Kudos for shellac and waterlox

[Jeff]

I've been a big fan of shellac and Waterlox for several years. The latter requires no wiping off for days like BLO, Danish Oil and many of the other penetrating oil based finishes. No sanding between coats like poly, etc. Easy to touch up or refinish when necessary. Maybe I'm into instant gratification and OCD.

I've noticed that several of you folks have also taking a liking to it as well. Well, here's another group that likes a shellac/Waterlox combination too. See pages 6 & 7.

http://www.artisansofthevalley.com/d...ssue1_2012.pdf

[caskey]

can you tell me how you are using them??? are you adding shellac to waterlox????

[Jeff]

can you tell me how you are using them??? are you adding shellac to waterlox????

No, they are not mixed. Shellac is alcohol soluble whereas the Waterlox is tung oil in a hydrocarbon carrier solvent; those two solvents are not soluble in one another so attempting to mix them would be a downright disaster.

A 1 lb. cut of Zinsser Seal Coat (2# cut of 100% dewaxed shellac in the can) is useful for enhancing the grain and figure of many wood species. It's also handy when applied to blotch prone woods (like cherry and pine) before application of a pigment stain before topcoating. It can also be applied to pre-stained wood as a sealer before topcoating.

The Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish is the topcoat. It is a bit glossy, but after a few coats it's easily sanded or burnished to reduce the sheen if desired.

[Bas]

I definitely prefer Waterlox over the typical oil-based polyurethane you get at the big box stores. It is easier to apply and looks much, much better. You can brush it, wipe it and even spray it (just do it outside or the overspray will be a sticky mess!). But it's still an oil-based finish, which means it takes a long time to dry and several weeks to fully cure (and stop smelling like oil).

Shellac is definitely instant gratification. Spray, sand down the raised grain, spray, spray, done. You can finish the finish in 2-3 hours on a good day.

I'm not sure how much shellac adds to the grain if you're going to topcoat it with Waterlox anyway, but it certainly doesn't hurt.