23rd
March
2007
Shellac, You Eat Poo Every Day
posted in Workshop - Create & Build |
Did you take your vitamin today?
If you did, then you ate poo, Lac bug poo to be precise. The shiny coating you see on many vitamins is shellac. Shellac is excreted from the lac bug and found mostly in Asia.
Nearly every wood finish has been made easier to use by the addition of carcinogens. Want to finish your baby crib in “Boiled linseed oil” that has heavy metals nickel and cadmium to make it dry in less then 30minutes! Why not use “pure” linseed oil and wait the day it takes it to dry? What is wrong with us woodworkers! Why would we spend all of the effort to construct something natural and then cut corners at the last step and cover it with toxic liquid, putting makers and users in danger?Shellac can be bought in flake, solid form (or pre mixed in a can).
It is also available in many tints. It is best to buy dexaxed shellac. If buying pre-mixed shellac, make sure the can is less then 6 months old. Shellac flakes and solids will last forever.
- Mixing with denatured alcohol for easy brushing:
- 3lb shellac flakes per gallon of alcohol
- For simple wiping on of the finish mix:
- 1.5lb shellac flakes per gallon of alcohol
Brush or wipe 4-8 coats, buff with natural wax using 0000 steel wool. You have a beautiful, safe, life long finish.
All from the butt of a lack bug!
An american walnut table I made hand rubbed with 30 coats of shellac and buffed with wax:
(Still looks great after having been eaten on for 1 year)
This entry was posted
on Friday, March 23rd, 2007 at 10:49 am and is filed under Workshop - Create & Build.
written by: admin
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