Replies

1. 
   JohnWW | Mar 29, 2004 10:35pm | #1

   Shellac may or may not work as a sealer but the maple treated with oil doesn't need sealing, I'd skip any further finishing and just leave it alone.  If the shellac won't hold up as the final finish it probably won't be a good choice under another top coat. 

   I can't recall having read much about the heat resistance of finishes, but I would suggest using spar varnish, it is a flexible finish and can stand up to the temperatures of the sun outdoors so it will probably be alright for your application.

   Unless the foil insulation layer is several inches thick, and there is some way of preventing the hot air rising from the front vents from swirling over the top of the cabinet, you should presume that the top will also be subjected to high temperatures.

   John W. 

1. 
   tck | Mar 29, 2004 11:00pm | #2

   Thanks John, I was going after the look described by Jeff Jewitt in his article a few years ago in FWW on finishing curly maple. I've done it before and the curl just pops. I wanted something a little more than just the oil. But I know there's no way to prevent heat from swirling over the top of the cabinet. The spar varnish sounds like a good way to go.

2. 
   mike4244 | Mar 29, 2004 11:42pm | #3

   A lot of heat will make the shellac bubble. I doubt you will get that hot. Try shellac on a scrap , block it up off the radiator the same height as the inclosure. Use noncombustible block. After a week you will know if shellac is ok.

   mike

3. 
   Paul_Snyder | Mar 30, 2004 04:06am | #4

   Shellac is sensitive to temperature. It starts to melt at around 130 degrees. Varnish can withstand heat a lot better.

   Paul

1. 
   tck | Mar 30, 2004 03:19pm | #5

   Paul, That I understand. In that case, would what John W. said above about it not being good as a sealer under a varnish hold true, also? I would like to impart the coloring of the orange shellac as I feel my dye is a little cool ( I used Early American Maple) and I would like to warm it up a bit.