Outstanding video. Have watched many others, and in a short time you shared practical info with no fluff. Love the info about using heavy flake mixture and diluting it for immediate use and tips on how to tell if it is too thin or thick by the characteristics of a test coat, not having to resort to measuring equipment. Thanks!

thanks so much for this information 👍 so glad I took the time to watch this video. Great presentation and extremely helpful

Excellent demonstration, you've outlined better than others I've viewed in decades. Thanks

I watch a lot of woodworking videos, have made some furniture for my home and seen many people discuss finishes with shellac. However, this video of yours really impressed me with your explanation and demonstration to the point of feeling the surface. Thank you for an excellent video.

Thanks very much for sharing your experience and knowledge with us. I'll save the link and watch it again for sure.

Good info, thanks! I like how you desolve the concentrated cut for future use. Good idea.

I was always worried about using shellac, because I had no instruction, but I wanted to try because my grandfather was a big fan of it. Thanks for the tips!

Thanks so much for teaching this, Mike, I now use it on all my projects and the results are fantastic. Would never have figured this out on my own, but really easy to apply. Bug goo, who would have thought?!

Wow, that is a fast finish. Thanks for sharing. Scott

Awesome video. Very well explained and the way you mix the two different batches of shelac is very practical and easy. And then the way you explain how to determine if you have the right consistancy in your final mix is very helpful. Just like cooking its better to get a feeling for the right amt of ingredients.

I love your videos. No fluff, just the facts man. I have had a love hate relationship with shellac for many years because I misunderstood how desirable a thin cut is . For years I would use heavy cuts, (creates a mess with runs and weird lines) and 2 coats , let it dry overnight then sand back till smooth, then go up through the grits and steel wool etc. Wow, lots of work. But the reason for this was I didn't think using a thin cut would allow enough buildup for adequate protection without taking a lot of time. Thin is in for me now. Life is better. Thank you.

Thanks! Very useful information.

Excellent video. Thank you

Thanks I learned a tremendous amount

what a great video! THANK YOU!!!

Nicely explained. Making some cedar side tables and will give this a try.

very helpful. thanks.

Great tips Thank you.

Moses sent me... and I always listen to Moses! Best to you and yours!!

thank you

awesome!

I would liked to have seen a closeup of the finished result. Nice tips though.I will try it.

Great explanation. That fits my favourite principle; KISS ... keep it simple and stupid. Regards from Brandenburg, Germany

I like this approach. How much more would you cut your premix if you were doing french polishing? You put 6 squirts in (actually only 5 if you watch the vid)..would you put 1 or 2 more squirts in? I would think you would want to be around 1 pound or a bit less but not a spit right? I'm looking to spend some time seeing if I have the patience for french polishing.

What kind of paste wax do you use? Thanks!

Thanks for the info. Got a bunch of flake but have not been as successful as I would like.

What kind of paste wax are you using?

When applying the paste wax, is worrying about the shellac pulling away, as mentioned earlier in the video, something to be concerned about? Or, is this something that happens while the alcohol is drying and not something to worry about once evaporated?

People use Everclear for this? We make our own Amaretto with that! Thanks for the instruction!

What kind of paste wax do you use?

More videos like this FWW!!!!

Hey Mike, you're my woodworking hero, thanks for demonstrating your process I really appreciate it. I live in the midwest so the cold winter months are driving me indoors and it seems that shellac will be my only finishing option if I want to stay healthful. I see you're using BT&C flakes, are the 'tiger' flakes any better or worse than the cheaper bags of shellac by the same company? Another question I have that no one seems to be able to answer, if shellac flakes can go bad with age, does the same thing not happen to the shellac once it has been applied to the work piece? Is it 'going bad' just in terms of the ability of the flakes to dissolve and be applied? How robust of a finish does shellac provide? Would you have any hesitation to use it on a wall cabinet?

Hi bro I need a natural white colour .I mean a white wood and create white glaze .and wood colour look to original wood color.please help me.

If you run out in the middle of a project, how do you make more of the same if you aren't measuring?

Lovely video, but I do have question. Online I find very conflicting statements on shellac shelf life. How long can I keep my mix if I mixed it from flakes. The often quoted 6 months seems a bit short. Is that 6-9 months for the factory mixed version with aditives or does it really go bad that fast?

I really like to use a coat or two of this on the end grain of wood before applying stain. For instance on big box store pine, the end grain of the wood absorbs so much stain that it turns way darker than the face grain does. The shellac gets in there and seals up the grain so that it absorbs a lot less stain, just like the face grain does. The end result is a more evenly stained piece of wood. Try it out on some scrap! Also a big fan of pre-stain conditioner, (Thanks 731 Woodworks), I won't stain without it!

It's interesting how some terminology differs from country to country. What he is referring to alcohol is commonly called methylated spirits in Australia.

If I let the shellac get old and evaporated to the extent that it is hard in the bottom of the jar, can it be revived, so I can use it again?

I followed this method but I had the problem of most of the flakes turning into a sludge at the bottom. What have I done wrong? I used methalated spirits (UK)

Whats the point of the wax with the sanding ?

Does a 2 pound cut mean 2 pounds in one gallon of solvent or does it mean 2 pounds of shellac in a gallon container filled up to one gallon. Of course, the difference being that the latter choice takes into consideration the volume displacement of the shellack, which, in a 2 pound shellac, would be about 1 quart. Therefore, it would only require 3 quarts of solvent to make a full gallon.

I love that turkey baster idea. I'm so tired of pouring cans and then having to clean up drips. Btw, when you wave that board back and forth, you should say, "Man... who cut the cheese?"

No links ????

Recommended alternative to denatured alcohol? Does not seem to be available in Ontario Canada.

Doing it your way allows for fixing mistakes. Canned shellac with sealer is a different kettle of fish. The sealer makes all of the difference. If you have drips & runs with shellac sealer, it's very difficult to correct these mistakes.

Thumbs up for the Suzi Quatro reference

Sounds Flaky to me😜 Thanks for the info.

bought a new can of Zinsser Clear and it does not say dewaxed like my previous can. I stirred and a tan semi solid came up from the bottom. I did the hard masonite top of my new work table and it turned out nearly glossy and went on like a 3 or 4 pound cut instead of 2. Nasty stuff. I would not use this on furniture. Fortunately I have flakes at the ready. BEWARE

Great video, thanks! One observation though, it's a good idea to where gloves when using alcohol. It can be absorbed through the skin and if you have even a small cut alcohol can make it into your blood stream and that can be very ugly.

I'm refinishing mid-century modern walnut veneer furniture. I want a natural, clear, matte finish that you mention. Would this shellac finish protect the wood for a durable finish for dressers? You mention applying wax with steel wool as a final step. Is that necessary? Does that then need to be repeated for maintenance?

Redesolving the previous layer happens a lot when you use ethanol. I use isopropanol instead. The flakes don´t disole that quick, it may take two or three days but I donßt have any trouble with desolving when I apply another coat.

Here's my two cents : 1lb cut=12.5% or 1/8 shellac to 87.5% or 7/8 alcohol. Always measure by weight for consistent results. 2lb=25% shellac; 3lb=37.5%; 4lb=50%; 5lb=62.5%. I usually do 1lb cut, sand, do it again, sand, and by the 3rd coat I'm getting semi-gloss, if I want full gloss do another 2-3 coats of 1lb cut, and lastly 2 coats of 3lb with a light sanding between the 2 for the glass finish.

Honestly, the most easiest thing to mix. I have no idea why some want to make it sound more challenging than it really is.

If you’re going to measure out squirts why not just measure out the flakes

Heya, You have a helpful video here. The most complete woodworking projects that I have ever used was Toms Magic Wood (just google it). Without a doubt it contains the most helpful woodworking plans that I have ever tried.

This video has some bad advice. No weighing or measuring? How are you going to reproduce a look if you don't know what the cut is? Also, never had "dripping and running" wuth a high cut, and you won't either if you apply multiple thin coats. Finally, mixed shellac flakes do not keep indefinitely, they keep 3 to 6 months in liquid firm before you start running into issues with tackiness.