This is a post in a series of 31 Days of Wood Finishing. See the intro post with all the topics here.
Shellac is one of my favorite finishes to use on wood. It creates a beautiful finish. I use it to french polish furniture, and for many of the touch ups that I do on wood pieces.
Shellac works very well with dyes, and powders to create a custom color. I use Bulls Eye de-waxed shellac for my touch ups. You can apply it with a brush, a lint free rag ( Old T shirt will work), or you can spray it.
You can fold up a rag into a ball to make a french polishing pad. I will get more into detail with this in another blog post this week. Also you can apply color with the shellac soaked rag, which is called hum bugging.
Where does Shellac come from? It comes from a bug! Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes, which are dissolved in alcohol to make liquid shellac. The alcohol that is used can be found at any hardware store, and goes by the name Denatured Alcohol. It is actually just poisoned alcohol to avoid the liquor tax. You could actually use Jack Daniels whiskey to create an interesting finish. Don’t ask me how I know 🙂
Shellac should be used for indoor furniture, or woodwork, and in the past has been used on floors. It is not a water proof finish, so it is not good to use on dining tables, or wood that may meet a lot of water.
A pro for me is that it is easily repairable if something goes wrong. For example, if I make a mistake while finishing, I don’t have to strip, and refinish the piece again. Also, the finish does not need sanding in between coats. It absorbs into the other coat. At the end I do smooth the finish with abrasives, or wax. Another pro is that it does not smell that bad. I still use a respirator, but it is not nearly as stinky as lacquer, or urethane. The dry time is very quick. You can complete a project the same day. It is also a natural finish, and is not a chemical concoction, so it is safer to use.
Zeke Willard
Thanks for the info on shellac! I love working with wood, especially refinishing finds from thrift stores.
You’re welcome! Thank you for reading. Sounds like a great hobby. I have fixed a few pieces from thrift stores, and goodwill. I usually resell them, but I have kept a few in my home.