seedlac shellac Reprinted with permission. American Association of Woodturners ShelLlaca Beectle The Shell of the By Alan Lacer re you looking for a film finish polish, and padlac. that offers the quick-drying Even the experts are fooled at Shellac defined A qualities of lacquer but the low times. In a recent article in a In its raw state, “lac,” as it is odor of water-based finishes? Or a prestigious woodworking known, is a secretion of the finish that offers more color magazine, the author criticized female lac beetle that protects choices but with better clarity than shellac as a finish for wood- her eggs, and later the larvae many other finishes? This finish is turnings in high-wear applications (that also produce this subjected to poor labeling and and then recommended lacquer as substance) from predators and applied by many who don’t even the best alternative. The problem the elements. Found on trees in know it. In addition, it may be the was, the author’s recommended India and across to Thailand, most under-used and the least lacquer was padding lacquer— the lac beetle is a parasitic scale understood of finishes. which is essentially shellac. insect that congregates in large You may have guessed by now It is a sad commentary on the colonies on particular species of that it’s one of the world’s oldest finishing world that many trees. The word “lac” is derived finishes, too: shellac. companies fail to list the ingredi- from a Sanskrit word for As evidence of misunderstand- ents of their products. Knowing 100,000—an allusion to the ings, shellac is the primary solid those ingredients DOES make a enormous clusters of these material in products sold as difference when you are choosing a insects as they naturally occur. woodturner’s finish, padding finish for particular applications lacquer, friction polish, French and for concerns over shelf life. 56 American Woodturner Summer 2005 picture/mirror frames. Shellac grade acquires another name: Waxed and also gets high marks for retarding seedlac, button lac, garnet, ruddy dewaxed shellac moisture-vapor exchange—a val- amber, beige, orange, super blond, In addition to dye, wax is another ued quality for laminated turnings. lemon, platinum blond, blond, naturally occurring component of And where shellac has limita- ultra blond—and with many of shellac. Some manufacturers add tions, it can go under most other these offered as waxed or dewaxed. wax as a dulling agent or—it is film finishes or serve as a sanding It is probably best to investigate believed—to improve flow. sealer for such finishes as lacquer. the descriptions and samples from However, wax in the shellac is a shellac dealer to know what you often a source of problems. Wax Grades and refinement are buying (see sources opposite). makes the shellac more prone to Most of us recognize shellac as a All of this may be somewhat water spotting and softening, plus liquid from a can—and in that confusing, but make an educated reduces hardness, clarity, and form it has been offered most choice based on the effect you are ability to stick to other finishes (a commonly in either orange or after: Use the lighter end of the problem if you are using shellac white (today these are often spectrum for keeping the color of under or over another finish). labeled “amber” or “clear”). your wood or use degrees of For these reasons, I recommend If you consider shellac as dry refinement to add color or warmth dewaxed shellac flakes. If you need flakes, there are many more to a wood. For instance, I find that a little more protection, more options. In its unrefined form, the clearer shellacs appear cold on luster, or scratch resistance, apply shellac is sold as stick lac (raw lac walnut or cherry, but the dark wax after the shellac has dried. with twigs and bug parts shellacs add warmth to the wood included). As raw material, it is while maintaining clarity. Shelf life and loaded with the natural dye and Today shellac is still offered in a product labeling considerable natural wax, so it number of forms: liquid (often as Applying old shellac is a source of appears to be a dark reddish- orange/amber, clear/white), negative experiences. My first brown color. Each refinement aerosol cans, paste, and dry flakes. exposure to padding lacquer on All the products shown here contain shellac as the primary ingredient. 58 American Woodturner Summer 2005 Garnet shellac flakes Make your own shellac Shellac is mixed and sold in liquid Second, it’s always easier to thin form as “pound cuts.” This means rather than thicken—especially the amount of solid particles when working from flakes. (shellac) in a gallon of liquid. For reference, remember there Shellac is mixed most commonly are 128 fluid ounces in a gallon and with alcohol. There is some debate 16 ounces (by weight) in a pound. about what type of alcohol is best. To guarantee freshness, mix Some alcohols have too much small batches. Use glass or water, are too toxic (methanol), or specially coated metal containers. dry too slowly. You can purchase For my finishing, I most often mix proprietary mixes of shellac solvent 11/2- to 2-pound cuts to fill 4-ounce (usually different types of alcohols), baby-food jars. Here are some 190- or 200-proof ethanol alcohol, useful proportions for mixing 200-proof denatured alcohol smaller quantities of shellac: (ethanol with a little poison added so folks won’t drink it), or denatured A 11/2-pound cut of shellac alcohol (often sold as solvent 1/2 cup (4 fl. ounces) of alcohol alcohol) from the hardware store. + 3/4 ounce of dry shellac I have tried most of the above forms of solvent, and they all Even after two hours, the outdated A 2-pound cut of shellac 1 shellac (top drip) is still mushy. The dissolve the shellac flakes. Because /2 cup (4 fl. ounces) of alcohol fresh shellac (bottom drip) dried I haven’t detected a noticeable + 1 ounce of dry shellac uniformly. difference in the finished product the lathe was a disaster. I had a when I’ve blended the shellac flakes A 4-pound cut of shellac with the pricey 200-proof varieties, I 1/2 cup (4 fl. ounces) of alcohol soft, nasty finish that came from stick with the affordable hardware + 2 ounces of dry shellac using an outdated product. store variety. Contrary to some claims, If you mix 1 gallon of alcohol For larger quantities simply multiply the amounts above. Mixing shellac does have a shelf life—six with 1 pound of dry shellac you will create a “1-pound cut” of finished shellac and alcohol is not rocket months or less in some cases. Even shellac. science—it does not have to be unopened containers go bad—it is If you mix 1 gallon of alcohol calculated to the gram and milliliter not air that does this but the with 4 pounds of dry shellac, you to make it workable. After mixing the flakes and reaction of shellac to alcohol over will create a “4-pound cut” of finished shellac. alcohol, shake the mix periodically time. You may not end up with the Keep two important points in for 24 hours. Then, strain the blend mess I experienced, but it does dry mind when mixing your own shellac: through a painter’s strainer (looks slower, is softer, and is more prone First, the proportions and measure- like a funnel with some cheese ments are only approximations. cloth), an old T-shirt, cheesecloth, to water damage. or even a coffee filter. Some responsible manu- If you buy shellac in liquid form, facturers tell you two things: that you can reduce the cut by adding it is a shellac product and either a alcohol. For instance, if you purchase a 3-pound cut, halving manufacturing date or a date to any quantity with alcohol will yield use by. My rule of thumb: If I a 11/2-pound cut—a good starting don’t know the age of the material point for spraying or padding or it has a date six months or older shellac on the lathe. from the manufacturing date, then Two sources for shellac flakes: test it—always. Here’s how: • Wood Finishing Supplies Put a drip about the size of a 866-548-1677 woodfinishingsupplies.com dime on a nonporous material • Wood Finish Supply (plastic, glass, or the container’s 707-962-9480 finishsupply.com lid) and see what happens. How After 24 hours, strain the alcohol soon does it dry? It should be and dissolved flakes mixture through dry—but not hard—in 10 minutes. a paint strainer. Continued woodturner.org 59 Shellac for turned objects After weighing the pros and cons Strengths and weaknesses of shellac (see sidebar at right), there are First, the bad news. Shellac is a poor choice if you are numerous applications—and some finishing a turning that will be outdoors or subject to projects—to avoid. I don’t strong chemicals or detergents, heat, or alcohol. recommend shellac for a salad Shellac is a poor choice if in contact with water bowl that will be washed or in for an extended period of time (hours rather contact for prolonged periods with than minutes when applied fresh and anything wet, strongly acidic, or dewaxed). Shellac has a limited shelf life—even if alkaline. Nor would I use it for a unopened. Old shellac will not dry quickly (or goblet that would contain alcohol, not at all), will dry soft, and is more prone to or for an oil lamp or candleholder water damage.