Need info on how to use shellac

Hello everyone. I wanted to ask some basic info on using shellac. I looked at some house blogs, and I really like the way the shellac looks on the woodwork. A lot of the wood in my house still has the shellac on it, and I would like to refinish it.

From what I read, it doesn't seem too complex to use. The only problem I have been having is where to find the tint/dye. I have gone into a few of the stores that sell shellac, but they do not sell the aniline dye stuff. Where can I find this stuff, or is there something better/similar I can use instead? Any info would be very helpful!

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Craig Phillips / B & C Emporium on June 30, 2009 at 11:14am

aniline dye would be only sold be specialty finish suppliers,

Constantine's Wood Center of Florida Inc.
1040 E. Oakland Park Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334,

here is a link to the aniline dye page
http://www.constantines.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Categ...

Craig Phillips
B & C Emporium
Original and Reproduction Hardware
Chair Caning, Lighting & Antiques
Allegan, Michigan
http://www.b-c-e.biz

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Martin on June 30, 2009 at 12:53pm

Great!!! Thank you very much! I have been looking everywhere. Anytime I asked someone where I could find some, they would look at me like I asked them to build me a rocketship.

Now all I need to do is read up on how to use the shellac and how to tint it right so I can get all the woodwork to match. thanks again!!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Craig Phillips / B & C Emporium on June 30, 2009 at 3:12pm

Shellac is a special finish, not many use it today so they are not used to it, and specialy if you are asking at HD Lowes or Menards they are not a real finish shop for special finishes, these are usually used by professional finishers,

there is a trick to brushing shellac, do it once and do not retouch, till it is dry, put on a couple of coats, scuff with sandpaper or steel wool, then tack rag, and give it one more smooth brushing,
just remember with each coat it will get darker.

Also remember denatured alcohal is very flammable

Craig Phillips
B & C Emporium
Original and reproduction hardware
for furniture and homes
chair caning and Antiques
http://www.b-c-e.biz

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Martin on June 30, 2009 at 3:19pm

Good to know information. If doing a floor, do I use clear poly over it to make it more resistant to normal wear? I don't think it would be necessary to use on the wood trim, since it isn't as prone to wear.

Yeah I figured that shellac isn't used too much now a days.. but I think it looks a lot better in an old house :)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Russ Savory on June 30, 2009 at 6:28pm

For your floors, it would be better to stain the wood or tone the poly to the desired color and apply it as the only floor finish. Shellac is not a durable finish for floors and is not usually used merely to tint wood.

If you apply poly over shellac you run the risk of cracking or alligatoring, which would create an enormous mess and require stripping. If you really want to try it, test in a small area first.

One other note, it's a little unusual to use a dye with shellac. There are different grades of shellac with different colors. I would buy a variety of them and see what you like best. That way you can just buy more of the same grade without fooling around with the dye.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Martin on June 30, 2009 at 9:47pm

The only shellac I have found was clear and amber... that is about it. I just read that you use dyes with shellac. I was planning on testing everything before applying it.

It is all good information though and I do appreciate it. I am still in the experimentation stage :)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Russ Savory on June 30, 2009 at 11:13pm

There's also seed lac, button lac, garnet flake, bysakhi button... and so on.

Check out www.shellac.net for info and good products.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by psychochix on January 29, 2010 at 12:44pm

I've had good luck using a product called TransTint with shellac. I've used it only on furniture, but I got the results I was looking for. I added it right to amber shellac. It took a bit of experimentation, but it worked for me.

Check out: http://www.joewoodworker.com/transtints.htm for all the details.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Martin on January 29, 2010 at 7:45pm

Thanks for the info! I bought some dye and I plan to try and mix it to clear and amber to see what happens. Never heard of transTint but I will check into it.

I am just going to use the shellac you can buy in lowes/home depot since it is easier to get and it is ready to go. I plan to start experimenting here soon.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ingalls DeMars Painting on February 4, 2010 at 3:23pm

I use shellac quite a bit, I would not put it on a floor or top it with poly. You will have failure. Your big box stores that carry gals. of shellac is not de-waxed. You can get Clear Coat that is de-waxed but it is a 2lb. cut. Good luck.

Permalink Reply by Brad Shipton on February 4, 2010 at 5:03pm

Shellac is a great wash coat for many applications, but it is not always the most durable. The most common reason people like it, is it leaves that "in the wood" look. Most of the times this is because it is a very very thin finish. Poly is normally pretty thick by the time you are done and I think it makes things look like plastic.

I used shellac on my window trim, but I know it will not hold up as well as poly. For a bit of added protection I applied a wax when I was done. Its been quite a few years now, and they still look great.

I wouldnt use shellac on my floors, but I know a fellow on the Fine Home Building site that swears by it on his floors and has convinced many others to try it out. He has a 140lb St. Bernard dog and he has told the storey many times how well it holds up to his dog. All of the professionals on that group normally speak out against this practice. I used Bona Traffic on my floors, but I admit they do look a bit like plastic. If I were doing it again, I would probably go with an oil flooring finish that requires just a bit more maintenance.

If you do any staining or plan on clear coats after applying shellac be careful to get dewaxed. Zinnser Seal Coat is a great de-waxed version and its one of the few that some of the big box stores carry. The nice thing about the Zinnser product is they have additives in this so it does not go bad after 6 months like other shellac.

The furniture wood finish wizard website has some good information on how to use shellac.

Brad