Ruby Shellac

[weelis]

Can ruby shellac be purchased a;
already mixed or must one buy the flakes and make up his own? What source do u recommend? Thnx.

 

[ehpoole]

Making your own is not difficult and the flakes afford the benefit of mixing whatever cut you need or desire for the job at hand n whatever volume you may need, making the flakes much more versatile. However, it does help to have a scale available so that you can accurately weigh the flakes if you wish to make consistent finishes. Fortunately such scales are absurdly inexpensive these days.

So, if you do need to make your own finish, do not worry.

 

[smallboat]

+1 everything Ethan has said.

Also, I have had great success using Behkol solvent to dissolve the flakes.
You can find it at Klingspor among other places.
I mix a batch in a pint sized mason jar, about a half jar at a time
With several jars you can mix various cuts or tints.
It keeps well in the jar if you have left overs.


caveat- I wouldn't keep large quantities of flammables in glass containers in the shop

I've heard good things here about http://www.shellacfinishes.com/
I sent a question to Vijay Velji, the proprietor, asking about shelf life of flakes.
Got a prompt and helpful reply.
My next purchase will be from them.

 

[bbrown]

It's hard to beat ready made Zinsser shellac. I use the clear "Sealcoat" when I want a transparent finish, especially if there's significant inlay that you want to really stand out. The "Amber Zinsser shellac" imparts a wonderful warm patina. You can cut these by adding denatured alcohol. I usually just cut the shellac right from the can in half roughly so it flows nicely. That's about a pound and a half cut. It does not really matter, just thin it so it's flows and gets in the pores. I will also use a product from Homestead Finishing called "Shellac Wet": a few drops to a cup or so of shellac makes it flow very evenly & minimizes lap marks.

The beauty of the Zinsser is that you can achieve any hue you want and you can do it slowly with maximal control. You do this by simply using either the clear or the amber for each successive coat according to how much more darkening you want. This, to me, is a great way to fine-tune the final look in a very controlled manner. I use a maroon scotch-brite between each, or every other, coat in the beginning if it's quite thin. Typically 5-7 coats over 2 days achieves a nice chatoyance.

Glen Huey talks about the shelf life of Zinsser, which is marked (in code) on the can. I find that the stuff lasts for many years and have never had any problem with a bad batch even after a can has been open for 8 years! Personally, I see no need to buy flakes.....
That said, I did buy some seed lac flakes recently from Al Breed's (repro maker in NH) recommendation. He loves it and I highly respect Al's opinions, so I figured it's worth trying. I just have to overcome inertia and dissolve, strain it, etc. It's full of bug parts!

I've heard that Lowe's may (or already has) stop carrying Zinsser, so I hope this does not become the trend elsewhere.

 

[Jeff]

Premixed ruby (garnet) shellac is available. It is 100% dewaxed and that's a good thing. $ 23/pint.

http://www.shellacfinishes.com/product/royal-lac/

To clarify a few points about shellac flakes and pre-mixed shellac.

The less pure shellacs contain a wax which is a secretion from the lac bug. That can cause adhesion problems when other topcoats are applied but if you're just doing shellac, on shellac, on shellac it's less problematic.

1. Zinnser SealCoat is 100% dewaxed shellac in a 2 lb cut and it's a "clear/super blonde" with little color.

2. Zinsser Amber or Clear shellac is a 3 lb cut containing lac bug wax which gives it a cloudy appearance.

 

[bluedawg76]

for amber and garnet shellac I've dissolved them in 95-100% ethanol. most of the denatured alcohol at the BORG is 50%+ methanol which evaporates much too fast IME. HD sells a "green" version of denatured alcohol which is 95% ethanol and a lot cheaper than bekhol (Behlen's version). I use a baking scale for the flakes -I don't think there's any real precision needed i.e. a 2.2 lb cut will work just fine. The zinnser stuff is really good and one of my go to's -totally agree w/ bbrown on all points. I think they add butyl acetate to it (not sure the % but check the MSDS), which helps the flow by slowing the evap time. IME, the solvent flashing off too fast is a bigger concern than waiting an entire minute or 2 before I can re-coat -that's why ethanol is preferred over methanol. I typically use the colored shellacs for a couple of early coats and then finish the build w/ blonde (usually Zinnser brand). If I was dead set on ruby or another colored one, these guys have really great stuff:

https://www.shellac.net/button_shellac.html

don't the wax stuff be off-putting. you can get an absolutely stunning finish with it. that may have been more info than you wanted.

 

[ehpoole]

I use a baking scale for the flakes -I don't think there's any real precision needed i.e. a 2.2 lb cut will work just fine.

Most any scale that will yield repeatable measurements is satisfactory, even if it were rather inaccurate but otherwise repeatable, as you are mostly looking to create a repeatable finish from one batch to the next.

That said, the cheap digital scales you find on eBay and Amazon for cooking, counting, etc., are plenty accurate enough for anything that does not demand legal traceability to a national standard. The wonders of modern electronics and mass production makes them remarkably accurate provided they are not abused and more than sufficient for occasional shop uses. They are also great for measuring your envelopes to determine how much postage you really need for heavier items without waiting in line at the post office.

 

[Tarhead]

Premixed ruby (garnet) shellac is available. It is 100% dewaxed and that's a good thing. $ 23/pint.

http://www.shellacfinishes.com/product/royal-lac/

Royal Lac is not 100% shellac. It has an additional resin included along with a hefty price tag.

 

[Cato]

I bought some garnet flakes recently from Wellermart. Found them on Amazon and the price for a pound was good. Shipped them to me quickly and had no issues at all.