Shellac cleanup

Yes, ammonia works great. I usually always use ammonia for general brush clean-up when using shellac.

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

Dave, you are right about the ammonia but I never clean my brushes after using shellac. I just immerse them into a mason jar with denatured alcohol in it and cap it with plastic wrap. I occasionally have to add more alcohol as it evaporates but the brushes are always ready when I are ready to apply a coat of shellac. And if the solvent evaporates and the brushes harden, simply add more alcohol. It will re-dissolve any shellac in the hardened bristles.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

Household ammonia is the brush cleanup of choice for shellac.
Followup the ammonia soaking with a quick rinse in a mild detergent solution, such as Dawn.
I use a soft nylon scrub brush, i.e. a surgical hand scrub brush, to clean out any particles and to comb the bristles.
Rinse the brush in clean water then wrap the bristles in a a paper towel for drying.
It helps the brush keep its shape while drying.

A dilute solution of lye water will also work as a shellac brush cleanup solution.

-- 温故知新

Thanks Dryhter
Thats a new one on me.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

Hi Guys, I started using a shellac-based friction polish when I’m turning wood pens on my lathe. I apply it with an old tee shirt. Does any one have any recommendations as to how to wash the shellac out of the tee shirt? It’s completely soaked. I don’t know what ammonia or denatured alcohol would do to cloth. Any help would be appreciated.

I have had the denatured alcohol on various clothing items without any apparent problem. The alcohol itself evaporates then the clothing is washed normally. So, I suppose you could rinse your tee-shirt in the alcohol to clean it.

But considering what the denatured alcohol costs, I would be asking myself if the old tee shirt was worth cleaning.

Great tip. I will be using shellac for the first time as soon as I finish up my Shaker chest project. The chest carcass is done and all drawer parts are cut/sized and dado’d. I will be using this tip shortly! Right after my final glue up.

Thanks! This came at a good time.

-- HorizontalMike -- "Woodpeckers understand..."

Yep! The Wally World generic ammonia jug stays in my shop. A good dose of that in the shop towels that are washed in the machine with Arm & Hammer washing SODA (not baking soda) give me clean towels as well as the brush clean up.
Just DON’T use ammonia and bleach together. Chlorine gas is NOT your friend.
Dang! I sound like the home tips lady.
Bill

-- bill@magraphics.us

You’re a lifesaver, Lifesaver2000!

Bill, back in my dairy farm days we used to take jugs of a strong acid cleaner and a chlorine cleaner (it was about double the strength of household bleach) and pour down into rat holes. The gas produced resulted in a lot of dead rats. We just made sure we ran as soon as we got it poured out.

I guess I should add a disclaimer that I don’t recommend this. That was 35 years ago when I didn’t know any better.

Very Cool tip. Just got a can of shellac for the first time, and this info will come in handy. Thanks for sharing

-- It's Mic Keep working and sharing