Finishing question; sealers and topcoats

WmZiggy · Post by **WmZiggy** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 8:19 pm

[ATTACH]20755[/ATTACH]

Here is a pic with the lights in the hutch area on. You can put them on a setting and they will flash, slowly, 18 diferent colors. The LED strip was paper thin and comes with remote control.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 10:31 pm

A lotta good work in addition to the ss inside it!

;)

easterngray · Post by **easterngray** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 5:28 am

Great job! The hutch is beautiful!

garys · Post by **garys** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 8:46 am

Laquer is 1930s and not durable, so I don't use it. It shrinks and cracks
Shellac is made from bug shit and is even less durable. You can wash it off with a warm water spill.

Today we have top quality urethanes to finish our wood projects. Urethane is far more durable. Urethanes don't need a sealer. Urethanes are the only wood finish I have used in the last 25 years on my projects, and until something better is invented, they are all I will continue to use.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 11:28 am

garys wrote:Laquer is 1930s and not durable, so I don't use it. It shrinks and cracks
Shellac is made from bug shit and is even less durable. You can wash it off with a warm water spill.

Today we have top quality urethanes to finish our wood projects. Urethane is far more durable. Urethanes don't need a sealer. Urethanes are the only wood finish I have used in the last 25 years on my projects, and until something better is invented, they are all I will continue to use.

Don't sell shellac short. It is still very useful. I use it on maple before I stain to prevent blotchy spots. I use it to seal under urethane and if you are in porous wood and want a mirror finish you get the best finish with shellac filler.

Shellac stands up to most things including water but alcohol will effect it. And many people desire the cracked finish of old shellac.

To me the best finish is Tung Oil, easy to apply, resists everything but direct sunlight and can be finished any where from a rough satin to a mirror gloss.

Urethane tends to hide color and grain to some degree. But it is very rugged but will break down from UV light.

WmZiggy · Post by **WmZiggy** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 1:12 pm

I agree with Ed, don't sell shellac short. Everyone should learn how to French polish and cultivate this time honored art - it's not that hard. Shellac isn't for everywhere, nothing is, but it is easy to fix and comes in a medium, ethanol, that is relatively harmless to the finisher. It dries quickly which cuts down on air particles sticking to it and messing the surface. I mix mine from dried flakes. I like button and garnet shellac when I want to deepen the amber glow in a project. The hutch pics I posted - I used shellac to blend in places where the oak was lighter, before I applied the oil-urethane finish. We need lots of skills in the ol' tool box.