Notes – Shellac.net – Wood Finish Supply Notes

French Polishing

Nov 012022

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‘

Common Shellac Myths

New Additions Comments Off

Apr 182021

Common Shellac Myths

From The:
Zinsser booklet revised 2004, first published in1913 and reprinted seventeen times throughout the years.

Myth:
Shellac is made from bugs or bug droppings.

FACT:
Shellac is a resin secreted by the lac insect
to form a cocoon, much like a silk worm.
It takes about 100,000 lac bugs to make
1 lb. of shellac resin.

Myth:
A shellac finish turns white
when water touches it.

FACT:
Fresh shellac is remarkably water-resistant
and, in most cases, will stay clear after hours
of exposure to water, making it a great finish
for most interior surfaces, including woodwork, trim,
doors, cabinets, paneling, floors (yes, floors!) and furniture.

Myth:
Shellac scratches easily and is very brittle.

FACT:
Shellac is a durable finish that is much less brittle than lacquer and does not scratch as easily. Unlike polyurethane, a damaged shellac finish can be easily touched up or renewed by applying another coat.

Myth:
Shellac turns an ugly dark color as it ages.

FACT:
Shellac is UV-resistant and does not yellow or darken with age. The dark shellac that people see in older homes is a less-refined version of shellac that either was naturally dark or was tinted by contractors when dark wood colors were preferred in the early 20th century.

Myth:
Shellac is incompatible with other finishes.

FACT:
Shellac will adhere tenaciously when applied over almost any other type of finish. When used as a sealer under certain polyurethanes, regular shellac may not be compatible because it contains a small amount of natural wax. To seal wood before applying polyurethane and other finishes, Zinsser developed Bulls Eye^®SealCoat™ a shellac-base universal sealer that is 100% wax-free.

Myth:
Shellac is an old-fashioned, outdated finish.

FACT:
Shellac has more modern features and benefits
than any other wood finish in the world.

See: Shellac Variety Listing

Shellac.net Wood Finish Supply • MeritIndustries.com
Authorized Mohawk Distributor

CARE of AEROSOLS

MERIT Industries, Mohawk Finish Products, Mohawk Finishing Materials, New Additions, Product Data Sheets, Wood Finishing Tricks Comments Off

Jun 302019

^{Aerosol Musts}Please Read: Get Top Results from your Aerosols

Storage for use: 65° F – 85° F. – Store Out of the direct sun.

Shake Well before each use.

To Understand How Important shaking and clearing the tube is

For New Cans:
Shake Well 2 Minutes: especially Colored lacquers, Stains, Glazes,
Clear Aerosols; Semi-Gloss, Satin, Matt, Flatt, Dead Flatt

Lighting for Wood Finishing

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Mar 272019

Proper use of Light will Improve your Finish

& enable you to really SEE what you are looking at.

Lighting for shop 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.

•••••
This page & all contents Copyright © 1995-2020, Ron Ashby & Shellac.net Wood Finish Supply.
All rights reserved – (may be used in complete form with credit line above)

DVD de retoque y reparación de madera

Mohawk Finish Products, Mohawk Finishing Materials, New Additions, Wood Finishing Tricks Comments Off

Mar 092019

DVD de retoque y reparación de madera
Wood Touch Up & Repair DVD – SPANISH

El sistema de entrenamiento iteractivo de
Mohawk está diseñado para entrenarlo a Ud.
a hacer retoques y arreglos sobre productos
de madera haciendo uso de las técnicas más
avanzadas que existen al respecto en esta industria.
Este video interactivo incluye instrucciones
sobre las siguientes áreas:
• El análisis del daño • El relleno de los daños
• El reemplazo de colores • El reemplazo de las vetas
• La aplicación por puntos de um acabado
• El ajuste del brillo • La eliminación de rayas
• El cuidado del acabado • …Y muchas más
“Este es un excelente DVD para el aprendizaje de reparaciones de acabado de madera”

Comprar el DVD

7 Questions about Shellac for Wood Finishing

Product Data Sheets, Shellac Flakes, Wood Finishing Tricks Comments Off

Dec 212018

1 – Q: Shellac is an old-fashioned, outdated finish.

A: No, Shellac is all natural, organic, child safe. Shellac has more modern features
and ‘green’ benefits than any other wood finish in the world.

2 – Q: Shellac turns ugly and dark as it ages.

A: Shellac is naturally UV-resistant and does not yellow or darken with age.
The dark shellac seen in older homes is a less-refined version that was naturally dark,
or was tinted by finishers when dark wood colors were popular in the early 20th century.

3 – Q: Is shellac made from bugs or bug droppings?

A: No, Shellac is a resin secreted from the tree sap by the lac insect to form a cocoon,
much like a silk worm. It takes about 100,000 lac bugs to make 1 lb. of shellac resin.

4 – Q: Does a shellac finish turn white when water touches it?

A: A properly applied shellac finish is remarkably water-resistant and, in most cases, will stay clear after hours of exposure to water, making it a great finish for most interior surfaces, including woodwork, trim, doors, cabinets, paneling, furniture, and for floors, Button Shellac (yes, floors!)

5 – Q: Is Shellac brittle or easily scratched?

A: Shellac is a tough, durable finish that is less brittle than lacquer and is not easily scratched. The process of making Button shellac yields a tougher resin. Unlike polyurethanes, a damaged shellac finish can be easily touched up or renewed
by brushing on another thin coat.

6 – Q: Is Shellac compatible with other finishes?

A: Shellac will adhere tenaciously when applied over almost any other type of clean,
wax free, and oil free finish.
(To assure a clean surface, especially on older grimy surfaces, use a wood cleaner like
Mohawk Wax Wash, to avoid possible stains or damage from water based cleaners.)

To seal wood before applying polyurethane or other finishes,
Bulls Eye® SealCoat™ is a shellac-based universal sanding sealer that is 100% wax-free.

For refurbishing a worn finish, a SealCoat makes an excellent transitional coating or bonding coat between an unknown coating and a new topcoat.
Note: (Regular shellac may not be compatible as a sealer under certain polyurethanes, as they contain small amounts of natural wax.)

7 – Q: Can I make a Shellac SealCoat?

A: Yes a ‘SealCoat’ is a DEWAXED Shellac Resin dissolved in
Mohawk Shellac Reducer / Behkol or a 190 Proof Denatured Alcohol.
With a wide color variety of Dewaxed Shellac Flakes, you can make your own
universal sanding sealer in a range of light to deep tones to match your project.

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