# Polishing Shellac



## Jason Karas (May 15, 2014)

Hello-

I am new to finishing wood with shellac. I have a hardwood object that has lots of large sweeping curves. I have applied about 5 brush coats of shellac using an abrasive pad between layers to keep the brush marks topped off. After the last layer I used a 01 steel wool to take down the brush marks. Then a 0000 steel wool to smooth those marks down, followed by a light gray (ultra-fine) 7448 scotch-brite abrasive pad to smooth that out. Finally, I used a white non-abrasive pad to finish it out. It looked stunning and satin, but it looked even better when I took a turtle wax brand auto polish to the surface and polished it out on a sample. 

Since then I went for it on the final piece. There are a few matte patches here and there that just don’t want to polish out. I am worried that I possibly worked it below the 5 layers of shellac. Is there any other cause for this or have I removed all of the shellac in those spots?

If so what can I do to fix this?

Thank you in advance!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Since you are brushing the shellac I don't think you have enough finish to rub out. I would put a couple extra coats of shellac on and use 320 grit sandpaper between coats instead of steel wool. Once you put the final coat on wet sand it with 1200 grit or finer paper and rub the finish out with rubbing compound. Then use paste wax to bring the sheen back.


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

Use sandpaper and a sanding block with 400 grit dry silicone carbide paper ( 3M Tri-Mite Fre-Cut) to flatten each layer before applying the next coats. A soft pad will not flatten the surface but conform to all the defects you don't want. Once you have the surface perfectly flat (no shiny spots after sanding with a sanding block) then put on your final coats and proceed with the wet sanding and polishing like Steve suggested. 

Each coat of shellac melts into the previous one so you don't have to worry about layers of finish.


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

Jason Karas said:


> Hello-
> 
> I am new to finishing wood with shellac. I have a hardwood object that has lots of large sweeping curves. I have applied about 5 brush coats of shellac using an abrasive pad between layers to keep the brush marks topped off. After the last layer I used a 01 steel wool to take down the brush marks. Then a 0000 steel wool to smooth those marks down, followed by a light gray (ultra-fine) 7448 scotch-brite abrasive pad to smooth that out. Finally, I used a white non-abrasive pad to finish it out. It looked stunning and satin, but it looked even better when I took a turtle wax brand auto polish to the surface and polished it out on a sample.
> 
> ...


Jason
Have you ever tried French polishing? For the matte areas you can polish them in with a pad with shellac on it.

All those coats of shellac have turned into one. That's the way shellac works. If you have spots where you think it's too thin. You can add more to the area with a brush or a pad. When you want to smooth or shine the areas. Just use DNA on a pad and rub it out.

Pad on pad off. It's easy to do but I would recommend watching a couple of YouTubes on it. You really have a very easy fix here. I would try to fix it with shellac on a pad before all the sanding and what not. You can rub out shellac with a pad soaked in DNA.

Just a note for fun. Recesses Pieces are coated with shellac.


Al

Nails only hold themselves.


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

Although the grey pads are very fine, I find the "grit" to be a little inconsistent throughout the pad. In my experience, this caused areas that had scratches too deep to be polished or sanded out by the subsequent polishing step. 

I've had good luck sanding between the first few coats with 400 grit, then as the finish built and got smoother, I switched to 600; maybe 800 before the last coat. Always use a felt pad, never your fingers. Once the shellac had dried good and hard, I use Micro-Mesh (1500-12,000) lubricated with Naphtha, followed by Meguiar's Show Car Glaze. 

Speaking modestly, the gloss was staggering. 

Do be careful with the Naphtha, it's very flammable.


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## Road rider (Jan 29, 2012)

Quickstep said:


> Although the grey pads are very fine, I find the "grit" to be a little inconsistent throughout the pad. In my experience, this caused areas that had scratches too deep to be polished or sanded out by the subsequent polishing step. I've had good luck sanding between the first few coats with 400 grit, then as the finish built and got smoother, I switched to 600; maybe 800 before the last coat. Always use a felt pad, never your fingers. Once the shellac had dried good and hard, I use Micro-Mesh (1500-12,000) lubricated with Naphtha, followed by Meguiar's Show Car Glaze. Speaking modestly, the gloss was staggering. Do be careful with the Naphtha, it's very flammable.


I'm working with shellac for the first time ...
How long would you let it dry to be good and hard before you used the Megular's show car glaze ? 
Thanks


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

I let it dry for at least a full week before sanding with the Micro-Mesh. I did all the Micro-Mesh grits followed by the show car glaze in the same day. (once you see it after the 12,000 Micro-Mesh, it's hard not to go tot he next step! 

I don't know that you _have_ to wait for a full week, but my work usually happens on weekends, so there was going to be at least a week in-between no matter what. Basically, if the shellac really powders when you sand, it's ready to go; of course if it doesn't really powder, you've potentially got a mess, so I wait extra long just to be sure. I'm not in a hurry though. If I were in a production environment, it might be a different story. 

PS.... I was using shellac made fresh from flakes. I think pre-mixed wax free shellac has retarders in it that make it take longer to fully harden.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

wendell white said:


> I'm working with shellac for the first time ...
> How long would you let it dry to be good and hard before you used the Megular's show car glaze ?
> Thanks


It would depend on how well you let the shellac dry between coats and how many coats you put on. Under normal circumstances if you allow adaquate drying time between coats you should be able to use the glaze after the last coat dried 24 hours. If there was a lot of coats and especially if the shellac was rushed I would wait a week.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Rick Mosher said:


> Use sandpaper and a sanding block with 400 grit dry silicone carbide paper ( 3M Tri-Mite Fre-Cut) to flatten each layer before applying the next coats. A soft pad will not flatten the surface but conform to all the defects you don't want. Once you have the surface perfectly flat (no shiny spots after sanding with a sanding block) then put on your final coats and proceed with the wet sanding and polishing like Steve suggested.
> 
> Each coat of shellac melts into the previous one so you don't have to worry about layers of finish.


+1. :yes: The sandpaper could also be called "No-Fil", being in that same group of 'open coat' sandpapers.








 







.


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

wendell white said:


> I'm working with shellac for the first time ...
> How long would you let it dry to be good and hard before you used the Megular's show car glaze ?
> Thanks


It is more of an issue of allowing the finish to shrink back before wet sanding. Lacquer and shellac can off-gas for a long time and if you wet sand and buff too soon the finish can shrink and the pore structure will telegraph through again. Piano shops wait at least a month before buffing a gloss piano finish in lacquer. I would wait at least a week.


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

If the finish is all shellac. More can be added or removed at any time to level the finish without sanding. U less the brush marks are really corse. 

My step daughter messed up a table top I had finished with shellac. All I had to do was make up a pad. Soak it in DNA and then a little bit of shellac. Buff with quick strokes and the marks came right out. 

Here It appears the OP has rubbed through the finish to the wood. Happens all the time. With shellac He can just rub in some more finish and it will blend and meld right in. not sure why all the sanding. 

From there he can polish out the rest.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.


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## GROOVY (Apr 27, 2008)

Would the wax he applied have an adverse effect when adding more shellac?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

GROOVY said:


> Would the wax he applied have an adverse effect when adding more shellac?


Any wax should be removed before putting shellac or any film finish over the top. Dupont Prepsol Solvent is a good product to remove wax.


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