I have an old (about 90 yrs) dresser that I am repairing - the finish
was a badly alligatored shellac, which I have disolved off with Methyl
Hydrate. There is still some of the "stain" left and the wood is still
sealed, but it needs to have a durable finish and could stand to be
darkened a bit to make it look more "original"
What kind of finish should I use that is compatible with the shellac
and that would give the same kind of colour as the, what I suspect
was, orange shellac?
Can a wipe-on poly be used?
On Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:34:53 -0800 (PST), Old Guy <walt2@q.com> wrote:
>Think seriously about shellac.
>
>It's fairly easy to apply, but read up on it and practice a bit. It
>does NOT go on like poly or paint. Do thin it a bit out of the can,
>makes it easier to use.
>
>But with multiple coats and some sanding, you can control the gloss
>you get. And it dries really quickly before dust can settle in.
>
>Several coats in a day.
>
>I sand the semi final coat with 400 grit, and then polish the final
>coat with wax applied with steel wool. (I use synthetic.)
>
>The feel of the finish is voluptuous!!!
>
>Old Guy
>
>
>
>On Nov 15, 2:16Â pm, cl...@snyder.on.ca wrote:
>> I have an old (about 90 yrs) dresser that I am repairing - the finish
>> was a badly alligatored shellac, which I have disolved off with Methyl
>> Hydrate. There is still some of the "stain" left and the wood is still
>> sealed, but it needs to have a durable finish and could stand to be
>> darkened a bit to make it look more "original"
>>
>> What kind of finish should I use that is compatible with the shellac
>> and that would give the same kind of colour as the, what I suspect
>> was, orange shellac?
>>
>> Can a wipe-on poly be used?
I know shellac is the ultimate finish for this application EXCEPT
there is a possibility it will get wet, or worse yet, get alcohol on
it in the future.
SHellac does not like that.
I'd rather NOT use poly though - thinking of some kind of old-school
varnish or a polymerized oil???
<clare@snyder.on.ca> wrote in message
> SHellac does not like that.
> I'd rather NOT use poly though - thinking of some kind of old-school
> varnish or a polymerized oil???
Poly can be made to look very nice though. After the final coat, let it
cure for 2 weeks. Wet sand with 600 grit, then pumice, then rottenstone,
then wax. You'll be amazed.
clare@snyder.on.ca wrote:
... snip
>>
>>
>>On Nov 15, 2:16Â pm, cl...@snyder.on.ca wrote:
>>> I have an old (about 90 yrs) dresser that I am repairing - the finish
>>> was a badly alligatored shellac, which I have disolved off with Methyl
>>> Hydrate. There is still some of the "stain" left and the wood is still
>>> sealed, but it needs to have a durable finish and could stand to be
>>> darkened a bit to make it look more "original"
>>>
>>> What kind of finish should I use that is compatible with the shellac
>>> and that would give the same kind of colour as the, what I suspect
>>> was, orange shellac?
>>>
>>> Can a wipe-on poly be used?
>
>
> I know shellac is the ultimate finish for this application EXCEPT
> there is a possibility it will get wet, or worse yet, get alcohol on
> it in the future.
>
> SHellac does not like that.
> I'd rather NOT use poly though - thinking of some kind of old-school
> varnish or a polymerized oil???
Polymerized tung oil may be a good option. Somewhat finicky to apply
(especially in dry climates), but nice finish. I've used Moser's from
Woodworker's Supply, but other sources are available as well. You might be
able to tint the base coat to get similar toning as you might get from
orange shellac.
--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough
Think seriously about shellac.
It's fairly easy to apply, but read up on it and practice a bit. It
does NOT go on like poly or paint. Do thin it a bit out of the can,
makes it easier to use.
But with multiple coats and some sanding, you can control the gloss
you get. And it dries really quickly before dust can settle in.
Several coats in a day.
I sand the semi final coat with 400 grit, and then polish the final
coat with wax applied with steel wool. (I use synthetic.)
The feel of the finish is voluptuous!!!
Old Guy
On Nov 15, 2:16=A0pm, cl...@snyder.on.ca wrote:
> I have an old (about 90 yrs) dresser that I am repairing - the finish
> was a badly alligatored shellac, which I have disolved off with Methyl
> Hydrate. There is still some of the "stain" left and the wood is still
> sealed, but it needs to have a durable finish and could stand to be
> darkened a bit to make it look more "original"
>
> What kind of finish should I use that is compatible with the shellac
> and that would give the same kind of colour as the, what I suspect
> was, orange shellac?
>
> Can a wipe-on poly be used?
clare@snyder.on.ca wrote:
> I have an old (about 90 yrs) dresser that I am repairing - the finish
> was a badly alligatored shellac, which I have disolved off with Methyl
> Hydrate. There is still some of the "stain" left and the wood is still
> sealed, but it needs to have a durable finish and could stand to be
> darkened a bit to make it look more "original"
>
> What kind of finish should I use that is compatible with the shellac
> and that would give the same kind of colour as the, what I suspect
> was, orange shellac?
Dewaxed shellac is used as a barrier coat between finishes that are
normally incompatible. Since you stripped the piece using methyl
hydrate, if the original shellac did contain wax you've most likely
removed any trace of the wax.
As the original finish was alligatored there is a possibility that some
type of furniture polish containing silicone may have penetrated the
wood. This could cause "fish eye". To avoid any problems I suggest
applying a coat of dewaxed shellac first. You than can apply any type
of film finish you desire over the dewaxed shellac.
>
> Can a wipe-on poly be used?
Yes.
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
novasys@verizon.net