Replies

1. 
   Gretchen_ | Aug 07, 2000 06:41pm | #1

   *
   For a really in depth exploration of the nature of various finishes I would recommend you get a copy of Bob Flexner's book Understanding Wood Finishes.

1. 
   Bob_Berner | Aug 08, 2000 04:08am | #2

   *Another good book is Jeff Jewitt's Hand Applied Finishes. They are both excelent sources of finishing fundamentals.Bob

1. 
   Drew_Nyman | Aug 08, 2000 12:19pm | #3

   *Varnish is oil based---Lacquer (nitrocellulose and buterate) are thinned with lacquer thinner---Shellac is thinned with alcohol. I'm not sure what information you seek but I concur with above suggestions.

1. 
   Pete_Vogel | Aug 11, 2000 06:30am | #4

   *Drew: Exactly the info I was looking for. Varnish is an oilbased product. Laquer sounds like its purely a man-made, chemical type of product and shellac sounds like it may be a natural product. When I read and hear about orange shellac flakes that you mix with whatever, is that "whatever" alcohol? And are the flakes a natural, earthly type byproduct or are they man-made? I know polyurethane is just that, a liquid plastic of sorts. When is shellac an appropriate finish. Which of all these gives the hardest finish?Thanks, Peter

1. 
   Bob_Berner | Aug 11, 2000 06:01pm | #5

   *Hi Pete, Drew gave you a very brief generalized answer to your question. He did about as good a job one could do without filling the screen with details. People write entire books to answer the question you posted. I would really suggest a trip to the library or a bookstore for the books mentioned in the above posts. There is way too much information to post in this type of forum. FWIW Varnishes are some type of resin, it could be any number of types - polyurethanes included, that are dissolved or suspended in a solvent or solvents, or not. Lacquer is also a man made material (polyester resin I think) from petroleum based products also, that is dissolved in an appriate solvent. When the solvent evaporates the resin can bond to itsef and form a film. Shellac is the excretion of some insects that is disolved in alcohol and then applied in any number of methods. The final use of the piece you are making and the look you are trying to achieve determines what kind of finish you should apply. I hope that this helps.Bob

2. 
   Gretchen_ | Aug 12, 2000 03:32am | #6

   *Hey, Pete, we can't read your mind here. What do you want to finish and what do you want it to look like? It sounds as if you don't really know, so do some homework and come back and ask a question folks can really help you with. Don't mean to be rude, BUT you haven't done anything to help out. It's a big world out there in finishing land.

3. 
   Drew_Nyman | Aug 13, 2000 12:28pm | #7

   *Pete; let me illustrate the potential complexities of your question. Modern "lacquer" (nitro or buterate) is man made. If you refer to the "lacquer" used in the far east 600 years ago. you are now dealing with a natural product which was built up over time then often was carved. Shellac and lacquer are both harder than varnish as far as I know. What are you trying to finish or are you just curious? Drew