Mitch Yates Talks Finishing at Kepton

[PHolder]

Sorry of this has already been posted but thought this was interesting. 

https://youtu.be/q_gTjaetGRY?si=p1zP9Ld7TwiPmM3M

I thought it interesting he uses Seedlac as a first coat before any other finish is applied.  Anyone know where to get it. 

Still gathering information for my first build.

[Frozen Run]

Awesome, thank you for posting, I was hoping these lectures were out there somewhere!

[dadybear1]

TYPE IN SEED-LAC--- IT IS A VERY INFORMATIVE SITE--YOU CAN BUY IT THERE   

[dadybear1]

AGAIN THANKS FOR POSTING THE VIDEO-----

[Eric Kettenburg]

Over the years I've come to find you can use good quality shellac just as effectively and in certain instances with better results than seedlac.  Primarily on lye-stained cherry.  Seedlac is not dewaxed and depending upon the lot and source can have moderate amounts of waxy impurities present.  In most cases this is no problem and could even be considered desirable used in conjunction with an oil finish, but once or twice in the past I have had instances where I believe residual lye in the wood (used to stain cherry) reacted with waxes that may have been present in the seedlac used for sealer and ended up causing a "blush" or cloudy area.  This can happen with linseed oil based finishes used in conjunction with lye also if you do not make sure to neutralize to some extent the base pH of the lye with something like a mild vinegar wash or comparable.  Oddly enough, I've used either button lac or garnet that were not dewaxed in similar situations and never had a problem; no explanation other than that perhaps the seedlac I was using was maybe too old or just happened to have too many impurities present.  Garrett Wade used to sell dewaxed lac products, don't know of they still do.  You can get pretty much anything on the planet however from Kremer in NYC and I've never had any issue with anything obtained from them.  Do not under any circumstances use hardware store ready-made shellac products as it's a cr ap shoot.  It also helps (mostly in terms of how well the lac dissolves and how long it will keep on the shelf) to use good quality alcohol that's realtively pure; lots of folks use everclear.  I've read quite a bit about people using isopropyl also but I've never used it.

[tallbear]

PHolder

https://www.shellac.net/  is my current source for seed lac and other Lac products.Also as Eric K mentioned Kremer Pigments also has a great selection of Lac products to play with as well....Enjoy!!!!

Also as Eric mentioned don't use hardware store shellac and I don;t use any shellac that I mixed that's any older than 6 months.It will not dry as hard.

Mitch

[Dwshotwell]

Mitch I learned more about finishing watching your video than I’ve learned in five years of reading etc. thanks for doing that.

[elkhorne]

PHolder and others,
Are there any other lectures/discussions from the Kempton Fair posted online or in YouTube and if so, what under? Have had discussions in the past about getting these recorded and posted or even sold. I think Mark Elliot at one time was considering doing this with his photography and probably video knowledge but to my knowledge, it never happened. Would be great learning or educational tools for the ones of us too far away to attend practically. Thanks and look forward to seeing this one and hopefully more.
elkhorne

[Yazel.xring]

PHolder and others,
Are there any other lectures/discussions from the Kempton Fair posted online or in YouTube and if so, what under? Have had discussions in the past about getting these recorded and posted or even sold. I think Mark Elliot at one time was considering doing this with his photography and probably video knowledge but to my knowledge, it never happened. Would be great learning or educational tools for the ones of us too far away to attend practically. Thanks and look forward to seeing this one and hopefully more.
elkhorne

Many more on the way from this years event. Working on Mark Thomas’ at the moment as well as Brian LeMaster’s. The Kempton-CLA-NMLRA back to back is vents make it a busy season but we’ll get em done . All the seminars will be posted on the same page as the Yates video being discussed.

[PHolder]

PHolder

https://www.shellac.net/  is my current source for seed lac and other Lac products.Also as Eric K mentioned Kremer Pigments also has a great selection of Lac products to play with as well....Enjoy!!!!

Also as Eric mentioned don't use hardware store shellac and I don;t use any shellac that I mixed that's any older than 6 months.It will not dry as hard.

Mitch

Thank you!! I really enjoyed your video especially the time you spent discussing cherry.  Looking to do my first rifle, a Kibler SMR in cherry.  I usually like to be a little different plus I LOVE the look of aged cherry.

[dadybear1]

ONLY PROBLEM IVE HAD WITH SHELLAC WAS LEAVING WATER RINGS ON FURNITURE WITH SHELLAC FINISH...  IVE ALWAYS USED TRUE OIL---BUT THEN I COULD BE VERY WRONG BOUT SHELLAC FINISH--

[Eric Kettenburg]

No shellac should really be used as a finish on a firearm meant to be used outdoors.  Seedlac or shellac are used as sealers or even as a preliminary colored spirit varnish under an overlying oil finish or other type of more waterproof finish, even something like a wax.  Lac finishes just used alone on a firearm - especially a blackpowder firearm - will not hold up very long.

[Kevin Houlihan]

 The Gunmakers Fair at Kempton has it's own YouTube channel.  Oddly enough it's called "Gunmakers Fair at Kempton"    Do a YouTube search for that title and you'll find the videos.  There are currently 3 seminars posted.  Thanks to Ethan for recording these.
Kevin

[JasonR]

Thank you to all who post these. A wealth of knowledge. Good to see familiar faces.

[Crow Choker]

Good video with good information. I'll have to look at Utube for other Kepton vid's.

[Bill Raby]

   People see a gun that looks really nice and think that if they use the same product they are going to get the same results. It does not work like that. A great finish does not come in a bottle. Any quality product is going to do fine. The work that you put into a finish is going to make a lot more difference than what product you use.

[Crow Choker]

That is very true Bill, good to point out. Comes down to following directions, pre-work on metal and/or wood, patience, and an attitude of doing the best job possible. Sort of like aspiring guitarists. I've known those that played some, that would buy a Fender Stratocaster, and think they would sound like Eric Clapton as soon as the new Strat was plugged in. Doesn't work that way. Wish it did!!!!!