Tips for first time user of Shellac as finish for shadow box project

[tom coleman]

I am making a shadowbox for grandson using birdseye maple. I am looking for simple approach that will pop the color.

I am thinking of sanding to 180, then applying dewaxed shellac. Debating about using general Finishes water based clear finish as a top coat

[Brian Thompson]

Is there a reason you wouldn't just use only the shellac, and skip the GF top coat?

[Jim Becker]

As Brian mentions, for this kind of project, there's no need to add the clear top-coat in my mind. Shellac is a great finish. That said, you'll want to practice with it before you start applying it to your project. You cannot "work" shellac like you can varnish because it dries so quickly. So getting comfortable with "the technique" for brushing it is important...plan for an keep a wet edge, stroke, stroke and move on. Make sure you've broken the edges with some fine sandpaper (I use 320/400 for this) so that the finish doesn't pool up at the edge via natural forces. And use a quality brush, too...dedicated to shellac.

[Prashun Patel]

If you want to pop the color I would do this:

Sand to 400, then wipe with a thin coat of boiled linseed oil. Wait for a minute, then wipe completely dry. Let it dry for a day, then use a spray can of shellac to apply multiple, thin coats.

Even better than the Bullseye Spray shellac that is available at the BORG, I prefer Deft gloss lacquer. In my experience it levels better, and does not clog the tip.

[Phil Mueller]

Just started using shellac last summer. Given my limited experience, I'll offer a few learnings. Since you're doing a shadow box, I'll assume there is no face wider than an inch or two...so you can apply a coat with one swipe. Since I wasn't using a top coat, I went with Borg shellac...didn't worry about the wax content. I thinned it 50% with Denatured Alcohol. Wadded/balled up a rag to the width of the piece, dampened it with the shellac, and took one even swipe down the length. If it looked like I missed a spot, I left it alone. It will get tacky almost immediately. You can do a coat every 30 minutes.

I found, for me anyway, 5-6 thinned coats was easier than 2-3 full strength coats.

I did five coats and then a very light sanding with 1000 grit paper. Very happy with the results.

[Allan Speers]

What Phil said:

For a beginner, or even for an experienced hobbyist who has the extra time, doing many super-thin coats is much easier than 3 thicker coats. It's much harder to screw up.

Also - With something around a 1 lb cut or even thinner (I never measure, I just eyeball it and then adjust later if it feels wrong) you can usually apply each successive coat with 1/2 hour. There is also less sanding needed. Actually, just fine steel wool is all you need.


To pop grain, shellac works fine all by itself. A few times I've used a sealer coat of garnet shellac, then blonde after that, to bring out the grain just a little more. - but as Jim & others said, practice first on some scrap. Also as Jim says, ~ 320 grit final sanding works best. (Or scraping)

With thin shellac, you also have the option of padding it on, vs brushing. Personally I prefer to brush it, but you must use a natural-hair brush with very soft bristles. - Even softer than you'd use for brushing laquer. Ox hair or (very rare) squirrel hair cannot be beat. Some guys like the synthetic "Taklon" as it leaves no trails, but IMO it doesn't hold enough fluid.

You might even consider trying the french polishing technique, which yields the deepest & most glass-like surface possible. It's not that hard, just time consuming. It's basically just padding on a 1.5 lb cut, with some pumice to abrade the surface, then later with rottenstone to create the final glass finish.


- And if you decide to have just shellac as the finish, use real flakes. You won't be sorry.

Oh, and use a very good solvent, like Bekhol or Kleen Strip "Green" DNA. Personally, I use pure grain alcohol as I value my neurological health, but it is expensive.

[John TenEyck]

Personally, I would not try shellac on a shadow box. Too many ways to fail. I would use Arm-R-Seal or another wiping varnish. Much easier to apply uniformly and pops the grain very well.

Arm-R-Seal on curly maple:

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