Shellac flakes gone bad?

[Corvin Alstot]

I just bought some super blond flakes from Rockler's. It is the Behlen
Master - Super blond flakes that comes in a 16 oz white plastic container.
I mixed it with Behkol proprietary solvent as I typically do. What has me
concerned are the flakes were one big mass in the bottom of the
container when purchased and I had to chip it apart to get them into my
mixing container.

The flakes are dissolving in my glass 20 oz container but the color is a
muddy light brown and not the clear amber color I typically see. The
shellac mix also appears less transparent and more cloudy than usual.
Could the flakes have gotten contaminated or gone bad?
<O</OI just purchased them the other day so they are fresh to me. I guess I will
try it out on some test pieces first but the color and cloudiness has me
concerned.<O</O

[Carl Eyman]

Corvin:
It would have me concerned also. The solid mass of flakes is certainly an inconveinence, but I've mixed them and it has worked OK. (Of course, I now use a drink blended, which makes it easier) The cloudiness is the problem I'd be concerned about. If you call Rockler, tell us what they say.

[Corvin Alstot]

Carl/
I took the solution as well as the shellac back to Rockler.
The flakes did not compare to others they had on the shelf. Mine were a
brownish color and in huge chunks. The super blond flakes should be amber
orange in color as well as small individual flakes.

We did a switch and I am making a new batch. I will post pictures later but
I doubt you could see the subtle difference in a photo. The new batch is
more orange in color,but also the transparency.
The previous batch must have been contaminated. Next time I will unscrew
the top and check the contents before leaving.

[Cecil Arnold]

My guess would be they may have absorbed some water. I agree with Carl about calling Rockler, and also about the mixer (I use a high speed coffee grinder). While my guess is water absorption, I have flakes that came sealed in plastic and have been open for over a year in humid Houston that still seem to be good.

[Jim Becker]

The flakes really don't go bad but may be in a less-than-ideal state from your description. The old trick is to get a cheap coffee grinder...the type that looks like a mini-blender...and use it to chop up your flakes finely before you put them in solution with alcohol. (or Behkol if you prefer)

[Carl Eyman]

Corvin: I didn't realize you were one of the lucky ones that can trot down to your WW store and talk to real people.That is a blessing, but on the otherhand you may have to make do with a sales clerk as opposed to a knowledgable technician. Anyway, did they have a clue about the problem?

[Corvin Alstot]

Carl/The sales clerk had no idea as to the problem. They did have enough
knowledge to see that the dry flakes did not look right, and that my
solution/mix appeared strange. They cheerfully made an exchange and I
was on my way.
Jim/ The coffee grinder seems like a good trick. These flakes were one big mass, it would have
been tough on any grinder.

In the first photo, you can see the mixture is brown in color and very
cloudy (almost looks like there is a whiteish admixture added) rather than the typical light orange.

The second phot was to show difference between the bad mixture and the
new mixture as well as the contrast in transparency, butthe photos can
not capture how stark a difference exists between the
two. The jar with shellac at the very bottom was my original mixture I
was going to replace.

In the end, I am not sure what the problem- it was easier to get some
new flakes and keep moving forward rather than chance a finish problem in the future.

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

I put some blond shellac flakes in a storage building for about a month and the building got pretty hot from the sun. After getting them back home they were just a brown mass in the bottom of the container. I chipped them up and used them. Seemed to dry just fine but were a darker color than ususal.

[Corvin Alstot]

I put some blond shellac flakes in a
storage building for about a month and the building got pretty hot from
the sun. After getting them back home they were just a brown mass in
the bottom of the container. I chipped them up and used them. Seemed
to dry just fine but were a darker color than ususal.

Sounds like this could have happen. Since I spend way to long on projects
and have a hard time getting the finish applied perfectly, I did not want
to add any other factor or disasters into the process. Plus, I was
concerned that the finish might make the piece appear darker, or not
show the grain as clearly. Thanks for the info Don. Looks like I had
nothing to worry about.