# Acrylic lacquer over shellac



## hankh (Jun 25, 2013)

I finished coffee tables with shellac (flakes cut with alcohol). The tables are Indian rosewood and maple. I am thinking of adding a coat (or 2) of water-based acrylic lacquer to protect the finish. Will the lacquer bond adequately with the shellac? Is this a good idea or a terrible one?


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Shellac is often used as a barrier between incompatible finishes so the chances are good. Try it on a test piece first Hank. Because shellac is dissolved in alcohol there is a good chance that if they are incompatible it will show right away.


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

Yes, that will work just fine as long as you used dewaxed flakes.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

EMPHASIS ON *DEWAXED*!!!!

Lacquers provide little in the way of protection. 

Consider a good wipe on poly. Easy to apply, builds up nicely, dries much quicker than regular poly's (but not nearly as fast as lacquers) easy to touch up if needed available in all gloss's.


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

I really like the minwax wipe on poly. goes on really smooth so if you're doing a rub-out you don't have as far to go.


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## hankh (Jun 25, 2013)

Thanks for the replies. The shellac is dewaxed. I looked again at the can of the the finish that I want to use. Says interior VARNISH. Is there a difference between varnish and lacquer? If so, what is it, and what does it mean in this case?


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hank; I googled it...Interior Wood Varnish | Ronseal
No idea why they're so skimpy with the product info but if you scroll down far enough it does say that it's soapy water cleanup. I'd guess that it's some type of acrylic or urethane(?).
No reflection on this product, but my personal approach is to walk a way from products whose manufacturer treats me like an idiot.
Imho, they owe it to the customer to educate them. To give them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they expect the sales clerk to give you the whole song and dance.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

@hankh....\

saw you can of varnish tipped over and looked to the bottom of the screen to see what kind of mess ya made...

Dan is putting in the water, again...


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## phillip.c (Aug 9, 2012)

Not to hijack the thread; but why put a poly or varnish over shellac? Why not just leave it shellac?


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Stick486 said:


> thank you... thank you... *THANK YOU!!!!*
> 
> award graciously accepted...
> 
> ...


Stick as the young folks would say you are a "HOOT". :wink:

Don


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

DaninVan said:


> Hank;
> No reflection on this product, but my personal approach is to walk a way from products whose manufacturer treats me like an idiot.
> IMHO, they owe it to the customer to educate them. To give them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they expect the sales clerk to give you the whole song and dance.


the sellers prefer idiots...
clerks that recite from their 3x5 cards and haven't a clue whats on the shelf...
if they were to educate their consumers sales would tank...


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

phillipdanbury said:


> Not to hijack the thread; but why put a poly or varnish over shellac? Why not just leave it shellac?


Cold drinks without coasters leaving white rings on a shellac finish - prevention thereof.


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## phillip.c (Aug 9, 2012)

rwl7532 said:


> Cold drinks without coasters leaving white rings on a shellac finish - prevention thereof.


Why not just use all coats of poly then? Skip the shellac?


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

Knowing how to work with shellac is pretty handy if you buy something old enough when they used shellac.

Pictured is a snare drum I bought for $35 on E bay.
Circa 1917....
It had some odd dark markings on the wood.
DA took them right off.


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## hankh (Jun 25, 2013)

rwl7532 said:


> Knowing how to work with shellac is pretty handy if you buy something old enough when they used shellac.
> 
> Pictured is a snare drum I bought for $35 on E bay.
> Circa 1917....
> ...


I was put-off by the lack of info on the can - but didn't really think about. Will definitely keep that in mind in future purchases - not just finishes. 

I'll go back to Phillip's question - other than restoring on old item and/or commitment to traditional methods, what other advantages does shellac have?


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## rwl7532 (Sep 8, 2011)

Repairable is definitely one advantage, quick drying is another.


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

Shellac has lots of advantages - easy, cheap, fast. The two biggest drawbacks are lack of durability and moisture resistance. Still, I'd use them on things like the insides of cabinets, jewelry boxes, ... It's food safe.

Also, the water based polys/urethanes have a slight cloudiness to them. The oil based stuff is clearer.


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## phillip.c (Aug 9, 2012)

Clarity would be a big bonus for me. 

If you put a coat of poly over it, it's no longer repairable?

If there's a slight blemish, is it true that one can wipe it with alcohol since shellac flakes are alcohol soluble?


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

phillipdanbury said:


> Clarity would be a big bonus for me.
> 
> If you put a coat of poly over it, it's no longer repairable?


True. you'd have to strip/sand and refinish. On the flip side, it's a lot more durable so you wouldn't need to do it as often as with lacquer or shellac.



> If there's a slight blemish, is it true that one can wipe it with alcohol since shellac flakes are alcohol soluble?


Yes, that is true. shellac (and lacquer) are considered "hot" finishes in that the solvent dissolves the layer below. Polyurethane forms multiple layers but, with shellac, each coat melts into the previous one to form a single layer. I've never repaired shellac but have heard that it may take more than just wiping to repair a blemish, you might need to let it soak for a bit.

By the way, in the class I took, the instructor said that when ever she uses water based finish, she always "raises the grain". By that she meant wet the wood with water and sand it down. She does this even if using a layer of shellac underneath the water based stuff. She showed several examples where she did and didn't raise the grain - the difference was pretty clear.


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