By Aydan Corkern

For home crafters and hobbyists, shellac can be an easy and very classic finish. The mellow finish is very fine and shows off the natural grain of whatever wood it is on, but it shines most brightly on walnut, mahogany, and other fine woods. Traditionally French in terms of polish, shellac is used for fine furniture because of its shine. To apply, you will need time and patience because it requires several thin coats. It is relatively fast drying, with only 4 hours needed between coats. Mistakes are, fortunately, easy to fix.

If there is a drawback to using shellac, it is that shellac does not have the durability of other finishes. It can be damaged by water and alcohol, so it should not be used in tables for your living room. It is best used on the furniture in a formal study or for a home theater since electronics do not get wet. Also try to limit the amount of heat it is exposed to since heat opens a woods grain. This finish will need to be redone every few years because it absorbs moisture, turning hazy or white. Repairs are easy enough, so the frequency should not be a problem for furniture lovers. This finish is soft, so you will need some type of polish or waxing to protect this fine finish.

With this fine finish, there is not much variety. You get your choice of two colors, white and orange. White shellac is for light woods. As a thinner and sealer, you will want to use denatured alcohol. You can, however, tint this shellac. To do so, you will need alcohol soluble aniline dye in the color of your choice. Orange shellac is the most popular and gives an amber finish to your wood furnishing. Popular for desks and home theater furniture, orange shellac turns out best on walnut and mahogany.

When you go to buy shellac, you will be offered several cuts. Cut is the term used, in this case, for the concentration of the product. The most common is going to be a four pound cut. What do you cut shellac with? The most common choice for cutting it is denatured alcohol. This will need to be done before application, and the manufacturer will have directions on how to thin the product. You will need a sealer. For this purpose, try thinning one part of a 3 to 4 pound cut of white shellac with four parts denatured alcohol. For the finish coat, thin one part 4 pound shellac with two parts alcohol. This is especially important in furniture exposed to heat, like a computer desk or home theater.

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