I'm not sure what the fuss in with shellac, it's not a strong finish and
can be destroyed with the splash of good scotch, why not go to varnish
which will leave a sturdy finish that might last as long as you?
TIA,
Josie
--
----------------------------------
"Once you know, you know"
The Unified Field of Know Theory
Unless, of course the sot who spilled it doesn't wipe it up.
Not to mention the wife and her cologne-tainted fingers leaving impressions
on the jewelry box.
"Patrick Olguin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> There are real instances where shellac is not the best finish - fear
> of a spilled Harvey Wallbanger shouldn't rank near the top.
>
"firstjois" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Unisaw A100 wrote:
> >> I agree. If you can't hold your scotch then you might not
> >> oughtta consider shellac.
> >>
> >> UA100
>
> LOL I typed in "scotch" because I wasn't sure how to spell "liquor"
> and "alcohol" is no laughing matter either. The strongest stuff around
> here is chocolate syrup, but you knew what I meant anyway.
Your kahlua milkshakes must be pretty tame. Actually, straight scotch
isn't an effective solvent for shellac. Just ask anyone who's
mistakenly tried to use rubbing alcohol (70% or 140 proof) as a
solvent.
Everclear, otoh, is quite effective if not really really expensive.
Humbly submtted,
O'Deen
p.s. An alcohol-related non-sequiter... Even with a resale license you
have to pay sales tax on denatured alcohol, if you're a woodworker
using it as a solvent, because it all evaporates and is not part of
the final product. Aren't those state boards of equalization a bunch
of steenkers?
"J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote
> I had previously quipped:
> > Actually, straight scotch
> > isn't an effective solvent for shellac. Just ask anyone who's
> > mistakenly tried to use rubbing alcohol (70% or 140 proof) as a
> > solvent.
>
> Don't know where you are but in the US "rubbing alcohol" is isopropanol, not
> ethanol. Different solvent.
Sorry about that. Didn't mean to imply they were the same solvent. I
meant to underscore that even straight scotch isn't high enough
concentration (nor is rubbing alcohol, which is generally 70/30
isopropyl alcohol/water) to be an effective shellac solvent. In other
words, the notion that, "Omigod I can't possible put shellac on a
coffee or side table because a mixed drink spilled onnit would ruin it
in an instant," is pretty much a bogus old wive's tale.
There are real instances where shellac is not the best finish - fear
of a spilled Harvey Wallbanger shouldn't rank near the top.
Now, back to other alcohols...Anhydrous isopropyl alcohol, however,
used primarily in printing applications, can be used to thin shellac.
Some find it's longer flash-off time to help in avoiding orange peel
and/or "fat edge."
Humbly submitted,
O'Deen
"firstjois" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> I'm not sure what the fuss in with shellac, it's not a strong finish and
> can be destroyed with the splash of good scotch, why not go to varnish
> which will leave a sturdy finish that might last as long as you?
>
> TIA,
> Josie
>
It looks nice, it is easily repaired if ever needed. Mostly, I like the way
it looks and don't need another reason.
"firstjois" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I'm not sure what the fuss in with shellac, it's not a strong finish and
> can be destroyed with the splash of good scotch, why not go to varnish
> which will leave a sturdy finish that might last as long as you?
Here are a few reasons why I've recently been using it in some
applications:
- Looks pretty good
- Builds and dries quickly
- Can use different colors of shellac to alter the tone of the piece
- Not as toxic as other finishes
- Not as smelly as other finishes
- Lower spontaneous combustion hazard on rags
- Applied layers melt into each other; no witness lines
- If you screw up the application it can usually be reversed and fixed
(very handy for me personally)
- Easy to rub out
Shellac is a good material but I question some of your reasons
>
> - Looks pretty good
> - Builds and dries quickly
> - Can use different colors of shellac to alter the tone of the piece
> - Not as toxic as other finishes
While I am only adding to the controversy about food-safe finishes, all
finishes are said to be safe once cured. I am pesonally not quite convinced
of this, however.
> - Not as smelly as other finishes
> - Lower spontaneous combustion hazard on rags
Only curing oils like linseed are capable of spontaneous combustion.
> - Applied layers melt into each other; no witness lines
> - If you screw up the application it can usually be reversed and fixed
> (very handy for me personally)
Same here.
> - Easy to rub out
Unisaw A100 wrote:
>> I agree. If you can't hold your scotch then you might not
>> oughtta consider shellac.
>>
>> UA100
LOL I typed in "scotch" because I wasn't sure how to spell "liquor"
and "alcohol" is no laughing matter either. The strongest stuff around
here is chocolate syrup, but you knew what I meant anyway.
Josie
Nate Perkins wrote:
>> "firstjois" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:<[email protected]>...
>>> I'm not sure what the fuss in with shellac, it's not a strong
>>> finish and can be destroyed with the splash of good scotch, why
>>> not go to varnish which will leave a sturdy finish that might last
>>> as long as you?
>>
>> Here are a few reasons why I've recently been using it in some
>> applications:
>>
>> - Looks pretty good
>> - Builds and dries quickly
>> - Can use different colors of shellac to alter the tone of the piece
>> - Not as toxic as other finishes
>> - Not as smelly as other finishes
>> - Lower spontaneous combustion hazard on rags
>> - Applied layers melt into each other; no witness lines
>> - If you screw up the application it can usually be reversed and
>> fixed (very handy for me personally)
>> - Easy to rub out
Thanks, sounds good, may have to try using it again.
Josie
Haven't worked with shellac for a long time and posts in this newsgroup
group made me think I must have been doing something wrong 'cause I don't
remember it being that difficult. Probably doing something wrong! I also
used it on small projects which might have made it easy to use. I'd
forgotten its use as a barrier coat (thanks) and I've always loved the
smell - certainly better than some of the varnishes I've tried. And you are
right, maximum durability isn't needed for every project, shellac might
save time, too.
Thanks!
Josie
David wrote:
>> Have you ever worked with shellac? It's great as a barrier coat, it
>> doesn't have noxious fumes (I can't stand the odor of solvent based
>> polys), it looks great as a top coat, and YES it isn't as durable as
>> varnish, but you don't always need maximum durability for every
>> application.
>>
>> David
>>
>> firstjois wrote:
>>
>>> I'm not sure what the fuss in with shellac, it's not a strong
>>> finish and can be destroyed with the splash of good scotch, why
>>> not go to varnish which will leave a sturdy finish that might last
>>> as long as you?
>>>
>>> TIA,
>>> Josie
Have you ever worked with shellac? It's great as a barrier coat, it
doesn't have noxious fumes (I can't stand the odor of solvent based
polys), it looks great as a top coat, and YES it isn't as durable as
varnish, but you don't always need maximum durability for every
application.
David
firstjois wrote:
> I'm not sure what the fuss in with shellac, it's not a strong finish and
> can be destroyed with the splash of good scotch, why not go to varnish
> which will leave a sturdy finish that might last as long as you?
>
> TIA,
> Josie
"firstjois" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> Fair enough. How often to you go back and repair?
>
> Josie
Once that I can think of.
"firstjois" <[email protected]> wrote in news:B6qdnbx2vuV2zOPcRVn-
[email protected]:
<snip>
>
> Thanks, sounds good, may have to try using it again.
>
You know, you're not a _real_ wRecker, until you have at least _tried_
shellac. ;-)
Google some of the old threads, looking for posts by Paul Radanovic, or
O'Deen (or one of his handles). There is much to be learned there,
presented very simply.
Patriarch
oh, BTW, be sure to use the de-waxed type if you are using it as a
barrier coat, so that the topcoats won't have an adhesion problem.
David
firstjois wrote:
> Haven't worked with shellac for a long time and posts in this newsgroup
> group made me think I must have been doing something wrong 'cause I don't
> remember it being that difficult. Probably doing something wrong! I also
> used it on small projects which might have made it easy to use. I'd
> forgotten its use as a barrier coat (thanks) and I've always loved the
> smell - certainly better than some of the varnishes I've tried. And you are
> right, maximum durability isn't needed for every project, shellac might
> save time, too.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Josie
>
>
> David wrote:
>
>>>Have you ever worked with shellac? It's great as a barrier coat, it
>>>doesn't have noxious fumes (I can't stand the odor of solvent based
>>>polys), it looks great as a top coat, and YES it isn't as durable as
>>>varnish, but you don't always need maximum durability for every
>>>application.
>>>
>>>David
>>>
>>>firstjois wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I'm not sure what the fuss in with shellac, it's not a strong
>>>>finish and can be destroyed with the splash of good scotch, why
>>>>not go to varnish which will leave a sturdy finish that might last
>>>>as long as you?
>>>>
>>>>TIA,
>>>>Josie
>
>
>
Patrick Olguin wrote:
> "firstjois" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>> Unisaw A100 wrote:
>> >> I agree. If you can't hold your scotch then you might not
>> >> oughtta consider shellac.
>> >>
>> >> UA100
>>
>> LOL I typed in "scotch" because I wasn't sure how to spell
>> "liquor"
>> and "alcohol" is no laughing matter either. The strongest stuff around
>> here is chocolate syrup, but you knew what I meant anyway.
>
> Your kahlua milkshakes must be pretty tame. Actually, straight scotch
> isn't an effective solvent for shellac. Just ask anyone who's
> mistakenly tried to use rubbing alcohol (70% or 140 proof) as a
> solvent.
Don't know where you are but in the US "rubbing alcohol" is isopropanol, not
ethanol. Different solvent.
> Everclear, otoh, is quite effective if not really really expensive.
>
> Humbly submtted,
> O'Deen
>
> p.s. An alcohol-related non-sequiter... Even with a resale license you
> have to pay sales tax on denatured alcohol, if you're a woodworker
> using it as a solvent, because it all evaporates and is not part of
> the final product. Aren't those state boards of equalization a bunch
> of steenkers?
--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 18:26:09 -0400, "firstjois"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>and "alcohol" is no laughing matter either. The strongest stuff around
>here is chocolate syrup, but you knew what I meant anyway.
Hmmmm. Note-to-self: Do NOT attend any parties @ Josie's house...
hobby, hobbier...
Joe Wells wrote:
> On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 11:30:22 -0400, firstjois wrote:
>
>
>>I'm not sure what the fuss in with shellac, it's not a strong finish and
>>can be destroyed with the splash of good scotch, why not go to varnish
>>which will leave a sturdy finish that might last as long as you?
>
>
> Shellac is plenty strong for many applications and I'm not in the habit of
> dousing everything that I own with hard liquor.
>
> Actually, there are some benefits to using shellac that are attractive to
> me. One is that the solvent for shellac is simple denatured alcohol. That
> means that I can use it all I want in my basement shop without fuming the
> rest of the family out of the house. I also don't have to worry too much
> about what it's doing to my hands/eyes/lungs.
>
> Another is that I can buy shellac flakes that will keep for a loooong
> time, while I mix small batches as needed. I'm just a hobbiest and I'd
> probably end up throwing away alot of unused finish otherwise.
>
> Also, it's easy to repair (so I'm told). And it drys quickly, so multiple
> coats can be applied rather quickly.
>
> Varnish certainly has its place, but shellac is pretty nice stuff and I'm
> getting progressively better at applying it.
>
>> "firstjois" <[email protected]> wrote in
>> news:B6qdnbx2vuV2zOPcRVn- [email protected]:
>>
>> <snip>
>>>
>>> Thanks, sounds good, may have to try using it again.
>>>
>>
>> You know, you're not a _real_ wRecker, until you have at least _tried_
shellac. ;-)
>>
Tsk, Tsk, I was playing with shellac when you guys were still playing with
car engines. The effort went into re-finishing old furniture and replacing
shellac with shellac as possible. I'm now (after reading your replies)
suspecting that my level of expectation was a lot lower than yours!
>> Google some of the old threads, looking for posts by Paul Radanovic, or
O'Deen (or one of his handles). There is much to be learned there,
presented very simply.
>>
>> Patriarch
That's probably what I need to look at, thanks,
Josie
On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 11:30:22 -0400, firstjois wrote:
> I'm not sure what the fuss in with shellac, it's not a strong finish and
> can be destroyed with the splash of good scotch, why not go to varnish
> which will leave a sturdy finish that might last as long as you?
Shellac is plenty strong for many applications and I'm not in the habit of
dousing everything that I own with hard liquor.
Actually, there are some benefits to using shellac that are attractive to
me. One is that the solvent for shellac is simple denatured alcohol. That
means that I can use it all I want in my basement shop without fuming the
rest of the family out of the house. I also don't have to worry too much
about what it's doing to my hands/eyes/lungs.
Another is that I can buy shellac flakes that will keep for a loooong
time, while I mix small batches as needed. I'm just a hobbiest and I'd
probably end up throwing away alot of unused finish otherwise.
Also, it's easy to repair (so I'm told). And it drys quickly, so multiple
coats can be applied rather quickly.
Varnish certainly has its place, but shellac is pretty nice stuff and I'm
getting progressively better at applying it.
--
Joe Wells
Sun, Oct 24, 2004, 10:57am (EDT-1) [email protected] (Joe=A0Wells)
says:
<snip> One is that the solvent for shellac is simple denatured alcohol.
That means that I can use it all I want in my basement shop without
fuming the rest of the family out of the house. I also don't have to
worry too much about what it's doing to my hands/eyes/lungs. <snip>
Not tried it myself - yet, but heard you can use everclear too.
I'm thinking I'd rather have that around than denatured alcohol. And,
no, I don't drink hard liquor anymore - I'm just trying to get away from
some of the more toxic things.
JOAT
Eagles can soar ... but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 12:54:49 -0400, J T wrote:
> Sun, Oct 24, 2004, 10:57am (EDT-1) [email protected] (Joe Wells)
> says:
> <snip> One is that the solvent for shellac is simple denatured alcohol.
> That means that I can use it all I want in my basement shop without fuming
> the rest of the family out of the house. I also don't have to worry too
> much about what it's doing to my hands/eyes/lungs. <snip>
>
> Not tried it myself - yet, but heard you can use everclear too.
> I'm thinking I'd rather have that around than denatured alcohol. And, no,
> I don't drink hard liquor anymore - I'm just trying to get away from some
> of the more toxic things.
Well, I couldn't let that just slide by, so I Googled it. I found several
sources claiming the same, so it's probably worth a shot. I'd imagine that
grain alcohol will be more expensive as it's more heavily taxed, but the
trade off is obvious. Hmmm....
--
Joe Wells
On Sat, 06 Nov 2004 09:49:33 -0500, J. Clarke wrote:
>> Your kahlua milkshakes must be pretty tame. Actually, straight scotch
>> isn't an effective solvent for shellac. Just ask anyone who's
>> mistakenly tried to use rubbing alcohol (70% or 140 proof) as a
>> solvent.
>
> Don't know where you are but in the US "rubbing alcohol" is isopropanol, not
> ethanol. Different solvent.
Plus the 30% water shure don't help the shellac. OTOH, I found 70% iPrOH
to be a relatively inexpensive option for removing shellac from my hands,
gloves, and brush handles. Saves the good stuff for the shellac.
--
"Keep your ass behind you"
<< I found 70% iPrOH to be a relatively inexpensive option for removing
shellac from my hands, gloves, and brush handles >>
Haven't tried it, but IsoHeet gasoline additive is virtually all isopropanol.
Regular Heet is methanol, and probably not all that great as a shellac solvent.
Might be informative if one of the shallac users in this NG could report back
on the possibilities. This time of year both additives are in good supply and
rather inexpensive. HTH
Joe
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
>> "firstjois" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>>> I'm not sure what the fuss in with shellac, it's not a strong
>>> finish and can be destroyed with the splash of good scotch, why
>>> not go to varnish which will leave a sturdy finish that might last
>>> as long as you?
>>>
>>> TIA,
>>> Josie
>>>
>>
>> It looks nice, it is easily repaired if ever needed. Mostly, I like
>> the way it looks and don't need another reason.
Fair enough. How often to you go back and repair?
Josie