Shellac or dewaxed shellac?

[joe milana]

I'm considering shooting some DRESSER drawer boxes with shellac. Is there a benefit to using either shellac or dewaxed shellac? I've been using a WB varnish, but occasionally get a bit of a lingering odor (off gassing?) with the varnish, so I thought I'd try shellac this time. Thanks!

[Prashun Patel]

As a top coat, there is marginal difference between the two on a dresser.

[Sam Murdoch]

This site is a great resource for shellac and questions: http://shellac.net/pricelist.html I'm attaching a link to the Price page because it answers your specific question re: wax or dewaxed.

[joe milana]

Thanks Sam, I was thinking of going with the dewaxed because I can always use the leftovers, but now I've changed my mind.... On a side note, I can't imagine using shellac on floors as suggested in the product description.

[Quinn McCarthy]

You need to use dewxed schellac if you are using a water based top coat.The water base top coat will be much more durable than shellac. I usually put 2 coats on drawers. They get a lot of use.

Hope that helps.

Quinn

[joe milana]

You need to use dewxed schellac if you are using a water based top coat.The water base top coat will be much more durable than shellac. I usually put 2 coats on drawers. They get a lot of use.

Hope that helps.

Quinn

These are dresser drawer boxes. They'll be full of socks, sweaters, and undies. I wasn't planning on any topcoat over the shellac.

[Conrad Fiore]

Joe,
Either will work, but if you buy the dewaxed flake, you can use it under any topcoat in the future. I would suggest that you go with blonde or super blonde if you don't want to color the inside of the drawer boxes. I would also sand after the first coat, shellac makes a great sanding sealer and you will be able to get the surface very smooth so that non of the drawer contents will snag on any wood slivers. A second coat after sanding is up to you.

[Jim Becker]

For your specific need, it really doesn't matter. Personally, I only keep de-waxed shellac around as it works for "everything" I use shellac for, from use as a barrier coat over water soluble dye to an actual top coat.

[Larry Fox]

As to your original question - I ALWAYS go dewaxed. The waxy stuff just seems to be incompatible with too many things to be worth the trouble and I don't see any benefit to it. As to the finish on your drawers, I have an even easier suggestion for finishing them - wax only. I built two dressers for my kids a few years ago and Nancy Laird made the great suggestion to not finish them at all and use only a coat of wax. I used Renaissance wax and several years in they look and feel as good as the day I completed them. Unless it is a piece going into a moist environment (bathroom kitchen) I don't finish drawers anymore. Give it a try, if you don't like it you can always go back and finish them later.

[John Coloccia]

If shellac is to be the topcoat, I would probably lean towards a waxy shellac. You can always topcoat later with something else by putting a coat of dewaxed shellac on top of the waxy shellac to seal it (shellac is a miracle product, BTW, in case you didn't know). The wax will make for a more durable and friendly finish on an item that will be used everyday.

Just FYI, you can always dewax shellac yourself. Mix it, put in on a shelf for a few days, and all of the wax will settle out.

[Alan Lightstone]

If you put a coat of dewaxed shellac on top of a coat of waxed shellac, won't it just melt together and make a coat of less waxy shellac? I'm curious. I've never tried it.

[John Coloccia]

If you put a coat of dewaxed shellac on top of a coat of waxed shellac, won't it just melt together and make a coat of less waxy shellac? I'm curious. I've never tried it.

Nah. It does burn into the last coat, but we're talking a very small amount. If it were the case that it melts the underlying finish, every time you sprayed a coat all of the finish would just run and sag as though you'd sprayed one heavy coat of a heavier cut. Also, there's no reason for the wax to migrate. As far as I can tell, it does not dissolve in alcohol and is not even emulsified....it's merely in suspension and really doesn't want anything to do with the alcohol at all, so it should stay put. One or two coats will effectively isolate the waxy shellac.

These are spray coats, btw. Brushing goes on heavier and might change things a bit, but I know it's commonly down and I just don't have a recipe off the top of my head for the best way to apply it. I would spray it, probably 1 or 2 coats of a 1.5lb cut, and then continue finishing as normal. You would only ever do thi if you botched up and used waxy shellac by accident, or if you changed your mind. This situation is very rare and most will never have to deal with it.

[joe milana]

Give it a try, if you don't like it you can always go back and finish them later.

Are you tellin' me that I could spray shellac over the wax if I decided to?

[Larry Fox]

Are you tellin' me that I could spray shellac over the wax if I decided to?

Yeah - never tried it but I think you should be able to. Wax (at least that I am aware of) is soluble in mineral spirits so if you are not happy with it a good wipe-down with MS or naphtha should take the wax off and you should be able to shoot the shellac. One thing about shellac is that it makes a great tie / barrier coat because it has great adherence properties. The way I have always heard it described is that shellac sticks to anything and anything sticks to shellac. Having said this, I think I would practice on some scrap first.

However, if you are doing a dresser to hold clothing and stuff like that I really don't think you will be disappointed with the result of no finish or just wax. I was VERY skeptical when the suggestion was first made to me but I gave it a try and have been very pleasantly surprised at how well they have held up. I deployed these dressers a few years ago into the hands of my then very young children and they look as good today as they did the day I completed them. They are made of soft maple if that helps at all. Happy to email you pics of how they look today if you would like.

[joe milana]

Good Info Larry, Thanks!