Posted by Joe Crumley on February 22, 2004
The informative article posted on the Original Letterhead page by Rick Glawson on Shellac is so good and complete. That article is resident today, and I would suggest every one read it.
We have been using Shellac for years and have a few suggestions beyond what Rick has so beautifuly suggested.
It is true that this is one of the safest sign products ever discovered. Used in the food industry for years as a food coating it has proven very safe. Drug companies also employee it in the coatings for pills.
The Lac Beetle secretions, larva, and parts themselves are harvested mainly in India. You could also make a study of Seed Lac, but there are signs to be done first.
These colloids when disolved in alchohol, have the ability to trap oil. You can apply shellac right over a pine knot and seal off the sap. It will also trap pesky colors that bleed throught. It has been the base for KILLS primer.
I just love using it on interior signs as a finish coat or as a base for most any paint, clear or pigmented. Once laid down with a brush it is ready for sanding in a few minutes, and sands to a powder dust. We allways reduce our standard 3lb. mixture by about thirty percent when applying to raw wood that is scheduled to be stained. This gives a wonderful even very smooth stain. Often when applying a oil stain on open grain wood, it is uneven or too dark or too crapy. Shellac will solve this problem
Where can you get Shellac flakes, or buttons, and what are you looking for anyway? Try "Shellac.Net".
You have the option of purchasing buttons which are about the size of a fifty cent coin. These are a darker orange. They are less refined. You will need to use a strainer to remove the bug parts. Sometimes there are legs, wings. I love the deep rich color.
While you can buy flakes de waxed I don't think buttons come that way.
Flakes come in many colors, but in our trade, unlike violen making, there is little need to get to pickey.
When you go to the store and get a can of Bulls Eye, it's old and cloudy, because it has wax in it. Thats OK for crude work but the pure stuff, that's mixed fresh, is another animal. You need the real stuff, make it fresh.
I suggest you look up in your attic for old broken 78 or cylinder records. These are the pure,pure old dark orange shellac's and are highly sought after. They look black. Take the no good ones that you were going discard anyway and break them up, drop in a guart jar and pour in denatured olchohol, cap with a tight lid. It may take a few days. Better yet, why don't you just send them to me, I'll get them off your hands. There just collecting dust anyway and you don't owe me nothing.
Old recordings were repoted as being done on wax. Nope, it was the shellac with the natural wax in it.
Please don't think I am some kind of expert on this subject. It has just been our method for years and think it has been overlooked by sign artist.
O, by the way, I almost forgot, we use analyne dye mixtures when doing clear finishes. Analyne powder is very intense and the choices of color is unlimited.
Best wishes
Joe
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads