Slower solvents for shellac??

[kooshball]

My wide (61") walnut dresser project is coming along well now that my bench is finished and I can concentrate on the drawer construction. I will be finishing it with a TBD blend of orange and patina dewaxed shellac to give it a little warming boost.

The top is large and denatured alcohol evaporates very quickly; what other solvents can I use to slow down the evaporation rate so that I don't make a mess of things on this large surface?

 

[Bill Clemmons]

David, I don't know about other solvents, but do you have the ability to spray the shellac? On large pieces like that I can spray a 1# cut every 4 or 5 minutes. Just keep layering it up w/ thin coats. It certainly eliminates the brush marks.

HTH

Bill

 

[Howard Acheson]

I'm afraid you can expect trouble if you attempt to use shellac on a surface that large unless you can spray it. The darker the shellac, the more problematic the even coloring will be. Even using a slower alcohol will not all much more time for coating. Keeping any type of wet edge will be very difficult. Brushing is the poorest way to apply shellac.

 

[kooshball]

I am sure that I could make provisions for spraying but I am not currently setup to do so. I have some experience with airless sprayers so the concept is not foreign.

Out of curiosity, what would the largest area be that could safely be brushed with shellac (my largest drawer face is 10" x 29")?

Thanks

 

[Howard Acheson]

>>>> (my largest drawer face is 10" x 29")

That is not too big as long as you know how best to apply shellac.

Here is some excellent info about using shellac. Follow the additional links at the bottom of the article.

http://www.hardwoodlumberandmore.co.../75/ArticleId/12/Introduction-to-Shellac.aspx

Never use a new finish or finishing process on a real project until you have learned or tested it out on scrap from your project.

 

[Guy in Paradise]

A couple of solutions

Shellac drying can be slowed by adding drying slowing agents. I do notice big differences depending on the temperature and the humidity. Fortunately, my location tends to have high humidity, which is good for shellac applications, but bad for others.

A pure shellac finish may not be the best top finish for a dresser. I have done several pieces with orange shellac that provided a nice coloring in the base finish and then finished over that with varnish. The varnish gives the surface a better and durable finish, for me anyway.

I usually put shellac on with the French polishing (dabbing) technique I learned when taking a course. Actually, the more I do it, the better I get at it. I may just finish an entire project with just shellac.

Good luck.

 

[kooshball]

I may ultimately put a wipe on urethane on the outside of the case but I do want to seal it all and tint it with shellac. Being a case good I want the shellac as it dries so quickly that I don't risk getting a funky smell from the inside where there is little air circulation.

 

[pboro]

I use a small amount of turpentine- say a capful per pint...

 

[Tom Rioux]

I've used d-limonene (slow) and ethyl lactate (med - fast) in 70% ethyl alcohol.

 

[Gregory Paolini]

A little laquer retarder may slow down the alcohol evaporation as well. Just test it on some scrap first, as not all systems will be compatable with shellac/alcohol. They're not designed to work togeather, it's just that some of them do.

Hope this helps!
Gregory