orange box and nobody seem to know what I'm talking about.  Guess I'll just try a few more paint stores.  Thanks anyways guys.

1. 
   RW | Dec 03, 2002 06:04am | #4

   That's BC they probably are too young to know what the heck shellac is. They'll know what denatured alcohol is, or they're ignorant.

1. 
   toddhunter | Dec 03, 2002 06:17am | #5

   You shellac experts:  I wiped on an almost perfect thinned cut, then produced streaks when I tried to correct the minor imperfections.  A couple of coats later on the side with the streaks, and it's still a little streaky.  Can I move on to varnish without the streaks showing through?  If not, how do I proceed? Thanks, Todd

1. 
   b1gcountry | Dec 03, 2002 06:53pm | #6

   Shellac dries real quick, so you can't go back and touch up anything. You have to sand or scrape the streaks out before you go onto another finish. I might use a card scraper to level out the finish.

   Tom

2. 
   philpolish | Jan 31, 2003 06:08pm | #16

   Hi Todd

   I have just started with the shellac what I have found that helps when you pad up place 50/50 of shellac and alcohol in your fad.When you have got a good few coats on make another fad and just place alcohol in it not ringing wet though.Then go over the piece a few times like you are pulling over I find it helps to get the streaks out a bit.You must do this stage when you have just applied a few coats of the 50/50 I normally do it every time I body up.

   Hopefully may be some use to you.

2. 
   Hempstalk | Dec 04, 2002 02:10am | #8

      Guess people around here don't use shellac. Except for me.  Tried three more paint stores and a hardware store.  No one carries denatured alcohol.  Most don't even know what I'm talking about.  Make me wonder why I can't get it at the hardware store like you guys in the states.  Maybe it's got something to do with Canadian regulations.  Guess I'll put it on the shelf for now until I can mail order some solvent.  Major pain in the arse.  Thanks guys.

1. 
   RW | Dec 04, 2002 02:17am | #9

   Didn't realise you were a northerner! You could try mail order sites. You might not have as much luck shipping if it says alcohol on it as if you bought something named different, i.e. Behlens "Behlkol" which is the same thing in a more expensive can. Have no idea how Canadian laws are. Only experience was a friend who always carried his .45 on him. The border guards frowned on that significantly. He spent a few hours detained. I didn't know either. Oops. Sorry if you got bummed out on this one.

   As to the streaks - you can sand them down lightly with wet or dry paper, you can attempt to polish them out, i.e. french polishing, by adding a little to a pad with some parrafin oil. If you varnish over, the varnish has to level over your ridges, and will likely just follow them and you'll have ridges in the varnish as well.

2. 
   Hempstalk | Dec 04, 2002 04:02am | #10

     Finally figured it out and now I feel a little dumb.  Methyl hydrate 99.9% pure alcohol.  It says on the can ideal for thinning shellac, cleaning shellac from brushes, cleaning windows, fondue fuel and fuel for marine unpressurized alcohol stoves.  Dumb because I have a gallon of it sitting on the shelf in my finishing room.  When all else fails read the labels I guess.  What's a little disappointing is that I talked to around 10 different places and not one of them recommended methyl hydrate when I told them I needed to thin shellac.  Kind of strange that no one around here has heard of denatured alcohol either.  Thanks for your responses guys and I'm back to work.

3. 
   RW | Dec 04, 2002 05:18am | #11

   Well I learned something too. Why, I'll remember "methyl Hydrate" for at least another coupla hours! Glad your back in biz.

4. 
   bill_1010 | Dec 04, 2002 05:53pm | #12

   you know the Brits call Denatured Alcohol something else, and that name which evades me, might be what the Canadians have adopted for its name.  I think it might be Wood Spirits or something to that effect.

5. 
   LeeGrinding1 | Dec 04, 2002 06:12pm | #13

   In many parts of the world alcohol is called white spirits.

   LeeLee Grindinger

   Furniture Carver

6. 
   KevinLBS | Dec 04, 2002 06:34pm | #14

   No, no, no... wood spirits are those tiny little people about 4 inches tall with butterfly wings that live deeeep in the magic forest...

   Couldn't resist that one. Sorry.

7. 
   Gretchen | Dec 04, 2002 07:18pm | #15

   In Canada it might be called spirit something or other.  It is also the fuel for alcohol burners.  You MUST have it somewhere.Gretchen

2. 
   danwolfram | Dec 03, 2002 05:41am | #2

   Most hardware stores sell 1 gallon cans of denatured alcohol.  I have read that you want to stay clear of methanol.  Not sure why....I seem to remember something about water content and hardness of the dried finish.  More water leaves the shellac softer.  Note that denatured alcohol has methanol as a minor constituent.  Hope this helps.  I finish just about everything with shellac, it is great stuff.  If you like the finish try out a seedlac or button? shellac very primitive stuff you have to filter out the sticks and junk but it is very close to a "traditional" dark finish.  Enjoy

   P.S. you'll need a scale to measure out the flakes to make small batches....then again....you might have that covered already! ;)

3. 
   KevinLBS | Dec 04, 2002 12:40am | #7

   2 great sites for shellac & such:

   http://www.shellac.net/ShellacPricing.html $5.30/qt

   Also, you can get Hock Shellac & Denatured Alchohol ( http://www.hockfinishes.com )from http://www.woodcraft.com $7.99/qt

   There you go. Hope you can find it locally without paying for shipping though...

   Kevin