Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Jun 22, 2007 01:25am | #1

   1 lb. cut or 2 lb. cut are just thinned versions of the same product so you only have to add the alcohol to try out those permutations.  I'm not too sure you will get what you are looking for.  The very thin shellac might not show areas of excess shine, but the price for that will be having no shine, though you would still get the color popping. 

1. 
   omni | Jun 22, 2007 09:18pm | #3

   Steve,thank you for the reply,I will give it a try soon.  OMNI

2. 
   Gretchen | Jun 22, 2007 03:35pm | #2

   Maybe spraying will be more certain in the long run. SAtin varnish

   Gretchen
1. 
   omni | Jun 22, 2007 09:24pm | #4

   Gretchen, thank you for the reply,spraying is not an option that I want to consider because it takes to much time for many reasons and also the dry time is too slow for what I need to do.Your info is appreciated!  OMNI

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 23, 2007 03:58am | #9

   Omni, I'm sure you're startin' to feel a bit beat up over this spray thing, but I'm adding my voice to those who urge you to try it!  I did a project a couple years ago that involved "mini-frame".  I bought this Wagner HVLP unit for around $89.  Can't remember exactly which product I sprayed, it might have been a lacquer, but it went on great and dried really, really fast.

   Other than that, the only thing I've tried dipping is with Minwax, some kind of one-step thing that combined stain and finish.  It was for Christmas ornaments, worked pretty well.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   omni | Jun 24, 2007 06:43am | #18

   Forestgirl,

                    Thank you for your reply,as I have stated before,spraying is the last resort.I need a fast solution to popping out the color of the wood.Because of my experience,Minwax products would be the last thig that I would try.Thank you for your suggestion.  OMNI

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 24, 2007 06:53pm | #23

   Given the details you're describing, seems like shellac is the answer.  Did you ever try your idea of a 1 lb. cut?  Something between that and a 2# cut might work.  You mentioned glossy and dull areas.  What kind of wood are you using??  That's an important factor possibly.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

2. 
   omni | Jun 24, 2007 10:39pm | #24

   Forsetgirl,

                    No,I have not tried the reduced cut yet,maybe sometime this week.The woods that I'm currently using are Makore and Sepele.I like the makore better because of the color,they both have the same grain,hardness,and machining characteristics.I'm also going to try some "Alowood" (rosewood & ebony),because the cost is about 33% less.Thank you for your reply.   OMNI

2. 
   Gretchen | Jun 23, 2007 05:15pm | #11

   I don't know how the dry time could be too slow.Gretchen

1. 
   omni | Jun 24, 2007 07:05am | #20

   Grechen,

                     Thanks for the reply,varinsh dries to slow for what I'm trying to do.I can not use  varinsh,poly,oil,ect. for this particular situtition.Thanks,  OMNI

3. 
   Kevin | Jun 23, 2007 07:31pm | #12

   I think you have it backwards, Omni.

   Dipping or spraying the exact same material on anything porous (like wood) is going to dry slower with the dipping method because the liquid is going to soak in more into the porous material, and the deeper or more thoroughly the material soaks in, the longer it's going to take for the outside surface to dry. 

1. 
   omni | Jun 24, 2007 07:13am | #21

   Kevin,

             I agree with you about spraying vs dipping,but I must go with dipping becauce of the reasons that I have stated earler.Thanks,   OMNI

3. 
   sawdustfactory | Jun 22, 2007 10:36pm | #5

   omni:

   I know you said you would rather not spray, but have you considered spraying lacquer? It dries very fast, and is available in sheens from dead flat to high gloss. Just a thought...

1. 
   woodwish | Jun 22, 2007 11:04pm | #7

   To be honest I think you could spray a lacquer with better results and less clean-up than you could dip for a product like this.  I once got talked into making several hundred wood plaques and experimented with dipping, turned out to be a major waste of time and never was happy with results.  Cut some 2x4 that would hold 10 at a time.  I could spray 10, set aside, spray another set of 10, turn the first 10 over and spray the back, set aside, spray another 10, turn over 2nd set and spray back, etc.  Talked my daughter into turning them over while I sprayed.  We did maybe 300 in a couple of hours with minimal cleanup.

1. 
   omni | Jun 24, 2007 06:25am | #16

   Woodwish,

                       Thank you for your suggestion.   OMNI

2. 
   omni | Jun 24, 2007 06:16am | #14

   sawdustfactory,

   Thank you for the reply,I have had alot of experience with lacquer but still do not want to spray because of the set-up,handling time and cleaning time required.In a dip process you load the rack,dip,and then your're done.I need a one step process to be able to handle it in 30 mimutes or less in able to ship.I'm currently doing 100 units a week in a test marketing situtation with the possibility of doing 100--300 a day.All that I'm trying to do is to bring out the color of the wood,it doesn't need to be a furniture quality topcoat.If the shellac process doesn't work or if I don't get a suggestion for a different product,then maybe I'll be forced to go to lacquer.Thank you for your suggestion.   OMNI

4. 
   user-83153 | Jun 22, 2007 11:03pm | #6

   Dip them twice in the shellac and you should have a uniform sheen. If the shellac is fresh it will dry so fast that you can dip them again in 10 or 15 minutes.

1. 
   omni | Jun 24, 2007 06:19am | #15

   Rob A,

             Thank you for your reply,I will give it a try.Thanks, OMNI

5. 
   byhammerandhand | Jun 23, 2007 03:50am | #8

   Just another option (not that I disagree with any of the above). A shaker box maker from Berea, KY, used to dip his boxes in Danish Oil, set them concave side down on hardware cloth and let them drip back into a pan where it recycled back to the dip bucket. One would think the pan and bucket would get thick and sticky after short order, but that's what he did.

1. 
   omni | Jun 24, 2007 06:29am | #17

   Hammerandhand,

                               Thank you for your reply, oil dries to slow for what I need to accomplish,Thanks,  OMNI

6. 
   BruceT999 | Jun 23, 2007 08:37am | #10

   The problem with dipping, as you have found out, is that you cannot control film thickness; the top corner, where you hang it, will be thinner than bottom. That's what is causing your difference in sheen with the shellac.

   If the appearance of the back is not critical, you could make holders with two parallel wires about 30" long that you would lay 4 frames across to gang-dip them, then hang the rack up to dry and dip another rack of frames. Use the thinnest cut of shellac that provides a decent dry film and expect to have to soak the appliances periodically in alcohol to dissolve the build-up off the wires. You can use the clean-up alcohol as diluent in the batch tank as you replenish it.

   You're probably already aware of this, but be sure you have plenty of ventilation flowing through or you'll get drunk in a hurry just breathing the fumes. Put furnace filters on the incoming air opening to control dust. Also, make sure not to work too close to any sources of ignition, like water heater or furnace pilot lights/burners.

   Good luck

   BruceT

   Edited 6/23/2007 1:39 am ET by BruceT999

   
   

   ---

   Edited 6/23/2007 1:40 am ET by BruceT999

1. 
   omni | Jun 24, 2007 06:57am | #19

   Bruce T999,

                       Thank you for your reply,I'm with you on the gravity thing,and I'm considering doing a rotiserie type of drying rack to solve that problem.Thanks,  OMNI

7. 
   jvk | Jun 23, 2007 08:22pm | #13

   I make pic frames all the time for my wifes stained glass.  I buy canned spray lacquer at HD.   Easy, quick drying, 2 coats.

   trimjim
1. 
   omni | Jun 24, 2007 07:20am | #22

   JVK,

          Thank you for the reply,this is a production situation and a canned  product is not an option because of cost.Thanks,    OMNI