Replies

1. 
   Ronaway | Oct 27, 2006 03:44pm | #1

   Dan I changed over to waterbased lacquer a couple of years ago and have always used shellac as a sealer for this finishing system, in fact if you use garnet or dark garnet shellac it will give you a much warmer look to your finish than just the waterborne topcoat which can have a bit if a cool look if used without amber colorant added. I have used the Target waterborne coatings so you may want to run some samples to confirm that your material will work with the shellac.

   Ron

2. 
   AndyCharron1 | Oct 27, 2006 05:28pm | #2

   Two things to be sure of when using shellac under WB finish. First, use dewaxed shellac. Although you may not have a problem using shellac with wax in it under a WB finish, it is not worth taking the chance. Using dewaxed shellac eliminates any adhesion problems.

   Second, make sure the shellac is fresh. If the shellac has aged beyond its useful life, you will end up with a sticky, crackled mess.

1. 
   dan4545 | Oct 27, 2006 06:35pm | #3

   Thank you both for the replies,

   I'm not mixing my own batch, I bought some at the store, I figured I would test that out first.  It's supposed to be dewaxed.  As with anything else, I would think there are varying qualities of store bought shellac.  But you gotta trust a label at some point, if it says it's dewaxed I'm confident it is.  However, I don't know how old it is.  I'll test out the whole thing and see.  But it's nice to hear others use the method.

   Thanks again

   Dan

1. 
   Rich14 | Oct 27, 2006 07:34pm | #4

   Dan,It all depends on your definition of "depth." If you mean the amount of reflection in the surface of the finish, no, applying shellac as an undercoat will have no effect. The "depth" of the reflection has to do with the treatment of the surface, not the depth of the layers of finishing material beneath.However, if the wood has not been adequately prepared and sealed, the top coat may look poor. In that case several undercoats of shellac which are leveled with appropriate scuff sanding will improve the surface onto which the final finish is sprayed, resulting in improvement in that step. But the final reflectiveness of the finish depends on how it's rubbed out or how it dries if no rubbing is used.If by depth, you mean the character that shellac may add to the wood by differential staining of grain and wood fibers by its contained dyes, then, yes, using shellac will ad "depth."In any case, make sure the shellac film is perfectly smooth by sanding with a grit at least as fine as the final wood preparation or one grade finer.Rich

1. 
   dan4545 | Oct 27, 2006 07:40pm | #5

   Rich

   "If by depth, you mean the character that shellac may add to the wood by differential staining of grain and wood fibers by its contained dyes, then, yes, using shellac will ad "depth."

   Yep, that is what I meant.

   Thanks

   Dan

2. 
   HowardAcheson | Oct 27, 2006 09:23pm | #6

   >> It's supposed to be dewaxed.There is only one US maker of premixed shellac and it is Zinnser. Their only dewaxed product is SealCoat. http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=31Howie.........

1. 
   dan4545 | Oct 30, 2006 01:22pm | #7

   Thanks Howie,

   The bottle I bought is from a company up here in Canada, maybe they just get Zinsser's and repackage, although that's doubtful.  In any case I'll get in touch with them and ask.

   Dan

3. 
   rompus62 | Oct 31, 2006 04:35am | #8

   targetcoatings.com makes a water based shellac

1. 
   upstateBill | Oct 31, 2006 06:03pm | #9

   Can you put blo on than shellac than wb for depth or will the blo never dry enough?

1. 
   AndyCharron1 | Oct 31, 2006 06:23pm | #10

   If you want to use BLO it should go on first, before the shellac. Wipe on a really thin coat (don't soak it on and let it sit like you normally would). I mean a really, really thin coat. Wipe of any seepage and the let it dry for at least 2-3 days, longer if possible, before applying the shellac. Personally, I avoid BLO, even with a shellac barrier coat, under WB finishes. I've had problems in the past. For a finish like this, I prefer to use a faster drying oil like Watco.