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shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 12:02
by sunnybob
My commission turtle is finally finished. First time I have built up so many layers of shellac but I like the result.
It has a reflection, but not as glossy as wipe on poly.

I lost count of the coats, some parts have a lot, most have at least twenty. :shock: I only make very small amounts at a time, this took three separate mixings. :eusa-doh:

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The interior is red flocking. The lid is a tight enough fit that when pushed closed normally, the box can be lifted off the surface by the lid.

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Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 12:11
by DaveL
That is very nice.

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 12:52
by Malc2098
Lovely job!

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 14:11
by Nico Adie
Outstanding!

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 14:20
by Woodbloke
Excellent! - Rob

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 15:20
by jvc26
Excellent work!

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 15:52
by Andyp
What’s Malc been on today? ;)

Bootiful, Bob.

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 17:17
by Woodbloke
Andyp wrote:What’s Malc been on today? ;)

Too much of that Devon scrumpy, it being apple harvest time :eusa-whistle: :lol: - Rob

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 17:38
by sunnybob
now I have another problem. the glue used for the flocking stinks. I cant leave the top off as dust settles on the flocking and is difficult to remove.

I'm trying a new bar of Dove soap, rested on a piece of cardboard inside it, to dilute the smell. But now i'm paranoid about any oil seepage from the soap. The sooner it gets collected the better. 8-) .

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 17:56
by Andyp
The tray from a matchbox looks like it will fit in there. Fill the matchbox with lavender.

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 18:06
by RogerS
Pure craftsmanship, Bob. :eusa-clap:

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 18:09
by Malc2098
One some masking tape to get the dust to stick to to clean the flocking. Just dab the sticky side gently over it.

Back in 1970, before we went on parade each morning we used sellotape to get the dust of our uniforms.

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 18:18
by sunnybob
Thanks for all the comments.

I like the lavender idea, not sure if we have any, I shall have to check with 'er indoors. Come to think of it, I know we dont have any matchboxes :eusa-doh: :eusa-doh:
Masking tape i have, but I really dont want to even try that except as a last resort because of the 90 degree angle between bottom and sides. Digging tape into that could easily scrape the finished surface. 8-)

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 21 Oct 2020, 18:43
by Malc2098
If any dust gets on the flocking, wrap a small piece around the top of your finger, adhesive side out, and if it's too sticky, rub a finger over it a couple of times, so it will only just pick up the dust and not the flocking.

Or use low tack tape.

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 22 Oct 2020, 11:41
by Woodbloke
sunnybob wrote:
I like the lavender idea...


On a completely different note (but concerning lavender) I've found that a few drops of lavender oil on a hanky placed on your pillow appears to aid sleep (or it seems to for me). I thought it was an old wive's tale but apparently there's some evidence that the fumes are beneficial for a decent night's kip. Apologies for the slight hi-jack - Rob

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 22 Oct 2020, 12:34
by Andyp
I would have expected lavender to grow wild in the climate you have Bob.

We have been using lavender oil when washing our sheets for years.

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 22 Oct 2020, 14:23
by TrimTheKing
Very nice mate.

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 22 Oct 2020, 14:39
by sunnybob
I know nothing about gardening, truly, nothing. I shall consult the expert/

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 22 Oct 2020, 15:38
by clogs
always had a soft spot for turtles.....
superb work and the finish is perfect......
u've got more patience than I....

Lavender grows like a weed here.....
chopped 1 bush it back to the base in the spring....
got to do it again because it's taking over.....
no idea how old the bush is but the stems near the bace could be big enough for pen blanks.....!!!!

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 22 Oct 2020, 17:14
by sunnybob
When travel is unrestricted again, you can come to Cyprus and not only see the turtles, but also release the brand new babies in to the sea. :shock:
My grandchildren love to do this, (so do a lot of the grown ups) 8-)

One of the very few good sides of this pandemic, is that wildlife are coming back in numbers. Without tourists splashing around and motor boats tearing up and down, marine life is coming right back to the shoreline.
My wife was snorkling in August, only 30 metres from the shore and without her realising it, a 3 ft diameter turtle surfaced so close in front of her she managed to stroke the shell as it went past :eusa-dance:

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 22 Oct 2020, 19:40
by Trevanion
How are you applying your shellac Bob? I've got a squirrel hair brush somewhere that is excellent for shellac as it leaves barely any brush marks.

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 22 Oct 2020, 20:16
by sunnybob
No squirrels in Cyprus 8-) We have hedgehogs if thats any help :D
I'm using exactly the same method as the wipe on poly, wiping it on with clean cotton rag. Only a couple square inches of rag at a time, and throwing it away after a single use.
Its drying in a minute or two at the moment at 25c. When it was 35c plus, it was drying before i finished wiping. :shock:
After a half dozen coats and fully dried, i use a soft plastic washing up sponge to knock any spots off and then apply more.

Can you tell I'm self taught? :D :D :D

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 22 Oct 2020, 20:33
by Mike G
Interesting. With the wiping method I never give the application a second thought. It just gets slapped on any old how. It's the wiping off that counts. Shellac must be different because of the speed it dries.

Re: shiny shellac

PostPosted: 22 Oct 2020, 22:17
by Trevanion
Mike G wrote:Interesting. With the wiping method I never give the application a second thought. It just gets slapped on any old how. It's the wiping off that counts. Shellac must be different because of the speed it dries.


Shellac is pretty much drying as you put it on, it's a fairly quick finish but quite a meticulous process to get right! It's not really something that can be worked as such since it dries so quickly compared to say Osmo where you can pour the tin out and brush it out quite well by working it with the brush with no consequence to the finish, if you keep brushing shellac as it's drying it just gets sticky, balls up into little clumps and ruins your surface finish.

Thin, thin, thin layers and just build it up slowly!

Clicksping has a good video on the French Polishing process, which is another way to put shellac on:

[youtube]vFXsJNO3qsI[/youtube]