Amber shellac

[J.D.]

I happened to be in the local hardware store, and low and behold, there on the shelf was a quart of Bullseye, amber shellac. This is real shellac, not poly based. I seem to remember that someone mentioned that shellac was often used as a seal coat on stocks.

How about other uses in finishes for longrifles?

Thanks,
J.D.

[Mad Monk]

Avoid the already made stuff.

If you want to use shellac as a stock sealer it is best if you make it yourself from flake lac and denatured alcohol.

The trouble with the ready made stuff is that as the solution ages it goes through an oxidation process with the alcohol.  The resulting shellac does not dry all that fast and tends to be gummy.

E. Ogre

[Paddlefoot]

The alcohol is important too.  Since alcohol is hygroscopic it will tend to collect water which causes some of the oxidation problems. Go to the "Tools For Working Wood" website and you can find the Hock brand denatured alcohol and a good variety of shellac flakes. Lots of other good stuff there too.

[Stophel]

Supposedly, about six months is the limit for keeping shellac mixed up.  After that, it goes bad...though I have no idea just what "bad" means.

I've been using button lac.  Works well.  I think for the last batch I did, I added some mastic to it too.  Just for the heck of it.

[T*O*F]

Supposedly, about six months is the limit for keeping shellac mixed up.  After that, it goes bad...though I have no idea just what "bad" means.

I had a quart can of Bullseye on my workbench for over 4 years.  I stored the can upside down which prevents moisture from getting past the lid seal and any drying scum will be on the bottom when you turn the can over.  I used it several times during that period and could tell no difference from when first purchased.  I'd probably still have it except it got over 100 degrees one day, the contents expanded and blew the lid off the can and it ran all over my workbench.

[rich pierce]

Sounds like something that would happen to me!

[Z. Buck]

ok i have a vague working knowledge of what shellac and seedlac are but what is button lac?  also i dont see any reference to what kind of lac they are selling on the tools for working wood website other than the generic (i assume) usage of shellac, does anyone know what version they are selling?

[J.D.]

Thanks for everyone's replies. There is a lot of good information in those replies, as always, and I do appreciate everyone's help.

God bless

[Rolf]

Here's a link to a schellac spesialist supplier: http://www.shellac.net/

Best regards

Rolfkt

[Stophel]

Ok, I think the order goes like this: seedlac, buttonlac, ruby shellac, orange shellac, blonde shellac.  In order of "refinement".

Buttonlac comes in cool "buttons"..round disks about an inch and a half across.  Crush them up, put them in a jar of alcohol and walk away.  Come back and swish it around from time to time and in a few days, presto, ready to use buttonlac.  I don't use it for top coats, so I am not the least bit worried about the "pound cut" (whatever that is), or filtering it out.