Posted by Joe Crumley on February 02, 2002
Kent SmithDear Mike and all you guys.
I am sorry with my late responce to the Shellac querry, so here goes.
I don't think many sign artists use shellac. It is used mainly in furniture trades. I use it as a color enhansing sealer for my natural finish signs and a color glaze coat on antique sign.
What is it and where does it come from?
Shellac is a product of the Lac beatle, South India, and it dates back 1500 BC. The Lac beatle larve, is dehydrated and compressed into what is called a Lac Button, about the size of a silver dollar. They come in grades from Champaigne, or light pale to dark orange brown.
I just purchased 5lbs of dark orang buttons on the lower east side of NYC. The cost was about $50.00.Most specialty paint outlets offer the same deal only for less. I managed to buy 6lbs last summer at Fine Working Tools, here in Okla. City.
Please allow me to tell you how I use it. The solution is two parts Alchohol and one part buttons. Place in a well sealtd jar and leave over nigh. Stir gently the next day untill it is disolved. Don't Shake It. Your dye can be add as you go along. The colors on your sign will really pop. A finish coat of Varnish or Eurthane is necessary
The addition of a analine dye will enhance the wood like few other stains. It is so transparent and fast to use. Start with intense colors.
A fresh coat of shellac should be ready to work on in about 30 minutes. It's soooo easy. Any scuf marks will go away with damp Alchohol cloth.
I know this is awfull sketched. Please let me know if you have questions.
Thanks for your patients.
Joe
D. BernhardtLight pale buttons dissolved in lacquer thinner and filtered for clarity produces clear lacquer. Synthetics are now used such as forms of acrylic. Other types of synthetics have been used as well since the '40's. The process is the same as making damar varnish when you dissolve damar crystals in turpentine but which need to be filtered.
Looking at old cans of shellac have 3lb/4lb/5lb cut etc. That indicated the weight of buttons dissolved in a gallon of alcohol. The alcohol used can be either denatured usually for more orange and slower drying mixtues or isopropol for lighter color and faster dry. We have an antique solid ebony cabinet which has only a shellac finish which is beautiful. We just have to keep alcoholic beverages from being spilled on it. Not as difficult without a constant flow of teenagers anymore.
Thanks Joe for the update, glad buttons are still available, though I have not looked for any recently.
Kent SmithJust a quick aside Kent.....the cabinet you have is almost certainly a "french polish" which is wax and shellac. 30 or so years ago as an apprentice we used shellac over reds and other bleeding colours before repainting. The other new/old applications are very interesting. Glawson has rediscovered some of these uses ans these are proving to be loaded with possibilties!!!
Rick SacksActually Doug, this one is from Shanghai, a family heirloom, early 1800's and is raw rubbed lac finish over solid ebony with sand cast brass hinges and locks. An appraiser assumed Japanese black lacquer finish popular after about 1920 but discovered the natural wood subtleties visible under the cheap fiurniture polish an earlier relative had applied. The french polish finish you describe is European and used on less exotic hardwoods. The wax was used to minimize raising the fine grain which rarely absorbs the finish but can be sealed by the wax. The wax will also carry stain colors if they are also used in the shellac.
Wow, I always thought it came from pine pitch.
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads