Baltic Birch Seal/Dye/Topcoat

[Taylor Seidel]

I'm building a telescope out of Baltic Birch (the 13 ply 3/4" stuff- which is the real BB).

My plan is to first apply dewaxed shellac, followed by approx 3 coats of wiped on TransTint Perfect Red dye mixed with denatured alcohol. I will then follow this up with several coats of wiped on pure tung oil mixed with mineral spirits (on a schedule) to add depth and get the figure/grain patterns of the BB to pop. The top and final coat will be several coats of Waterlox cut 50/50 with mineral spirits so it can be wiped on for a gloss finish that is durable outside in high dew conditions.

I'll be using either rags or blue shop towels to wipe on my coatings.

My question is, does this finishing schedule make sense?

[Jim Becker]

The first issue you're going to face is that you'll be moving the shellac around with the dye unless you spray the dye. Secondly, there is no point in using the expensive tung oil for your "top coat" since it will not be able to penetrate the shellac. It will sit on top and take a long time to cure. Consider just using a normal wipe on varnish or "poly" for your "protective" top coat. It will look the same and likely cure faster and better.

[John TenEyck]

Jim has it right. Forget the tung oil. And you would be better off putting your dye in the dewaxed shellac and wiping that on. Spraying is preferable but wiping or brushing works OK if you're good. Thin the shellac with DNA if you'd like for less build up.

John

[Taylor Seidel]

Good advice. I can do the dewaxed shellac cut with DNA, mix in the TransTint, and spray that with my Fuji Mini-Mite 4 HVLP sprayer.

I'm using TransTint Perfect Red on Baltic Birch ply. I like the deep red as it looks like cherry wood with enough coats.

The question I have is, I like the red to be warm. Should I get orange, amber, or blonde shellac flakes?

The other question is splotchiness/uneven color because of the baltic birch ply. Should I spray on the dewaxed shellac first, let dry, and then follow up with more coats of dewaxed shellac mixed in with the TransTint?

[John TenEyck]

Sure, you can spray a coat of SealCoat (or pale dewaxed) shellac first to prevent blotching, and then follow up with your toner.

I'm not sure which color shellac will shift the color towards the warm side. My guess is something with blue. But make small samples with the shellac flavors you have and find out. If none of the them give you what you want then buy another color or two of Transtint.

John

[Jim Becker]

Warm is toward amber. Blue is cold

[Clark Hussey]

Trans tint in clear shellac is my go to for color matching. It can take a few try’s to get the color you are looking for. A color wheel might help. Here is a maple table and bench, that I recently completed. It has four coats of colored shellac. Then finished with four coats of emtech 6000. The goal was to match the color of the chair. I just love sideways photos.
IMG_2644.jpg

[John TenEyck]

Warm is toward amber. Blue is cold

You're right, Jim. It's amazing I'm as good at color matching as I am. Just shows that persistence is at least as important as intelligence.

John

[Taylor Seidel]

I haven't started spraying yet as the orange dewaxed shellac flakes is from shellac.net will arrive next Monday. I plan to cut it with Everclear 190 proof, and spray 1-2 coats. After that, I'll mix in some TransTint perfect red, and spray additional coats.

I do have a question. I plan to top coat with lacquer from Mohawk. See here:

https://www.amazon.com/Mohawk-Finish...s%2C258&sr=8-2

I'd like to buff and polish it to a nice glossy mirror-like shine. What automotive polish, or paste, would be best for this?

[John TenEyck]

I hope you have a safe place to spray that stuff. I only use shellac and WB topcoats with my spray set up. With the amazing WB products available these days, there's no need to use solvent based ones anymore. My two cents.

I would keep the number of coats of shellac you spray to the minimum possible. Shellac has a tendency to chip if it gets thick.

I use Evercoat Triple Cut Compound for rubbing out finishes. I don't do that often, but this stuff works great after sanding to 2000 grit.

John

[Taylor Seidel]

Yeah I built a spray booth big enough for me to walk in. It's about 7 feet tall, 6 feet deep, and 4 feet wide. I'm covering it with painters plastic and will open the garage door about 3-4 feet when I spray the lacquer.

[Jim Becker]

If your garage is attached to the house, be even more careful if you are going to use solvent based lacquer. Even if your spray booth as described is very well ventilated with the required explosion proof fan setup, fumes can still travel. They are dangerous to people and pets and potentially a fire hazard, etc. Like John, I only use waterborne products and shellac when I'm spraying. (and I have a detached shop)