# Shellac or Lacquer Over BLO ?



## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I have not used shellac or lacquer ever and have some questions. Can I apply it over BLO? How long should I wait (patience is not one of my virtues)? Any tips, cautions, or other shellac/lacquer advice appreciated. I'm talking about small projects (boxes) so I hate to use/clean up my sprayer for something this small. Thanks for all the good advice I know I'm going to recieve!


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

I use a lot of shellac as a sealer and as a final finish. It'll go on anything, and is an easy cleanup. Brush, spray, wipe will work. Clean up with water and amonia (generic is fine.) Not too resistant to water/alcohol damage, but can be easily recoated if needed. I mostly use the Zinsser Seal Coat. It is dewaxed.
Bill


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

andy you can buy lacquer in a spray can, so no clean up is needed, this should be used with sanding sealer, in my opinion, as the sanding seal does just that, it seals your wood, , it fills the pores of the wood and if done with several coats, then your lacquer goes on with a mirror finish, it dries very quickly and can be applied with thin coats, i like it for certain types of projects, but as finishes go, there are many and i think you should maybe get some books from some of the better box makers and get there thoughts. i do think there are better finishes when it comes to boxes, and im still learning myself…so keep on learning , i think by reading what the expert box makers use , we cant go wrong..but with as many finishes as there are, you might find you like one over the other,have fun, its a real enjoyable quest…grizz


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## Chipy (Apr 20, 2011)

I have used MIMWAX spray poly and have had good success.It comes in a spray can with a decent spray pattern.I bought mine at HD I think for about $8 a can. I am learning to be a fan of finishing and like you I am sometimes short in the patience department but I don't think I would haul out a big rig for something as small as a box.I have HVLP Earlex system on the way but I will probably still use spray cans for the small stuff.Hope I was some Help Chipy


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## planeBill (Oct 21, 2011)

As far as wait time. Depending on the conditions in your shop, at least 24 hours but I have found 48 to be my minimum.


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

Solvent lacquer is my go-to finish. It doesn't need any "sealer" as it'll stick to any wood and can be built up to fill grain as easily as anything else except paste fillers intended for that purpose. It's available in any degree of sheen and can be rubbed out if necessary. Also, finishing can be completed in a day. For small projects, I use a detail or touchup gun. Cleanup is just as easy as washing out a brush. In my experience, it has been the most successful film finish.


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## michelletwo (Feb 22, 2010)

If you are in a hurry, shellac is your product. I use it on turnings about 75% of the time. Dries FAST


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## MrAl (Sep 3, 2007)

I like shellac for large and small projects. Try a 50/50 - shellac/denate alch. mix. If your work area is reasonably warm, will dry within 30 min. For boxes-- apply several coats, allow to dry, steel wool, paste wax-buff, give box to someone who will appreciate it. Shellac is an reasonably durable interior, safe finish. Was used as a pill coating. FDA approved for childrens furniture. Try it, fool around with the mixture. An almost fool proof finish.


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## 3Gwoodguy (Jan 11, 2011)

these are alll great inputs…I would just add. The smell of shellac is much lighter and appealing to me. One amazing experience I had was after laying down a coat of stain, I noticed how strong the stain still smelled even after drying. I applied the shellac, and it sealed up the stain and after the shellac was dry virtually no smell of the stain. Really no smell at all. .......and its all natural.


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