Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Shellac takes a shellacing

Old reliable wood finish, shellac, is getting put out to pasture. Walmart no longer even carries it. Trusty local hardware store (Franconia Hardware, great place, they have everything) had a few cans on the shelf, but none were really fresh and the oldest can had been on the shelf since 2003. Shellac ages, and after some time (label on can says 3 years) it goes bad and won't dry, or changes color and looks funny.
I'm going to miss shellac. Its the second easiest to use wood finish (Minwax is the easiest) . Its much easier to get a good clear finish with shellac than with varnish, even the latest and greatest poly varnishes. It also makes a fine primer sealer, just thin it down with alcohol and it soaks right into the wood and makes the paint go on better. It dries fast so you could get the first coat on, dry, and recoated in a single day. It used to be cheaper than paint or varnish but that is no longer so. Both shellac and poly varnish are now about $10 a quart. Brushes clean up with alcohol followed by soap and water.
The only drawback to shellac is that it dissolves in alcohol, so a spilled drink will make a mark, and it isn't weatherproof, you cannot use it out of doors. But give it a coat of paste wax, and it is plenty good enough for indoor work. I have a desk chair I shellaced 40 years ago and the finish is still bright and clear.
There is probably some high tech replacement, but stuff comes and goes so fast I cannot keep up.

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