Simple Shellac Finish
Sean Jun 08, 2016
Simple Shellac Finish
When it comes to finishing the insides of boxes, I like to use a simple shellac finish. Bullseye Sealcoat shellac is perfect for the task. I thin it 50/50 with denatured alcohol to effectively give me a 1 pound cut since most believe the Sealcoat comes in a 2 pound cut straight out of the can.
After the second coat, I use #0000 steel wool to smooth the surface and to remove any dust nibs that settled on the surface while the shellac was drying. But as you will see, after the third coat, I actually had to step back to 400 grit sand paper to remove a more severe case of dust nibs.
Question of the day:
1: What finish do you use on the insides of your boxes?
2: How do you apply shellac? If you use a brush, what kind of brush do you use?
Supplies Mentioned:
36 pack 16-ounce containers
Hake brush for applying shellac
Briwax #0000 steel wool
Thanks for watching, let me know what you think with a comment below!
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- Views 470
You really covered the subject well Sean! On the inside of boxes, I've used everything. Shellac (my favorite finish for everything) oil and water based poly, oils and also Waterlox. I typically apply shellac with a cotton rag, sometimes just a shop towel for the first few coats since I know that I will rub it out with sandpaper or steel wool. Have you ever made your own shellac from flakes?
@guyswoodshop said:
Thanks for answering, Guy! Yeah I've mixed garnet flakes for my Nakashima table and wall shelf. Shellac sure is a versatile finish!
Geez I realized that throughout the whole video I called it a "Rake" brush instead of the proper term "Hake" brush. Sorry folks!
Great video Sean. I use shellac on the inside of my projects. I've tried oils, but the smell seems to linger forever. Not a good thing for dresser drawers. I use a balled up rag to wipe on my shellac.
Thanks for watching Joe! Yeah I need to give wiping shellac a go again. I normally brush it but find brushing it leads to runs easily.
@AdventurousConifer said:Sean,
Enjoying your presentation. ! point, since my workshop is attached to my house I am vigilant about saw dust collection and any other elements that may represent a fire danger. For that reason I have switched to 3M wiping pads instead of steel wool. No chance of spontaneous combustion and since I noticed you like to check your sanding work bare handed, no annoying metal splinters.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Yeah, the 3M pads are also nice and I'd like to eventually switch over to using them once I run out of steel wool.
@felfring said: