Hello,
Would someone help me understand the use of shellac in a wood staining process? Many people have mentioned using shellac in their staining process, and being a newbie when it comes to staining, I just don’t understand how shellac works. I’ve never used it. I’ve watched Norm enough to have noticed that one of his staining techniques has the following steps: oil stain, then seal with wax free shellac, then grain filler paste, then stain again with gel stain and finally, applications of poly.
My question is, what does the shellac do? I had always assumed that shellac was a substance similar to polyurethane and therefore wouldn’t accept a stain on top of it. But based on Norm’s technique and what I’ve heard from others, this apparently isn’t true.
Can someone give me a brief explanation of how shellac works? Can you apply it, let it dry, then just put gel stain on top? Do you have to sand the shellac before putting on the gel?
And why does everyone talk about shellac flakes? Doesn't shellac come in liquid form in cans? Please forgive my ignorance, but as you can see, I know nothing about shellac.
Louis