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I have been trying to pad shellac, with fair success. The problem I have most of the time is that the shellac seems to get sticky almost imediately. Should I put on a drop or two of oil? or perhaps not enough shellac in the pad? Any suggestions?
JR
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When padding shellac, you probably will get your best results with a 1 pound cut or even thinner -- that's one pound of shellac flakes to 1 gallon of alcohol, or 2 oz. to a pint. I find that fresh flake shellac pads better.
Shellac flashes (dries) real fast, so you can only go over a surface once, and then you have to let it dry for an hour or so before re-coating. If your pad is sticking, it's because you are gaing over your work too much, or else you're not waiting long enough between coats.
Oil is not necessary if you are just building finish. A few drops of oil on the pad or on the furniture do help in the last few coats when you are trying to build a polish.
*Michael,I should have mentioned it but I am using a 2lb. & I do mix my own fresh,I'll try thinning. I am mainly building finish, but willbe ready to polish soon. Yes I did try to go over it more than once. Thanks for the tips,JR
*You may need to dampen the pad with alcohol before you start and periodically as it dries.- Rod Cole
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