Shellac over acrylic lacquer?

[Carlos Arteta]

Correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that shellac (waxed or de-waxed) can stick to anything, and that anything can stick to de-waxed shellac -- that's why de-waxed shellac is the "universal" sealer. If so, can one apply shellac to wood that has already been coated with acrylic lacquer. Will doing so change the appearance of the wood -- making it richer and deeper? Or does the shellac need to be apply to bare wood, not to acrylic lacquer coated wood, for the wood to have such deeper look? Does it make a difference to use waxed or de-waxed for this purpose? How about clear vs amber shellac? Thanks.

[Steve Schoene]

Shellac will adhere, but since the wood has already been sealed it won't dramatically change the appearance, except if you use a darker shellac, garnet or orange, the color difference will be noticeable. I never recommend clear shellac because it is less durable than the other varieties because it has been chemically bleached with chlorine bleach. Ultra or super blonde shellac is the lightest of the natural shellac, having achieved the lighter color by filtering out the dye with charcoal filters,not by a chemical reaction. Personally I would avoid mixing finishes like that, even though there are no problems with the combination in the short run. But, eventually, the fact that the two finishes reach differently to changes in humidity and wood movement could shorten the life.

[Willem Martins]

IMHO, you can get the same color depth with Acrylic Lacquer as with Shellac on bare wood. The Lacquer is much more durable and it sprays easier than Shellac, so if the first coat is already Lacquer, why use Shellac?

[John TenEyck]

If you want more depth to the finish, spray more coats of the acrylic lacquer. If you want to change the color, add dye to the lacquer. I would not put shellac over lacquer, only the other way 'round.

John