Just finished a curly maple mirror frame. I used transtint dye with denatured alcohol.
Then followed with 9 coates of bullseye dewaxed shellac and 2 coats of a satin
poly . Was the 9 coats of shellac overkill? I like the final project. Sorry, my photo
skills are not the best.
Replies
ohiobob,
It's beautiful.
I'm surprised by the satin poly however. Usually I sand between the finish coats with ever higher grades of sandpaper till I get the gloss I want. Your poly look really great.
BG, I sanded every 3rd coat of shellac with 320 and also fine steelwool. The finish
was smooth before the poly, it was just too glossy for me.
The piece looks great!
Was the poly just for protection? I would have thought 9 coats of shellac would have done the trick. I'm not a expert finisher so that is ignorance,not criticism.
>> Was the 9 coats of shellac overkill?
Maybe, particularly if you brushed or sprayed it on. Shellac is intended to be a thin film finish. When cured it is very hard and rigid. As the wood moves underneath, it can cause cracking and crazing of an overly thick film whereas a thin film is flexible enough to withstand the movement. Old, antique items finished with shellac thinly applied has lasted very long times. Thicker shellac finishes typically are the ones that look "old" and crinkly.
Thanks. The satin poly was added to tone down the glossyness. It made the piece
much softer and warmer finish. I applied the shellac with a cloth in thin coats.
Try using 00 steel wool and 2F pumice to knock down the gloss of shellac.Gives a good satin sheen.Use a little mineral oil with the pumice and clean it off with naptha.Nice work.F.
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