Shellac or varnish?

Roger Tulk

Member
Messages
3,018
Location
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
I have made and stained a very nice little bandsaw box for my DIL to have as a small keepsake box.

My two options for finish are Bullseye shellac or Varathane clear varnish. Is there any reason to prefer one over the other? Should I put a coat of wax on it after?

TIV
 
Shellac is a very nice finish, and underrated by a lot of folks. I think it would be quite nice on a keepsake box, dries fast and leaves no lingering odor on the inside (if you finish the inside) whereas varnish may be off-gassing pretty much forever (or at least for quite a while) on the inside. At least that's my opinion, and I wouldn't wax it either. The shellac has a nice look and feel all by itself.
 
...

Shellac is a harder finish and buffs out nicer.

I agree with your preference for shellac in this case. Multiple thin coats, rather than a thick coat. I agree that it can buff out very nicely. But it is one of the softest finishes I have used. It is subject to water and alcohol damage, but other than that will last "forever."
 
I use shellac followed by paste wax whenever possible. By possible I mean things that will not be exposed to a lot of abrasion or harsh chemicals. By abrasion I mean dinner tables, cocktail bars, door thresholds, etc. For example, I shellacked the bottom of my tablesaw sled years ago. I have refreshed the wax a few times but, despite 1000's of trips back and forth on the saw top, the shellac is fine. Dries fast, use a few very light coats as opposed to a heavy one. Dry about 30 minutes between coats. I sand with 400 between coats to remove any nibs. do NOT go back over an area where you have already applied during a single operation. This can leave ridges or "pull" the rapidly drying shellac.
 
Top