Dominic Greco
Member
- Messages
- 149
- Location
- Bucks County PA
Hi gang,
I guess I should preface this with the fact that I have tended to use premixed shellac finishes and found them to be pretty nice. However, I got sick and tired of wasting half a quart when it gets all dry and hard from not using it. I was under the impression that buying shellac flakes and mixing it would allow me to make different cuts as well as only mix as much as I needed. I also wanted to try to make a wipe on version of this since I seem to have better luck with these kinds of finishes.
Now I went and bought the blond shellac flakes, denatured alcohol and have all the other stuff needed to mix it up. HOWEVER, as I stated in the beginning of the thread, I wanted to make a wipe on version. I have the article from FWW that tells of the proportions (cuts) to use. But I'm still a bit vague on the right cut to use. This is for a shop tool. I also want to use it to refinish some totes and knobs for hand planes.
I really only want to make approx 1 quart of shellac. So from the FWW article it says this:
"A 2-lb. cut of shellac is 2 lb. of shellac resin dissolved in a gallon of alcohol. A 5-lb. cut would be 5 lb. of resin dissolved in a gallon, etc. When mixing shellac from flakes or buttons, you can scale down the ratio of cut to make a suitable amount. For example, adding 2 oz. of flakes to 8 oz. of alcohol produces a half-pint of 2-lb.-cut shellac."
I'd like to make about 4 times that (4 half pints being equal to a quart) so does 8 oz of shellac flakes added to 24 oz of alcohol sound right?
And from what I've read, you mix the solution and then stir it after 30 minutes. After that you strain and you should be able to use. RIGHT?
I have also been informed that I could add more denatured alcohol to mixed shellac and make it a pad finish. Is there some kind of ratio for this?
As you can see, I've gots lots of questions because Ive never done this before!
I guess I should preface this with the fact that I have tended to use premixed shellac finishes and found them to be pretty nice. However, I got sick and tired of wasting half a quart when it gets all dry and hard from not using it. I was under the impression that buying shellac flakes and mixing it would allow me to make different cuts as well as only mix as much as I needed. I also wanted to try to make a wipe on version of this since I seem to have better luck with these kinds of finishes.
Now I went and bought the blond shellac flakes, denatured alcohol and have all the other stuff needed to mix it up. HOWEVER, as I stated in the beginning of the thread, I wanted to make a wipe on version. I have the article from FWW that tells of the proportions (cuts) to use. But I'm still a bit vague on the right cut to use. This is for a shop tool. I also want to use it to refinish some totes and knobs for hand planes.
I really only want to make approx 1 quart of shellac. So from the FWW article it says this:
"A 2-lb. cut of shellac is 2 lb. of shellac resin dissolved in a gallon of alcohol. A 5-lb. cut would be 5 lb. of resin dissolved in a gallon, etc. When mixing shellac from flakes or buttons, you can scale down the ratio of cut to make a suitable amount. For example, adding 2 oz. of flakes to 8 oz. of alcohol produces a half-pint of 2-lb.-cut shellac."
I'd like to make about 4 times that (4 half pints being equal to a quart) so does 8 oz of shellac flakes added to 24 oz of alcohol sound right?
And from what I've read, you mix the solution and then stir it after 30 minutes. After that you strain and you should be able to use. RIGHT?
I have also been informed that I could add more denatured alcohol to mixed shellac and make it a pad finish. Is there some kind of ratio for this?
As you can see, I've gots lots of questions because Ive never done this before!