First Post/Garnet Shellac Question

Don’t waste your money on a couple lbs of garnet shellac. Order a sample pack here from Shellac Finishes, a very small shellac supplier out of San Diego, CA, for $14. Then you can test garnet, orange, beige, and superblonde on some sample pieces and see what YOU like!

Vijay is one of the few suppliers you will find who believes that shellac has a lifespan in flake form, and he dates all of his packages accordingly. His prices are unbeatable, too.

Personally, I like fuming oak and mahogany. :) But I’m just starting to get into shellac finishes, myself, so I’ll probably give that a try, too.

-- Ethan, http://thekiltedwoodworker.com

Funny you mentioned Vijay. I just got a pound of orange shellac from his business. You are right about his prices, can’t be beat. Rockler and Woodcraft are double the price. Seems like good stuff too.

But I think you’re right, by the way. Frank Klausz also uses garnet shellac to give white oak that fumed look. I think you’d be satisfied with the results, but you might want to order a small amount first, just to test it out and see what you think.

-- Ethan, http://thekiltedwoodworker.com

Thanks for the supplier information.
One other thought, if you are using the top coat to impart the color, just be cautious while rubbing out at the edges of your piece. Variation in color can occur if you cut through the finish too aggressively.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Thanks for the link Ethan.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

No problem, Wayne. I’ve been meaning to write up something about it… I figured I needed to test it first, though, and I just haven’t been able to get the time in to do so.

Maybe this next week? The wife is going out of town on business again. I’m supposed to be working on things like packing and painting and getting the basement bathroom put back together, but… I imagine I’ll try to sneak some woodworking in, as well.

-- Ethan, http://thekiltedwoodworker.com

Looking forward to hearing about it Ethan.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I love using shellac. I often use it as a base coat before poly, but it sure looks fine just by itself!
Thanks for the link. I will try it soon.

God Bless,
Hawg

-- Saving barnwood from the scrapyards