Shellac shelf life

[Jeffrey Cole]

GOOD DAY, I am going to grain fill with shellac and was wondering if there is a shelf life for it. Mine is just over a year old. I have Zinsser Seal Coat:
Thanks for the help!
Jeffrey

[Kent A Bathurst]

Has the can ever been opened?

If no - I would expect OK. If not, hard to say.

Ether way - you would be wise to do some tests to see that it cures properly.

If this is a recurring issue, you can always buy flakes, and mix only what you need. The flakes last forever, as far as I can tell, if you keep them in the fridge or the freezer.

[glenn bradley]

Shelf life on Seal Coat is 3 years. See the bottom of page 3.

[Ed Edwards]

Shellac "Born On" Date

I sent Zinsser/Rust-Oleum an e-mail asking about their shellac. This is their response...

The lot number that you have was manufactured May 17th, 2010.
S05179 reads as follows, S-Somerset NJ.
The first digit after the letter is the year of manufacture 0-2010.
The second digit is the month 5-May. (O-October, N-November, D-December).
The next 2 digits are the day of the month 17-17th day.
The final digit is for our records, the batch was made on the 9th run of the day.
Shellac has a 3 year shelf life.

[Jeffrey Cole]

Thanks guys for all the information. I think I will do a test to check how it cures just to be safe. Again, thank you so much !!
Jeffrey

[John TenEyck]

I've never had a can of SealCoat go bad before I used it all, once over two years. I've had two leakers though, one after only a few months, and have learned to set it in a plastic pail to prevent a mess when it next occurs. I still prefer it over buying flakes.

John

[glenn bradley]

I've never had a can of SealCoat go bad before I used it all, once over two years. I've had two leakers though, one after only a few months, and have learned to set it in a plastic pail to prevent a mess when it next occurs. I still prefer it over buying flakes.

John

i

This seems to be due to the water that is inherent in the mix. I decant my shellac into glass or plastic containers. The cans are lined but sometimes fail. Zinsser has always replaced the cans for me by sending me a check.

[John TenEyck]

Thanks Glenn. I never thought to ask Zinsser for a refund. Next time.

John

[Allan Speers]

Has the can ever been opened?

...If this is a recurring issue, you can always buy flakes, and mix only what you need. The flakes last forever, as far as I can tell, if you keep them in the fridge or the freezer.

Say, is this true?

I was away from serious w-working for about 8 years, and I have 6 oz of unopened flakes. still sitting in my fridge, for at least that long. Can I really still use them?

[Mike Nolan]

I have had opened dry flakes kept in my house, not in a refrigerator, still good after several years in Southern California.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Say, is this true?

I was away from serious w-working for about 8 years, and I have 6 oz of unopened flakes. still sitting in my fridge, for at least that long. Can I really still use them?

I would.

Try on a test piece before you commit to valuable work piece, but I don't see why not.

Some of mine has been there nearly as long........

[Jerry Olexa]

I would TESt on scraps before you plunge in..Let it dry to see reults.

[Derek Richline]

I don't know about the canned stuff, but flakes & everclear should last about 5-6 months if you keep it out of the sun.

[Shawn Pixley]

I just re-opened a can of Sealcoat and tested it prior to use on a smal piece. It had gone bad (the can leaked after opening as well). Test, then use.