I am going to be finishing a walnut dining room table. I just read the article “Finishing Walnut” FWW #176. He says that after you blend the sapwood with hartwood, seal the surface with shelac before moving on to the glaze. For a dining room table I want to have a poly finish for heat protection. So if I color, shelac, glaze, then poly, will the shelac breakdown and ruin the finish? Can just do away with the shelac, and if so will I encounter problems with the second coloring (as it wouldn’t be a glaze without the shelac)?
Are there any other options?
I would just leave the sapwood as is, but the client doesn’t want this.
Replies
Whatever schedule you decide upon, consider making some test panels first, running through all the steps. Test panels won't indicate longevity, but will identify most if all incompatibilities. You can always "test drive" the sample board with hot casserole dishes to see how the product survives.
In general, shellac is a fairly universal tie coat as long as it's dewaxed - just about everything sticks to shellac and vice versa. A thick intermediate layer of shellac may cause problems, but many people use a thin coat of shellac to seal each coloring step. And many people feel orange shellac greatly enhances the look of steamed walnut, if that is what you might be using.
Personally, I trim off the sapwood. The customer feels the product is better, and there's no need to blend sap and heart.
Hot mug
I realize that you can't put a hot turkey right from the oven on the table top. The heat protection is for coffee mugs, etc...
DT
Shellac will not break down and ruin your finish.
Allow enough drying time between steps -
Use fresh products -
SA
Shellac undercoat
Shellac will be fine as a seal coat. In cact, if you want a very nice level finish without any murkyness,you can apply multiple layers of shellac and knock each back with light wet sanding. In about five or six coats your finish will be filled. You can then use poly if you must, but there are far better varnishes for your purpose. One superb one (although it has an amber cast) is Behlens Rock Hard. It is VERY tough after it cures.
I have just that schedule, plus a bit of tinting, on kitchen countertops that have now been in place for a year and a half. Heavy use and cleaning chemicals have not phased it. Really hot stuff has caused me to make a few repairs. I protect against an heat that is uncomfortable for my hand or that will be in place for more than a few minutes.
Joe
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled