Answering Shellac Question-pics
I received this comment regarding this post. (partial comment)
I have a 100 year old house that has Mahogany woodwork throughout. I am trying to replicate the finish which was shellac. I am not sure if is was tinted or garnet or just age. It has a very deep red wine look to it, similar to your oak.
I'm working on some woodwork now using the dewaxed, garnet shellac and I'll try to post video of my process. I'm not an expert but I've learned to do it with good results. If I could find free videos of the process, I'd link to them but I can't find any. They all want you to buy their videos or books. Mine won't be expertly produced but for the beginner who just want to see how it can be done, it will serve that purpose (and they are free.)
To start, I'm posting a photo of my mixed garnet shellac in a plastic jar with true daylight (and snow) behind it. [Also is the color of the shellac on my white oak woodwork in normal daylight lighting in the room. The wood has no dyes or stains, just garnet shellac.] I tilted the jar (see photo) and took the picture. As you can see, the color looks very yellow in the lighter areas. As it gets down to the heavier areas it turns a color with more red tones (garnet). When you apply the first coats, it looks yellowish. But if you keep applying coats, you can build up to the garnet color. How many coats? It depends on the color of your wood and how thick you made the shellac. You'll probably have to order the garnet shellac over the internet in flake form and mix your own. They have shellac dyes, also that can achieve similar colors with less coats. But the multiple coats builds the beautiful depth. If the color you are looking for is one of the shades in the jar, then garnet shellac may be what you are looking for. It will take multiple posts to explain working with shellac.
Labels: antique finish, antiques, garnet shellac, multimedia, photos, pictures, white oak
posted by Erie's Argonaut at 2/12/2007 10:56:00 AM
3 Comments:
Well, I for one, eagerly await your 'primer' on shellac. I, too, have a 1917 bungalow which I have finally succeded in stripping the years of paint(& original shellac) off down to bare wood (living & dining room only). I still need to neutralize the stripper w/ mineral spirits, then sand & wash down the woodwork, but it is my intention to finish it with shellac SOON! Good luck on your beautiful house!
Thanks
for the info. So I would guess that 4 or 5 thin coats might build up the color that I desire. Also, do you have a way of fully disolving the shellac? tis past weekend I bought Garnet and Orange shellac and proceeded to prepare them in denatured alcohol-three days later there are still lumps and clumps of shellac. what is the best way to fully disolve?
I usually can get mine dissolved in a day if I tend to it often. I use a plastic jar with a lid. I keep the solution in a pot of hot faucet water (you don't want it to melt your jar) and shake and stir it often. I change the water about every hour or so. Make sure that no water can get into your jar. Don't use the stove or electrical or flame to heat the jar as the alcohol is really combustible. If you break up any chunks with a hammer before you add it to the alcohol, it will dissolve much better. If you have some chunks that won't dissolve just strain them out.
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