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I just made a 2lbs cut of seedlac. I dissolved it in Bekhol and let it sit for three days shaking it occasionally.
I gummed up four paint filters trying to filter a pint of this stuff.It still looks more like a suspension then a solution and seems as thick as a 4lbs cut of orange shellac.
I am doing a Georgian piece and thought the seedlac would be a good idea after watching the guys in the Williamsburg shop use it.
Do I use it like regular orange shellac? Can I french polish with it? Does it have similar working properties as orange shellac? Any advice here would be welcome.
Thanks
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With seedlac and other unrefined shellacs, I let the stuff sit for a couple days after mixing and then pour the clear liquid off the top. I'll use the residue for secondary coats on undersides and such. Then filter the clear liquid thru a medium mesh strainer
Jeff Jewitt
*Jeff,Thanks for your responses. I will try decanting it and get a copy of the video.ThanksFB
*I second Jeff Jewit's comment. The seedlac question was very timely, as last week I began finishing a mahogany chest of drawers I had colored first with potassium dichromate, planning to follow with seedlac. I mixed a 1 lb. cut and had the same problem with gumming up my filter. After a litle thought I found that just descanting (pouring off the top layer after the thick gummy residues settled to the bottom) was easier and quicker. I only waited a few hours between dissolving dry flakes and pouring off the supernatant.
*After you have mixed your seed-lac with alcohol and it has dissoloved, strain the mixture through several layers of cheesecloth. If you decant it off you are loosing the natural gums, resins and waxes that occur in seedlac.
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