I have the "Turn it On" and "Turn it Up" DVDs from Jimmy Clewes and think they are fantastic! He is a really great instructor. Jimmy uses shellac as a sealer before using an oil finish on most of the stuff he turns in the vids. He says he uses a 60/40 or a 70/30. What does that mean? What lb. cut is that? Thanks.
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Question about the shellac ratio Jimmy Clewes uses.
- Thread starter John Waver
- Start date
Jimmy doesn't actually measure the mix very accurately,,simply by eye.
With any container, crush the shellac flakes and fill to about 20/25% or even 30% of the container and fill to top with DNA. 30% may be a little too thick but it doesnt really matter
Let it dissolve encouraged with a shake up every hour or so.
This doesnt need to be accurate at all. its not a French polish, simply a sealer/grain raiser.
I know this because I asked Jimmy the question a few years ago at our club.
Regards, talbot
With any container, crush the shellac flakes and fill to about 20/25% or even 30% of the container and fill to top with DNA. 30% may be a little too thick but it doesnt really matter
Let it dissolve encouraged with a shake up every hour or so.
This doesnt need to be accurate at all. its not a French polish, simply a sealer/grain raiser.
I know this because I asked Jimmy the question a few years ago at our club.
Regards, talbot
Shellac sealer
I've never uderstood why for this first step sealer anyone would do anything other than buy a can of Zinnser Sanding Sealer --I think it has the Bullseye on it. It is good material for the light first coat on most woods and is shellac based.
I've never uderstood why for this first step sealer anyone would do anything other than buy a can of Zinnser Sanding Sealer --I think it has the Bullseye on it. It is good material for the light first coat on most woods and is shellac based.
Maybe because mixed shellac has a shelf-life, and if you mix up much and are an occasional turner it'll go off before you finish it.
I'd recommend blond or bleached shellac for light coloured timbers.
I'd recommend blond or bleached shellac for light coloured timbers.
Zinsser SealCoat is a 2-pound cut of highly refined dewaxed shellac — it is superior to Zinsser's traditional bullseye shellac finishes. I've used SealCoat for at least five years as a sanding sealer and sometimes as a final finish. I also use it to stiffen punky wood fibers in order to get clean finish cuts. I am a low volume hobbyist-turner, so I don't go through a lot of the stuff, but for me it has always stayed usable (meaning it still dries hard and reasonably fast) for at least a year after first opening the can. The company guarantees it to be good for three years from the date of manufacture. Just make sure you check the date of manufacture on the can when you buy it. It's a great product and makes me wonder why anyone would buy fresh blond shellac flakes any more.
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Shellac comes from secretions of the lac beetle. sort of beetle spit on sticks.
the flakes are refined from the collected sticks. the higher grades have less impurities and impart less color on the work.
shellac in a can or mixing flakes yourself should give equal results.
the only issue with mixing is that it can take a few hours to overnight before the shellac dissolves and is usable. also the canned stuff can be cut further by adding alcohol. If cost is an issue mixing is way cheaper.
what I like about using it in turning is that it dries quite quickly so if I need to stiffen a punky piece I can turn it within five minutes of loading the soft spot with thin shellac.
Happy Turning
Al
the flakes are refined from the collected sticks. the higher grades have less impurities and impart less color on the work.
shellac in a can or mixing flakes yourself should give equal results.
the only issue with mixing is that it can take a few hours to overnight before the shellac dissolves and is usable. also the canned stuff can be cut further by adding alcohol. If cost is an issue mixing is way cheaper.
what I like about using it in turning is that it dries quite quickly so if I need to stiffen a punky piece I can turn it within five minutes of loading the soft spot with thin shellac.
Happy Turning
Al