# How long to let shellac sealer dry before topcoat



## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

General Finishes recommended as wash coat of shellac before applying their Woodturner's Finish and a test on scrap reveals that it should work well. Now that I'm working on the real deal, I want to make sure I'm not applying the Woodturner's Finish too soon. How long would you let the shellac dry before applying the Woodturners Finish?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Like every other finish the recoat time would vary depending on the temperature. Shellac can also blush in humid weather so avoid using it above 70% humidity. In warm weather shellac could be recoated in an hour. In cold weather I would let it dry 4 to 5 hours.


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

Shellac is what known as a evaporative finish. In other words it dries by the evaporation of the alcohol. When the alcohol has fully evaporated, the finish is dry. For fresh shellac, it will dry almost immediately--certainly within a couple of minutes. If it is not sticky when you give it the "pinky" test, it is ready for recoat. Temperature has little affect on it's drying rate or time. I have applied shellac at below freezing with no adverse effect


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