Shellac

I've talked about shellac before, here. Above, some Kusmi No. 2 buttons, or button-lac. I also use shellac as a sort of quick version of an oil and wax finish, with shellac instead of the labor and time intensive oiling process.

This rocking chair is an example of shellac and wax finish. The shellac is applied with a nylon stocking, quite thin, as a penetrating finish rather than trying to build a surface coat. I then apply wax with either steel wool, or an abrasive, nylon pad, buffing the wax immediately, cause we don't want a waxy build up. The abrasive evens out the shellac. Alternatively, the shellac can be sanded, and the wax applied with a cloth or brush. As can be seen, it is possible to develop a beautiful sheen.

 And another use for shellac, above I'm "burning" shellac into some gaps in in the joints of a section of bowling alley being made into counter tops. I'm using an old tacking iron from a drymount press as my burn-in knife. Molten shellac is a traditional furniture repair material, coming in a wide variety of colors to match various finishes. The final finish here will be oil. Tung oil, thinned with citrus solvent, producing a food safe finish. Button lac is heated to a molten state to form the buttons; a process which polymerizes the shellac, making it very tough, durable and water resistant. This finish was devised to make a food safe finish, while also being as green as possible. Shellac is still used to put a shine on candies and pills.

Shellac.net is a good source for a wide variety of shellacs. Tung oil and citrus solvent are available from The Real Milk Paint Co.