Orange shellac on Walnut

[Scott Holmes]

You would be better protecting it with a harder varnish than polyurethane varnish.

Poly is tough (floors) not hard. The shellac is a great moisture barrier and I would suggest garnet shellac on walnut.

Note if you use a premixed "orange shellac" like Zinsser you will be apply a shellac that has not been de-waxed and poly will not stick; the other varnishes will.

I would suggest a dewaxed shellac like Zinsser seal coat or a garnet mixed fresh from flakes; then a phenolic resin varnish like Waterlox Original in either satin or gloss.

Note: Gloss will highlight every flaw; satin will hide many flaws.

[Kent A Bathurst]

QUESTION:

I am going to finish a walnut plant stand and would like to do this also, BLO, then orange shellac wipped on. I'm a nubie at all this.
John

Someone jump in here if I am wrong, but I believe that as long as you use dewaxed shellac, you can pretty much put anything on top of it.

For dewaxed orange, garnet, etc, you may need to go to flakes and mix your own. Flakes keep a long time (esp in fridge) and you can mix only what you need in the near-term, avoiding any potential shelf life issues for a long time.

[Jim Kountz]

Heres a lowboy I did with amber on walnut.
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.p...owboy+progress

[Scott Holmes]

Shellac is color fast it does not darken with age; many varnishes will darken.

[Ed Griner]

I have found black walnut (mid-atlantic) really looks good with minwax antique oil,warmed up a little,in a 72 degree shop.Apply several coats(whatever makes you happy)Followed by a good quality wax.Its very simple way to finish way to finish walnut with a period look.(easy to renew in five or ten years) I use blond shellac primarily as a sealer and the darker shellacs on antique repairs Ed