Aerosols for
the Wood Finishers Tool Box
We get a lot of questions on ‘why so many clears?’ —
The simple answer is that one finish cannot provide the various requirements of a specific use or give the desired look to a finishing schedule. Each aerosol product is formulated to provide a specific performance function or solution for the finisher.
In over 25 years the only complaints we have had about aerosols was when the craftsman was sold the wrong clear or toner to produce the desired result. In most cases fault the dealer for not asking how the product was to be used, or for not understanding their customer needs.
Selecting the Proper Aerosol for the specific job at hand will give the finisher the right tool to produce superior results.
We hope the ‘Aerosol Notes’ will help clarify uses and advantages of the various coatings.
Notes on:Aerosol Sanding sealers & Clear CoatingsAerosols & Finishes for the Luthier and Guitar BuilderAerosol Use Tips& More coming
We welcome your thoughts or questions –
Please: Email comments here
•••••
Buy the right Shellac Solvent for making your own shellac finish.
———————————-
A ‘denaturant’ is added to Ethanol Alcohol (a drinkable spirit) to make it unfit for consumption. The original denaturant was Methanol Alcohol. The term ‘methylated spirit’ is still sometimes used referring to Denatured Alcohol.
Unfortunately NOT all Denatured Alcohols are equal and there is no purity standard for ethanol content to be labeled “Denatured Alcohol”. High test, 190 proof (5% denaturents), Denatured Alcohol is preferred as a Shellac flake solvent.
It is next to impossible to find a 190 proof alcohol at the ‘big box’ home improvement or hardware stores. Many brands have as little as 50-60% Ethanol – and the balance cheaper alcohols and denaturing solvents.
Recently I went in search of high test Denatured. Out of ten paint, hardware and home improvement stores – only the local Sherwin Williams paint store had 190 Proof. The Material Safety Data Sheet will list the ingredient percentages of the product (most cans do not).
A 190 Proof Denatured is operator and earth ‘Green’ friendly.
Startex, Sunnyside and “Klean-Strip Green” are retail brands of 190 Proof Denatured Alcohol. If you can find one of these, or another 190 proof, buy your alcohol locally and save $ on shipping.
We ship quarts to avoid costly flammable shipping charges.
Available:
Select 190 proof Denatured Alcohol
Shellac Flake Solvent – excellent for padding and french polishing.
&
‘Behkol Alcohol’ (Denatured Alcohol) is formulated by BEHLEN specifically to dissolve shellac flakes and dilute or ‘cut’ liquid Shellacs. Behkol will make a shellac that has a little more open and working time.
More on: Denatured Alcohol – Shellac Solvents
This BEHLEN DVD is designed to teach you the most up-to-date wood finishing and repair methods in the industry.
Beginners in finish repair and the professional touch-up technician will find this a valuable tool for learning and reviewing the latest in furniture service procedures.
“Better than any book for the subjects covered!”
” It’s Packed with useful information we can use for our repairs”
Recommended for any wood finisher !
We are making this valuable resource available for; $9.95 + 4.95 postage.
To see: More DVD info & details
FYI
A word about:
SHELLAC — “Packing” or “Blocking”
Dewaxed shellac flake when exposed to high heat tends to “block” or pack together in small, or occasionally, large chunks or ‘blocks’.
NOTE: Blocking is Not detrimental to the shellac flake.
If you leave a pound dewaxed flake under the weight of other supplies in a closed car trunk on a hot summer day the result can be a SOLID brick. (I won’t do that again!)
• Avoid blocking; store shellac flake Sealed Against Moisture in a Cool Dry location (under 70°F). If the flake blocks, wrap larger chunks in cloth or thick plastic sheeting, to keep them from flying all over the room, and reduce them to a manageable size with a hammer or dead blow mallet.
We try our best (importing via AIR) to give you only the finest flake and to avoid blocking. We however have little control if product sits in a delivery van or air container on a hot day.
More Hints:
• Use a high-test denatured alcohol around 10 % denaturants or less. If the label does not say, the MSDS sheet for the brand will have the mixture percentages. A 190 Proof Denatured Alcohol has 5% denaturant.
• A warm environment will aid the alcohol in dissolving flake.
NEVER place alcohol or shellac on or near any source of heat.
• In a cooler room set the lidded bottle of dissolving shellac flake in a container of Hot (not boiling) water to aid in dissolving. You can pulverize buttons and flake in a coffee grinder or in a blender to speed dissolving.
• Strain the working shellac solution through layers of cloth to remove any particles of dirt or organic material.
• Evaluate flake color when in liquid, variation in flake thickness from production batches can make a thinner flake look lighter in tone. Slight seasonal variations do occur in a natural product but they will be within the laboratory acceptable color range.
• Blending Flake Colors or Tones
For repeatable results, inter mix or blend shellac colors only in liquid form.
Print friendly PDF version: Shellac Flake Care
•••
www.Shellac.net ••• Napa, CA
French Polishing –
French Polishing is the name given to the process
of coating wood with a solution of shellac
dissolved in alcohol, using a “rubber” made of rag
and cotton wool instead of with a brush. The
alcohol evaporates, leaving the shellac deposited
upon the wood. When applied correctly it
produces what is possibly the finest looking finish
for furniture. Shellac was first introduced into
Europe about the 16th Century, but the term
FRENCH POLISH was not used until about
1820, when the process was developed by a French
cabinet maker.
The 4 page PDF ‘Guide to French Polishing‘
Proper use of Light will Improve your Finishing
& enable you to really SEE what you are looking at.
Lighting for work and finish room areas, and its correct use, is important for obtaining high quality good looking finishes.
Lighting and Color
With translucent & clear furniture finishes light travels through all the finish layers and is reflected off the wood or substrate. The ‘Observed Finish Color’ is a combination of all the color tones in the various finish stain & dye layers combined with the wood color.
Finish Diagram of Clear or Translucent Furniture Finishes
Light travels through all the finish layers.
The Finish color is a combination of all
the colors in the various finish layers
combined with the wood color.
When studying a color we notice that its hue will vary depending on illumination and its surroundings. Illumination changes the color hue of an object due to the color available in the light source. Color is the product of wavelengths that are either absorbed or reflected by the surface of an object.
see: Color Theory and color mixing for the woodworker.
The hue appears to alter according to a colors surroundings. Our retina is affected by these wavelengths and the stimuli are communicated to the cortex, that part of the brain that enables us to distinguish one shade from another.
Light bulbs are available in:
1 – Warm white or soft white (2700-3600 °K)
2 – Cool white (3800 -4800°K )
3 – Daylight or Full Spectrum designations (5000°K) or higher.
The color spectrum output of a bulb is rated in Kelvin° color temperature (has nothing to do with the heat a bulb produces). Full Spectrum Daylight bulbs for incandescent and compact or linear fluorescent are available in a range of wattages and styles.
You need the entire color spectrum in your light source to evaluate or match stain and finish colors accurately. Full Spectrum Daylight Bulbs with a high CRI (color rendering index) are a must. Better daylight bulbs will list the CRI on the package, the higher the number the better. A CRI above 85 is good for shop use. Bulbs rated above 95 are expensive and are not needed for wood finishing.
The very best light for critical color matching work is natural daylight (out of direct sun glare).
SEE what you look at !
Proper use of lighting will automatically improve your finish quality.
When you can really see what is happening the finishing process is easier.
Now you have the right light to see color – Correct use will enable critical evaluation of the surface condition prior and during the finishing process.
Fluorescent lighting (Cool White or Daylight bulbs only) is fine for ambient lighting or general work area illumination. Avoid using warm white or soft white bulbs they bathe everything in a yellowish light. The shadow-less lighting produced by fluorescent bulbs tends to hide surface defects.
Inspection Lighting:
A shadow producing light source is necessary to see that a surface is free of any unwanted defects.
Use incandescent bulbs in a reflector for inspection lighting in:
1, surface prep areas (sanding, dying staining)
2, finishing areas
3, final rub-out, waxing or polishing.
Arrange inspection lighting so that the light is aimed at the work and toward the operator so that any defect is accentuated by the shadow or reflection it produces. When you can easily see: scratches from sanding, glue smears, minor dents, brush marks, finish drips, runs, curtains or sags, and polishing or rub out marks it will be much easier to achieve the desired, defect free, finish look.
•••••
New Product!
JETHWA Button
JETHWA is an early crop button produced of lac harvested from the Beri tree.
The tone of the Jethwa Shellac is slightly deeper (with a reddish cast) than the Kusmi #1 (Caramel Amber).
Jethwa is not as deep toned as the rich, Redish cast Brown, Kusmi #2 Button.