I have to admit that I bugged out after first reading shellac's list of ingredients. You see, shellac isn’t your average furniture finish. It’s not made in a lab with a toxic concoction of unpronounceable chemicals and it's not harmful to inhale. Shellac is actually as natural as it gets — it’s made from the reproductive secretions of an Asian insect!
As foul as it may sound, shellac production is quite fascinating and, dare I say, beautiful. It all begins when the female lac bug exudes a sticky resin onto a tree limb, forming a protective cocoon for its offspring. After the swarms of baby buggies hatch, the residue is harvested in the form of “sticklac,” a mixture of resin, twigs and bug bits. The sticklac is sifted and the colorful resin that remains (ranging from light blonde to dark amber) is flattened, dried and broken into flakes. Shellac is widely available pre-mixed in a denatured alcohol but is also sold in this flaky form. The flakes are GRRREAT because you can mix them when you need them. Added to which, due to a process called esterification, those dusty pre-mixed cans at the hardware store may have already expired — mixed shellac has a six-month shelf life before it's drying time greatly increases. Think of this expiration date as nature's seal of approval.
Shellac is best "padded on" (read: wiped on) with an absorbent cheese cloth wrapped in a lint-free rag. Since shellac tends to get gummy, it's helpful to sprinkle some mineral spirits (paint thinner) on the surface of your workpiece as a lubricant. Unlike most other finishes, shellac dries quickly allowing the application of several coats in a matter of hours. The famous, and famously hard to achieve, "French Polish" method commonly used by instrument makers involves applying multiple thin coats to achieve a super-glossy, reflective finish. (See first picture)
That said, shellac isn't perfect for every job. Since it dissolves in alcohol, you'd better avoid applying it on a dining or coffee table where a glass of cognac (or a can of PBR) might spill. Booze resistance aside, shellac is one fine finish — it brings out the best in wood grain, is simple to refinish if damaged, and, if you're deranged like me, you'll find its sweet insectival smell strangely appealing.
Now for a bit of history: In ancient times, before synthetic alternatives were invented, shellac was valued as a textile dye. According to the Zinsser Co., a leading manufacturer of pre-mixed shellac, the bug resin was used by the Ancient Indians to decorate leather and silk as well as their own skin. As trade routes between the East and West expanded in the 15th and 16th centuries, shellac’s popularity escalated. European painters eventually began applying it as a protective coat on their baroque masterpieces. Factories dedicated to processing and bleaching the dried flakes popped up throughout the continent. Woodworkers soon caught the bug too — until the invention of lacquer and polyurethane in the 20th century, shellac was the world's most popular furniture finish.
Today, shellac still sells well, albeit to a different clientele. Pharmaceutical companies are the industry's biggest buyers, using the edible finish to coat time-release tablets. If you haven't consumed shellac in pill form, you're sure to have had it on a sweet treat. Candy makers also use shellac as a glossy glaze on such snacks as Skittles and Reese’s Pieces. So remember kids, when you taste the rainbow, you're really tasting bug secretion!
(Images: 1 Robert Anderson Guitars , 2 L'Oasi , 3 Shellac.net , 4 Nerve.com )
Johnny is currently blogging his experience as a student and amateur woodworker. You can keep track of his projects on his blog, Woodlearner.
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Comments (15)
I'll put this out here one more time:
1. because something is natural does not mean that it is not composed of "unpronounceable chemicals."
2. Because something is natural does not mean that it is not toxic.
Shellac's not so great with water, either -- you get rings on it really easily. But as stated, easily repaired. Just use a coaster!
This is worthwhile reading - tho I wonder:
Is shellac apropriate for refinishing pieces that already have some residue of other finishes (lacquer, varnish or polyurethane) remaining on them, or should the piece be stripped down completely prior to applying shellac?
Skittles actually don't have confectioners glaze! Most sprinkles do though.
Once I figured out shellac wasn't nearly as intimidating as it might seem (due to its connection with finer woodworking and the horrors of padding as a finish), I fell in love and use it on pretty much everything -- including the coffee table, and it's held up fine.
A few things to add: first, it's user-friendly for repairs. Unlike poly, or even varnish, if shellac gets banged up, you only need to scuff it a bit and then lay on another coat. It chemically bonds to the layers below it, so you end up with one thick and strong finish (instead of poly's multiple separate layers). That bonding means any repairs are much harder to spot, if not impossible, because there's no demarcation between original finish and fixed spot.
It also dries really fast (or faster, depending on cut), so you can do layer after layer in a very short time. You don't have to pad it on, either. You can just use a good-quality brush, or you can use a refinishing pad and dip that in the shellac and "rub" the finish on. The last is a good idea if you don't want a glossy surface, or if dog/cat hair tends to ruin your finishes. I've spent hours fighting with poly, a nightmare to fix if a dog hair ruins the finish mid-drying. Shellac is much more forgiving.
I've never heard of "sprinkling mineral spirits" on the wood, though. I mean, that's part of the point of shellac, to dilute it with denatured alcohol. One thing of natural shellac (or amber, when I'm in the mood), and depending on cut (dilution) it's a pre-conditioner for stain on softwoods, a sanding sealer, and the finish coats. That's versatility!
The one thing that might be misleading in the post is the implication that what's on the shelf may not be good anymore. Yes, and no: it's dewaxed shellac that has the lower shelf-life, and you can buy it as either, but you'll need to cut it if it's not dewaxed. In general, test by painting a patch of glass. If the bit isn't dry after 5 minutes, it's not good for much more than extreme dilution to use as pre-conditioner.
Finally, shellac's weakness isn't really alcohol so much as liquids and heat in general. That means it's unsuitable for kitchen or bathrooms, anywhere it might be in contact with water and/or heat. And it's definitely not durable enough for floors. For everything else, though? Priceless.
I actually used to play with shellac as a kid in the 70's my friend and I would shellac EVERYTHING, dried leaves, artwork, woodwork, you name it and we would shellac it. It came in a spray can.
Tell us about urushi (Japanese lacquer), Johnny!!
Now here's the real question: Would the womb resin residue taste like Skittles if you scraped it right off the tree?
UK Skittles contain shellac, but North American ones don't.
oh, but, science geek, you are not saying that everything in the whole world is made out of chemicals are you? EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
:P
So Skittles aren't vegan, then?
skittles arent vegan because they contain gelatin as well.
vegan??? why do we have to go there??? please... stay focused on the wood finishing thing.. it's FARRRRR more interesting!
kaviare, that's where my mind went, too. this is a useful post - i had no idea shellac was an animal byproduct! i'll have to look into it. so i guess the question is, what's the best vegan alternative to shellac? i guess it depends on the project.
manu, it has been noted that you find one topic more interesting than another, thank you for sharing ;)
stomachfoot.etsy.com
French finish usually isn't actually pure shellac---it's shellac and linseed or some otheroil. The oil acts as a lubricant that prevents lifting of the shellac from the surface being polished. This from Wikipedia [the "fad" is the pad used to apply to polish]:
The 'fad' is commonly lubricated with an oil, that is integrated into the overall finish[1]. This helps to prevent the 'fad' from lifting previously applied layers of shellac. Typically, "softer" oils, such as mineral oil, will produce a glossier and less durable finish whereas "harder" oils, such as walnut oil, will produce a more durable finish.
mmm...japanese lacquer. it's such a beautiful finish but unlike shellac s not only very (!) time consuming but the ingredients (poison sumac) are labeled as toxic by the fda and so it's really hard to get in the states. it's not harmful to apply or have but making it requires handling the sumac.
shellac is such a wonderful finish. it can be one of the more durable finishes out there in addition to being the most beautiful.
a question on vegans and byproducts - ok. no honey because we're stealing from bees. i can almost understand that. why no shellac? it's bug waste. they have no use for it after the larvae have hatched into pupae. do vegans oppose animal manure as fertilizer?
i'm not flame baiting; i'm asking a serious question.