jj

04/08/2005 9:06 AM

Inconsistent Shellac Results on Maple

I am building a closet using Maple. I am new to woodworking and this is
my first project using Shellac. The color of the finished wood has come
out excellently (a dark yellow color). However on the last piece I am
making (a laundry bin) in one of the units, the cover (20" x 28") of
edge glued Maple - came out much lighter (pale yellow almost brown) ...
odd and ugly than the rest. I do not want to spend the time stripping
if it is the wood and/or buying and edge gluing etc... the wood if I
can finish it in some way. Has anyone had similar experiences

I have not stained the wood just sealed the Maple with Shellac. I did
however 1st use a wood conditioner on the Maple hardwood as I found
this ensured the color I received on the Maple was the same as the
color on the Maple plywood after applying the Shellac finish. The
shellac is Super Blonde Shellac from "Lee Valley" which was not cheap.
This is the flakes which I diluted with alcohol.


This topic has 8 replies

Ww

WillR

in reply to "[email protected]" on 04/08/2005 9:06 AM

05/08/2005 1:28 PM

Larry Jaques wrote:
> On Thu, 4 Aug 2005 21:28:05 -0400, the opaque "Norman D. Crow"
> <[email protected]> clearly wrote:
>=20
>=20
>>"Larry Jaques" <novalidaddress@di\/ersify.com> wrote in message=20
>=20
>=20
>>>Why does everybody and their brother think that perfectly good
>>>wood has to be discolored (stained)? <sigh>
>>
>>RBS, C-less?
>=20
>=20
> Ayup, the dreaded Reddish Brown Shit, Nahmie.=20
> As always, the question is
>=20
> W H Y ?
>=20
>=20

W H Y N O T ?

>=20
>=20
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> Heart Attacks: God's revenge for eating his little animal friends
> -- http://www.diversify.com Comprehensive Website Development --


--=20
Will R.
Jewel Boxes and Wood Art
http://woodwork.pmccl.com
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those=20
who have not got it.=94 George Bernard Shaw

jj

in reply to "[email protected]" on 04/08/2005 9:06 AM

04/08/2005 12:18 PM


>
> BTW, what's with the 'wood conditioner' on maple? Shouldn't be needed with
> shellac, in my (OK, not completely exhaustive) experience.
>
> Patriarch

Before I chose a finish (as I am new to this), I tested a few different
stains (did not like the color on maple) and finishes (oil, water based
and shellac). I put them on a piece of Maple and Maple hardwood to make
sure the color was the same. What I found when I just used the sealants
(which I felt looked really good on Maple) is that that the color on
the plywood was slightly darker - which for obvious erasons I did not
want to happen. If I put conditioner on the maple before I sealed it,
the color came out slightly darker and matched the plywood really well.

Thanks for the feedback on the wood. Makes sense - purchased the last
piece from a different source. !@#$$%!@#!. Doing this occasionally at
night for a little time - getting the piece ready to install took a
while.

LJ

Larry Jaques

in reply to "[email protected]" on 04/08/2005 9:06 AM

04/08/2005 5:35 PM

On 4 Aug 2005 12:18:54 -0700, the opaque "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> clearly wrote:

>
>>
>> BTW, what's with the 'wood conditioner' on maple? Shouldn't be needed with
>> shellac, in my (OK, not completely exhaustive) experience.
>>
>> Patriarch
>
>Before I chose a finish (as I am new to this), I tested a few different
>stains (did not like the color on maple) and finishes (oil, water based
>and shellac). I put them on a piece of Maple and Maple hardwood to make
>sure the color was the same. What I found when I just used the sealants
>(which I felt looked really good on Maple) is that that the color on
>the plywood was slightly darker - which for obvious erasons I did not
>want to happen. If I put conditioner on the maple before I sealed it,
>the color came out slightly darker and matched the plywood really well.

Why does everybody and their brother think that perfectly good
wood has to be discolored (stained)? <sigh>


>Thanks for the feedback on the wood. Makes sense - purchased the last
>piece from a different source. !@#$$%!@#!. Doing this occasionally at
>night for a little time - getting the piece ready to install took a
>while.

You'll also find that plywood and solid woods look slightly different.
Allow the slight differences between boards to become a feature in
your furniture rather than a detraction.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Heart Attacks: God's revenge for eating his little animal friends
-- http://www.diversify.com Comprehensive Website Development --

LJ

Larry Jaques

in reply to "[email protected]" on 04/08/2005 9:06 AM

05/08/2005 6:59 PM

On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 13:28:37 -0400, the opaque WillR
<[email protected]> clearly wrote:

>Larry Jaques wrote:
>> Ayup, the dreaded Reddish Brown Shit, Nahmie.
>> As always, the question is
>>
>> W H Y ?
>
> W H Y N O T ?


Because it's usually BUTT FUGLY.

Because it takes more time to apply.

Because it invariably goes on unevenly.

Because it costs more in the long run.

Because it takes more of your time to accomplish (poorly.)

Because it never looks like the real wood after
all that hassle and frustration.

Because some people have a little bit of TASTE.

Izzat enough for you?


--------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, the term "Homo Sapiens" is a goal, not a description.
----
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Pg

Patriarch

in reply to "[email protected]" on 04/08/2005 9:06 AM

04/08/2005 2:02 PM

Tim Douglass <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> On 4 Aug 2005 09:06:46 -0700, "[email protected]"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I am building a closet using Maple. I am new to woodworking and this
>>is my first project using Shellac. The color of the finished wood has
>>come out excellently (a dark yellow color). However on the last piece
>>I am making (a laundry bin) in one of the units, the cover (20" x 28")
>>of edge glued Maple - came out much lighter (pale yellow almost brown)
>>... odd and ugly than the rest. I do not want to spend the time
>>stripping if it is the wood and/or buying and edge gluing etc... the
>>wood if I can finish it in some way. Has anyone had similar
>>experiences
>
> It sounds to me a bit like you may have a different variety of maple
> for that piece. Is there any possibility that you got soft maple for
> that and hard maple for the rest?
>

I think Tim may be on to something here. There are dozens of varieties of
maples in commercial production in North America, and they all behave
slightly differently. I'm doing a bathroom vanity, and, to make certain
that the colors match, all the drawer fronts are cut from the same board.
And I got one big, honking plank of rough 12/4 to do a pair of chairs, so I
have a better chance of matching color & grain.

BTW, what's with the 'wood conditioner' on maple? Shouldn't be needed with
shellac, in my (OK, not completely exhaustive) experience.

Patriarch

ND

"Norman D. Crow"

in reply to "[email protected]" on 04/08/2005 9:06 AM

04/08/2005 9:28 PM


"Larry Jaques" <novalidaddress@di\/ersify.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 4 Aug 2005 12:18:54 -0700, the opaque "[email protected]"
> <[email protected]> clearly wrote:
>
>>
>>>
>>> BTW, what's with the 'wood conditioner' on maple? Shouldn't be needed
>>> with
>>> shellac, in my (OK, not completely exhaustive) experience.
>>>
>>> Patriarch
>>
>>Before I chose a finish (as I am new to this), I tested a few different
>>stains (did not like the color on maple) and finishes (oil, water based
>>and shellac). I put them on a piece of Maple and Maple hardwood to make
>>sure the color was the same. What I found when I just used the sealants
>>(which I felt looked really good on Maple) is that that the color on
>>the plywood was slightly darker - which for obvious erasons I did not
>>want to happen. If I put conditioner on the maple before I sealed it,
>>the color came out slightly darker and matched the plywood really well.
>
> Why does everybody and their brother think that perfectly good
> wood has to be discolored (stained)? <sigh>
>

RBS, C-less?

--
Nahmie
The greatest headaches are those we cause ourselves.

TD

Tim Douglass

in reply to "[email protected]" on 04/08/2005 9:06 AM

04/08/2005 10:45 AM

On 4 Aug 2005 09:06:46 -0700, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I am building a closet using Maple. I am new to woodworking and this is
>my first project using Shellac. The color of the finished wood has come
>out excellently (a dark yellow color). However on the last piece I am
>making (a laundry bin) in one of the units, the cover (20" x 28") of
>edge glued Maple - came out much lighter (pale yellow almost brown) ...
>odd and ugly than the rest. I do not want to spend the time stripping
>if it is the wood and/or buying and edge gluing etc... the wood if I
>can finish it in some way. Has anyone had similar experiences

It sounds to me a bit like you may have a different variety of maple
for that piece. Is there any possibility that you got soft maple for
that and hard maple for the rest?

--
"We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

LJ

Larry Jaques

in reply to "[email protected]" on 04/08/2005 9:06 AM

05/08/2005 5:44 AM

On Thu, 4 Aug 2005 21:28:05 -0400, the opaque "Norman D. Crow"
<[email protected]> clearly wrote:

>"Larry Jaques" <novalidaddress@di\/ersify.com> wrote in message

>> Why does everybody and their brother think that perfectly good
>> wood has to be discolored (stained)? <sigh>
>
>RBS, C-less?

Ayup, the dreaded Reddish Brown Shit, Nahmie.
As always, the question is

W H Y ?




- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Heart Attacks: God's revenge for eating his little animal friends
-- http://www.diversify.com Comprehensive Website Development --


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