Shellac

[Fitz]

I am currently trying dewaxed flakes. The mixing was uneventful, but I did have a bit of a hard time trying to find fairly pure denatured alcohol. Most hardware store varieties are about 40 to 50% ethyl alcohol. Klean Strip Green was available at Home Depot and it is approximately 90% ethyl alcohol. The flake people suggest that the more ethyl the better.

Here is a stripped OTCA with five new ribs and a fair amount of new planking. I stripped the old varnish, stained the new wood, and now it has two coats of shellac. The first coat was an orange/amber and I mixed a little garnet in the second coat. The stain and shellac do a pretty good job of hiding the new wood.

The shellac will serve as a sealer. I will add multiple coats of spar varnish now.

Fitz.

 

[Dan Miller]

Grain alcohol (190 proof Everclear) may be available at your local liquor store. An added benefit is that it doesn't have the poisons used to denature alcohol.

 

[Fitz]

Oh sure Dan! I have a hard enough time explaining this hobby to the missus. If she catches me buying 'shine to "make shellac", that just might push her over the edge.

 

[Mark Z.]

Fitz, You might find Everclear a little on the pricey side for shellac but you could always drink what was left over. I have also used "100%" pure shellac solvent from Brooklyn Tool and Craft. Here is the link. http://www.brooklyntoolandcraft.com/supplies.htm
BT & C is the wholesale division of Tools for Working Wood. I tried to find the solvent on the Tools for Working Wood website but could not find it although I have ordered it from them before. Perhaps a phone call to their customer service number would work. (800-426-4613 )
I usually use the Klean Strip Green which I get at my local Ace Hardware Store. It seems to work fine and I can get it without mailorder.
Give that canoe a good shellacking!

 

[jdm6593]

Fitz, at risk of diverting this humorous diversion: I found Sunnyside denatured alcohol (white can with yellow and black bands) at our local Ace Hardware which uses the True Value products at a very reasonable price (can't remember, but cheap). It was one of several I found on a list 2 years ago as pure. My ShellacShack source also mentioned that he had never seen any problem using the mixed products. I don't know if True Value services your neck of the woods.

 

[Fitz]

I think there may be more than one Sunnyside product (similar to Klean Strip and Klean Strip Green). I should have mentioned that one way to check the purity is to pull up the MSDS. It provides the percentage of ingredients. They are not provided on the can.

http://www.sunnysidecorp.com/info_sheets/Denatured Alcohol 834 Product Data Sheet.pdf

Yeah, wonder how much the purity really matters too. My wife the chemist suggested that it may make a difference, but did not provide an adequate reason. I guess I could switch to 'shine after all!

 

[jdm6593]

Ha! Thanks Fitz. I guess I got mislead; that is my product. There are so many variables in comparing the finished coating that it would take some serious scientific testing to really determine what makes a difference and when. The Sunnyside seems fine, but the finish does seem a bit softer than I am used to. Could be the quality of the flake, humidity, temperature, type of wood, etc.

 

[dtdcanoes]

FITZ.....I have the EC190 "solution" for wifey. It is limoncello as the reason for the bottle hanging about. When you make some of your own....you will know what I mean. It works in my house.

 

[Fitz]

Sunnyside Corp. does list a denatured alcohol solvent that is 95 percent, but I am not sure it is available retail.

 

[Fitz]

Limoncello - that just might work for rib matching too!

 

[MGC]

Limoncello - that just might work for rib matching too!

Amaretto might be a better match.

 

[ginkgo-canoe]

BIG thanks to all of You for all Your messages in this post - for Zinsser and for shellac.net
As a beginner (I never seen shellac and can't find it on local market, so I'll buy it in US) I decided to take Zinsser for my first experience with this staff - just to know it.
But anyway, need Your help:
1. tell me please, can I use shellac directly on the oil-based filler or just after the paint (Kirby's paint)? I mean - is amber shellac transparent or it's really fully orange and after 3 coats I'll have 100% amber colour without any signs of filler under it?
2. if I use clear shellac, can I apply it over the paint to have good transparent protection for my paint? Is this clear shellac really clean or it's a bad idea at all?

Thank You