Ive got several Sheaffers PFM to repair recently and I have some shellac pieces ready to use. Shellac will dissolve in any alcohol, including watery alcohol, but if you don't know and can't reproduce the solvent mix, you'll get pretty unpredictable results. Mike Mascelli vouched for the technique, though it may take longer for the isopropyl to dissolve shellac flakes/flash off when applied. mix your own shellac. Little bug parts and other impurities always seem to make it into the shellac flakes. A test for suspected old shellac is easy --simply dissolve the flakes in alcohol. How to Remove Shellac. Both methods work fine, but this method requires you to clean the container that you measured the shellac flakes in. RawKrafted Krumble Flakes Premium Shellac Super Blonde 8 oz Bag. Organic solvents, such as MEK or MEC are non-polar compounds and won't dissolve lac, which I'm guessing is polar in nature. Dewaxed flakes shellac, simply diluted in denatured alcohol, serves as a varnish and is used in many natural varnishes.The dewaxed flakes shellac varnishes are used to erode polish buffers, they are often found on musical … A little longer with 95%. We also need a small cup, and a clean cotton rag. I’ve had some flakes for years, and while I sometimes get bits that refuse to dissolve, I find that is more to do with the temperature in the room than the flakes. even better than lots of old flakes. I've been reading past posts about quick and shiny finishes and in amongst those are folks who say they mix their own shellac. It is found on almost all wooden furniture pieces. Now that DNA seems hard to get what do you use to dissolve your shellac flakes and what flakes do you prefer. Thanks! help shellac dissolve faster. When I add to methylated spirits, it will not dissolve. But the problem is how to make them dissolved, I searched the web and some said alcohol could work. Shellac flakes have a finite shelf life unknown to most users. What is shellac? Shellac is can easily be damaged by water or alcohol, leaving white spots on the wood piece. Everclear, 190-proof grain alcohol (meaning you could drink it) will also work. Yes No. To make your own you buy flakes and mix them with denatured alcohol. Oct 11, 2012 - Shellac is a sticky resin commonly used as a wood sealer and finisher. Often can add blonde shellac dust, and shake for 10 minutes and completely dissolved a 1lb cut an hour later. Fresh-mixed shellac is an excellent film finish, and we go through a lot of it in our shop. It is anything up to 5 years old and has been kept in a region where humidity is generally above 80% all day and night. Water will slow the evaporation rate. There are lots of… With shellac, fresh is somewhere between two and six months, at which time we throw it out and mix a new (small) batch—a pint or two of shellac in a four-pound cut will go a long way. After mixing the shellac flakes, it takes up to 24 hours to dissolve. • Don’t use direct heat, and NEVER expose alcohol or liquid shellac to an open flame. We're also going to wear gloves throughout this process because shellac can get a little bit sticky. +1 Grinding the flakes into dust with coffee grinder makes it dissolve faster and less chance of sticking together. Iso-propyl alcohol is a bit less hydrophilic than ethanol. The trick is to find a different polar solvent. Quick view Add to Cart. A polar compound should work. This allows more of the flake's surface area to come into contact with the alcohol at once and dissolve quicker. I have quite a lot of shellac flakes in plastic self seal bags, airtight I assumed. • Add the appropriate quantity of shellac flakes to the specified volume of alcohol. I couldn’t find any 99% denaturated alcohol. You can buy shellac ready mixed or you can make your own. When processed, it is turned into dry flakes which are dissolved in industrial alcohol to make liquid shellac. $24.00. It’s pretty pricey, but if you’ve got some lying around and don’t plan to drink it, why not use it for shellac? (See chart.) In excellent storage conditions, shellac flakes can last many years (storage conditions from 40F to 50F at <40% RH are suggested). Start with fresh shellac flakes. In its raw form, shellac comes in flakes that you can dissolve in alcohol. Before you even think of applying shellac to your project, you've got to strain it! Use a multi-folded piece of cheese cloth, paint strainer, or clean old t … Dewaxed shellac cannot be stored as long as shellac with natural wax content. It also dissolves in methanol, butyl and isopropyl alcohol . We do not know how long it could be stored but we recommend to use it within a year. Anyway, alcohol is not easy to buy. I always strain my shellac through a paint filter after dissolving, so that picks up any stubborn bits. not as a barrier for urine, smoke or sap). Dissolve Shellac into pure methylated spirits (95%) at the following rate: - 250gms Shellac in 1 litre of pure methylated spirits. Have no idea whether that is relevant for shellac. Shellac does not dissolve in alcohol. I've been using shellac for a while, and have some experience, but I'm having a really strange experience, and could use some advice. A small stick will do and give it a churn to get it moving. Mixing Shellac Flakes with Denatured Alcohol. The alcohol should be anhydrous, that is it should not contain water, because water will cause the shellac solution to become cloudy or milky in appearance. Begin with a bone dry, completely trimmed piece, in this case a bowl. So I asked him if the book he was referring to was from England, to which he answered that it was. Shellac is a resin that the female lac bug secretes. This term has caused much confusion in the U.S. Shellac has a definite shelf life. Shellac flakes dewaxed pale slightly golden toned. If the flakes are fresh they'll dissolve overnight. More clear than natural shellac. RawKrafted. Also know, how do you make shellac flakes? and therefore went with 99.9% (won’t vouch for the 0.9%) iso-propyl alcohol. Obsolete dewaxed shellac may not dissolve properly in alcohol. If the shellac is fresh or has been stored correctly then it should fully dissolve in 100% metho within 1 hour, 2 hours at the outside. Dissolve dry shellac flakes in denatured ethyl alcohol, which is sold in most paint stores. My method includes grinding the shellac flakes into a fine powder with a coffee grinder. so you can choose different colors for different finishing needs. Start fresh! I’ve heard of some folks purchasing 99% concentrations of isopropyl alcohol through medical suppliers. In fact, you can dissolve shellac flakes in alkaline water (hat … You will need to do this 3-4 times and it will devolve completely. of dry shellac flakes by storing them after purchase in a cool, dry area-- a refrigerator is best. Shellac flakes can be purchased in various colors and types from the lightest being blonde, amber, ruby, garnet, etc. How to Create Shellac Resist Decoration. The flakes will be marked de-waxed or not. Most shellacs should be totally dissolved within three days. This goes for even the finest grades of blonde shellac. Shellac flakes WILL degrade such that they will no longer dissolve in alcohol. I had a still sealed bag of BT&C blonde Tiger shellac flakes. Since my pieces are typically about 1/4-inch thick, tapering to 3/16-inch at the rim, I take extra care not to put a strain on it. Dissolving and mixing shellac flakes Mixing procedure • Determine the “cut” and volume of shellac you plan to mix. Even if Shellac flakes are stored in a cool, dark and dry place, but older than 2 years (thumb rule), it will not dissolve completely in alcohol overnight when compared to fresh stock. Another method is to weigh the shellac flakes separately, measure out the alcohol, then add the flakes. The alcohol should be anhydrous, that is it should not contain water, because water will cause the shellac solution to become cloudy or milky in appearance. We had found that just about everything dissolved if we agitated it enough. Shellac is a perishable product and despite common misconceptions, shellac flakes do NOT last forever. If it takes overnight or a day then either the shellac or metho is no good and you may not get the best result when the shellac is eventually used. Because of its origins, it is not vegan, but it is a renewable resource, unlike its synthetic alternatives. In this video I demonstrate how to dissolve shellac flakes int... Related Products. Large chunks weren't a problem either - agitate and all was well. Not Helpful 3 Helpful 9. Here is how I mix it up for general use as a furniture finish (i.e. Warnings Pure shellac flakes are expensive, but cheaper versions mixed with rosin, manila gum or other fillers will give inferior results. Room Temperatures of 75 F-90 F will speed up this process. Natural finishing product in soluble flakes in the Lacquer Thinner (denatured alcohol).Shellac is rather an organic resin secreted by an insect lacifera laca. Dissolve dry shellac flakes in denatured ethanol, which is sold in most paint stores. He had just read in a book that it was the best solvent to use with shellac. Joel's Blog: Shellac Shelf Life -The Followup: 10/20/2011: When we last spoke of shellac our hero had said all my shellac dissolves send me some dewaxed shellac and I will try to dissolve it. A woodworker friend called wanting to know where he could buy some methylated spirits. Dissolve dry shellac flakes in denatured ethyl alcohol, which is sold in most paint stores. Methanol will evaporate the quickest, followed by ethanol, butyl and isopropyl alcohol . Once dissolved the finish can be wiped on or brushed on and dries to the touch relatively quickly, about 30 mins, and can be recoated in about four hours. Often confused with tree resin and lacquer, shellac is an excretion gathered from the lac insect that is useful as a sizing or an isolating varnish between paint layers. Used for a quite thick cut, it took its time to dissolve the shellac flakes. Shellac flakes can be pounded in a bag until powdery, to help them dissolve faster. YMMV-- If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all, - Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign released 1967 Pour the required amount of methylated spirits into a glass or plastic container (do not use tin or metal as this will result in the solution darkening). Speaking of which, we will need some alcohol for our mixture. Making shellac is a simple process whereby we dissolve the flakes of shellac we buy into 190-proof denatured alcohol which we either buy through license here in the UK or we use Methylated spirits, which is denatured alcohol with an added violet colouring and any of a number of other additives that make the Meths undrinkable and even poisonous to prevent the misuse of it as … Quick view Add to Cart. We use Tiger Flakes from Tools for Working Wood. I found that shellac will sludge on the bottom unless you shake it well enough to let the denatured alcohol do it's stuff. The label on commercial brands should tell you whether it is de-waxed or not. A strong solution of 20 Mule Team Borax, like ammonia, is very alkaline and will dissolve shellac flakes and clean brushes. Re: Shellac Question - mine won't dissolve completely give it a good stur. Question. Water is a weak polar compound, too weak to get a useable shellac cut. 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