A natural resin, carpenters use shellac to give their pieces a lustrous finish, and they often mix the solution themselves to ensure that it is fresh. Shellac should be dissolved in denatured alcohol. There are lots of… Needed for mixing: High grade 190 Proof Denatured Alcohol.Preferably less than 10% denaturamts To aid Brushing or Spraying: Shellac Retarder to slow drying & to help eliminate brushmarks. Before you suggest grain alcohol, we havent had that since 1969 We use Tiger Flakes from Tools for Working Wood. Nothing else will work. I’ve always just dribbled some oil onto the wiping pad. • Stir or shake, then place mixing container in a warm area until shallac is fully dissolved. Denatured alcohol in any form and with any additive that makes it Methylated spirits is highly inflammable. The main thing is after your final coat, let it set for a week or so. Allow ample time for the shellac to dissolve. Chris Schwarz in short uses Everclear to dissolve the shellac flakes as opposed to denatured alcohol for reason being that everclear dissolves the flakes completely while the latter doesn't. I have what it looks like on my home page. Shellac (/ʃəˈlæk/) is a resin secreted by the female lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. Quote; Link to post Share on other sites. (NOT the same as Lacquer retarder) To Reduce Sheen: Shellac FLATT, a flatting agent especially formulated to reduce shellac sheen. Denatured alcohol is recommended as the best solvent to use, but is difficult to obtain. Many brands have as little as 50-60% Ethanol – and the balance cheaper alcohols and denaturing solvents. A natural resin, carpenters use shellac to give their pieces a lustrous finish, and they often mix the solution themselves to ensure that it is fresh. I haven't done that yet but will give it a shot next time. Therefore, denatured alcohol shouldn't be replaced with IPA when mixing shellac for woodwork. About Shellac Dissolving and mixing shellac flakes Mixing procedure • Determine the “cut” and volume of shellac you plan to mix. (See chart.) What else can I use to mix up a batch of shellac? What you need to do after the two are mixed are . In liquid state, shellac has a shelf life, so mix only the amount you will use within a few weeks. Personally I have not tried it but intend to at some point. For me, I like a ratio of 2/3 shellac and 1/3 denatured alcohol. the brain damage is only if you drink the denatured alcohol sold in shop since usually (in UK at least) it contains methanol. Mixing your own shellac means you’ll always have a fresh batch ready for use since shellac has a relatively short shelf life once mixed of about six months. You can buy shellac made ready for dissolving in different forms such as pearls, flakes or pre-crushed flakes. Good luck. Denatured alcohol is used because it is extremely high proof. By breaking the term down it’s easy to understand the correct translation. Pour in Behkol solvent or denatured alcohol and set the mixture aside to dissolve. My question is inspired from a recent article from Lost art press on mixing shellac. Natural shellac is a widely used finish for new work and restoration. Even if it isn't exactly that, it works extremely well; probably as well as mixing from scratch with flakes. Denatured alcohol is ethyl alcohol (drinking alcohol) with an additive to render the product lethal to drink. I don't know what M. Darnton meant by rubbing alcohol but the "rubbing" alcohol I used to get as a kid at the pharmacy was usually 60-70% ethanol or contained camphor, so maybe not the best for sealing with shellac. Acetone and Denatured Alcohol are flammable. the fumes are poisonous). The most striking difference is in color. I hope you try it using the patina flakes and their denatured alcohol or like the other fellow said a pure grain alcahol. What is Shellac? To do this, shellac flakes are dissolved in denatured alcohol. • Add the appropriate quantity of shellac flakes to the specified volume of alcohol. Mixing and Using Shellac. From the original questioner: I generally just apply poly, but thought I'd give this a shot. It comes in flake form for easy dissolving, and is available in light yellow, amber and dark auburn in 1/4 lb (113g) and 1 lb (454g) packages. You still need to be careful while dealing with this type of combination. I apply it using cloth rags, lint free of course. Both can be used as cleaning agents, and as solvents in a variety of industries. I tried several hardware stores, Loews, Home Depot, Walmart, Target, Costco and Rockler without success. Should work like oil in a mix as well. The ratio of dry shellac to denatured alcohol is called the cut. After it is harvested the dark, reddish-brown resin is crushed into granules, rinsed to remove the natural dye and then dried. Oh hell no ! If you start with a nice Kusmi button lac and dissolve it in denatured alcohol you will get a very yellow and week looking color that lacks fire. I have used a lot of shellac, mostly with off the shelf denatured alcohol, have also tried behkol, other than the price I didn't notice much difference. Recently I went in search of high test Denatured. It can certainly be confusing to a novice. Various denatured alcohol products still appear in ads when you search for “ethanol” online but you may not find it stocked on the shelves of any store in San Diego. Another advantage of mixing your own is you can decide how diluted to make it. Put the mixture out of reach and out of sight. Another thing of note is that shellac dries incredibly fast. To begin with, shellac has a denatured alcohol base, so you could try adding more denatured alcohol to extend the working time (it isn't an extender, but a reducer, but it may help). First, spirits is British for ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Mixing Shellac. Isopropyl alcohol and denatured alcohol can be alternated in some applications. What Should I Do If I Mix Them? I’ve never tried simply mixing the oil and shellac together. This creates a sticky substance which can then be easily wiped over the wood. It's my understanding that, from the can, it is a 2# cut; with half Bullseye and half denatured alcohol, it's a 1# cut. It is processed and sold as dry flakes and dissolved in alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish.Shellac functions as a tough natural primer, sanding sealant, tannin-blocker, odour-blocker, stain, and high-gloss varnish. Give it a try. It’s actually British for denatured alcohol. It is an excellent sealer for use on woods with high resin content (e.g., pine) to prevent bleed-through after painting. So I find out that California has banned the sale of Denatured Alcohol. Mixing Shellac. Fresh-mixed shellac is an excellent film finish, and we go through a lot of it in our shop. If you're still concerned get methyl hydrate which is wood alcohol. And per the recommendation of one of the guys at Highland Hardware, I bought a bottle of Golden Grain (or Everclear) at the liquor store to use as the solvent because, in his words, denatured alcohol is “heavy shit”! (i.e. Shellac is a a wood finish created by diluting secretions from the laccifer laca bug in denatured alcohol. Rubbing alcohol ls is usually around 70% which is kinda low.Vodka, usually 40% is way too diluted. As a painter though, you’ve probably found it most useful for dissolving shellac flakes into a usable liquid and cleaning brushes after applying shellac. Good idea. Water will slow the evaporation rate. One pound of dry shellac dissolved in one gallon of denatured alcohol is a 1-pound cut, which is what I suggest for finishing chip carvings. Master Poster; Mentors ; 7646 14242 posts; Location.....Atlanta, Ga. Report; Share; Posted May 2, 2017. In this form it is quite usable as a solvent for shellac. Here is how I mix it up for general use as a furniture finish (i.e. Denatured alcohol has many uses, including window cleaning, improving the smoothness of a sanded surface, and fueling alcohol burners. Mix the shellac or shellac chips with denatured alcohol in a glass container according to the manufacturer's directions. Consequently, what is denatured alcohol used for? Shake the jar frequently to prevent a lump of shellac from forming in the bottom. So, let’s walk through how to mix shellac yourself so you can get started today. And then there’s the whole shellac terminology thing: 1-pound cut, 2-pound cut, waxed, dewaxed, spit coat, etc. Use the mixing instructions for wiping on the shellac or using it as a polish. High test, 190 proof (5% denaturents), Denatured Alcohol is preferred as a Shellac flake solvent. To do this, shellac flakes are dissolved in denatured alcohol. I don't use shellac that often but, when I do, I have just bought Zinsser Bullseye Sealer and cut it with denatured alcohol. The shellac can be in different forms depending on what you want. And mixing it with denatured alcohol is going to cause it to dry even faster. Never try heating it on or near an open or even indirect flame. Low grade alcohol solvents can cause shellac blushing. Colored shellac can give a real depth and warmth to wood. It is next to impossible to find a 190 proof alcohol at the ‘big box’ home improvement or hardware stores. not as a barrier for urine, smoke or sap). I especially like garnet on walnut, it brings out the richness of the wood. Denatured alcohol is cheap because it is not taxed as a beverage. Even if the mixture makes it less explosive. Use denatured alcohol. Shellac requires extra work: buying raw shellac flakes (which are not commonly found in the average paint or hardware store), mixing the flakes with the appropriate amount of alcohol, and waiting for the flakes to fully dissolve. This is probably totally wrong by me but I just kind of wing it when I mix my shellac. This creates a sticky substance which can then be easily wiped over the wood. Can you also use mineral spirits to dilute it? Then polish it with an instrument polish. Alternatives are Isopropyl Alcohol (isopropanol or rubbing alcohol, the 99% pure version), Methyl Hydrate (methanol or wood alcohol), Ethyl Alcohol (ethanol or grain alcohol), or in a pinch, Mineral Spirits. wdwerker 7646 Posted May 2, 2017. wdwerker. It means that we can apply multiple coats in one day and not have to wait days to finish our project. Stir or shake every 30 minutes. Shellac is used in woodwork as a lacquer. In fact, you can dissolve shellac flakes in alkaline water (hat makers varnish) and it will take forever to dry. The problem with using ethanol for dissolving and thinning shellac is that it’s quite expensive (think Everclear that you buy at the liquor store). I have seen shellac that is purchased in the CAn diluted with denatured alcohol. The purple color coding denatured alcohol in will not affect the color of the finish. Shellac will dissolve in any alcohol, including watery alcohol, but if you don't know and can't reproduce the solvent mix, you'll get pretty unpredictable results. It’s the stuff you drink when you go to a pub. Bulls Eye® Shellac is an alcohol-based solution of pure lac, a natural resin secreted by tiny insects on certain trees, mainly in India. This is good and bad. It works great and dries all by itself — no need for a wipe down with naphtha. Shellac is used in woodwork as a lacquer. I measure 1/4 pound (4oz or 113.5 gr) of shellac and add it to 1 pint (.5 l) of denatured alcohol. Until guitar-maker Brian Burns told me that he uses mineral spirits (paint thinner) instead of mineral oil as a pad lubricant. If you are using shellac chips, mix the shellac at least 12 hours in advance of use to give the chips plenty of time to dissolve completely. On the other hand, ever-clear, which is bought at the spirits store and is heavily taxed may be used, but at a higher price. I've heard good things about it. I agree what you want is a large percentage of ethanol so 190 proof grain would be best if you don't mind the expense. Each type of alcohol and even different brands of the same type of alcohol will have different effects on the shellac resin. The risk of mixing denatured alcohol and acetone is not something commonly people hear about. 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