Great info on the store bought shellac .. There is always something you can learn from every video u make...Wish you were in Western Canada.. Alberta Dave

Best thing about the newer videos is seeing him play the various instruments after he repairs them, was really hoping to see that here :P

"It's like corduroy!" Now I'm wondering about a corduroy covered Telecaster :D

I was waiting to hear a little of Battle of Evermore at the end.

Dunno if this translates well north of the border, but the irony of the need for the repair is that someone already gave that top a "shellacking!"

Well, now I'm wondering if you'll ever put a new finish on a Finnish instrument!

Great work!!! i got a gibson lg 1 need a neck finish repair. can i use Shellac? the neck is finished with nitro

Hi there, nice video on sealing with shellac... I wonder if you have ever tried to fix/hide checking in a nitrocellulose finish with shellac? Thanks - Paco from Ottawa

I'm curious why you couldn't get a "violin color" out of the shellac. That might have matched somewhat.

I can understand having a finish to protect it from physical strumming but as for humidity, the entire inside is unfinished, isn't it?

I wonder if you can't keep the dry flakes in the freezer to extend the shelf life even more (if it's even worth doing so in the first place). I read that keeping CA glue in the freezer will extend the shelf life dramatically, so that's where I keep my stuff now... the only problem is I use it so infrequently that I haven't yet been able to find out for myself whether or not it works. It is a giant pain in the rear having to go out and buy new stuff every time it's needed though, so I'm hoping it'll pan out. :)

Fwiw, if you want to darken red, you add green

When the scientists were first mummifying Lenin's corpse, they tried to have a huge glass bath made because the scientist Vorobiev didn't want the chemicals reacting with the metal of a metal bath. The had to settle for a rubber bath because a glass bath couldn't be made in time and time was of the essence.

We can get 5 gallon buckets of denatured alcohol in the US I use it all the time.

Desiccant.

"Lacquer sticks to everything and everything sticks to lacquer," or so I have been told.

I have heard that shellacs and French polishes can turn the finish cloudy or milky if they get sweat on them. Anyone had similar experience?

FYI customer , invest in a pickgaurd or that's gonna be the mandolin version of trigger. Nice work , Where can I pick up the Prisma colour pens, I'm in the UK

Wow, that finish is in bad shape. I have an F5 style flatiron from the same period that gets played daily that has no chips anywhere, and I don’t baby it.

Love your videos! Just wish you at least would put together, even an e-book to lay out all your processes and list tools and materials you use. Hey, if not, I'll still keep enjoying your videos! Your way explaining things is just so open and interesting. THANKS

Gibson bought Flatiron.

Really no need in that when Flex Seal is readily available. What? It seals roofs, a boat with holes in bottom, etc. Just joking, new subscriber, because you are so good!

I don't think I remember shellac going bad. I have used 20 yr old and older shellac without a problem. I just went onto a wood working site called Lumberjock and the myths were flying fast and thick. Sounds like nobody knows what they're talking about. I'm a little curious as to whether or not this idea of shellac going bad wasn't propagated by shellac companies to push more product. I'd used 40 yr old shellac, that I found in one of my sheds, on a piece of furniture that got damage when an ice cube popped whiskey on to the surface. I have no idea what people are talking about. The thicker it is, the longer it takes to dry because it skins over and seals itself to the air. Older product has lost some alcohol and is way too thick to use. Thin it and move on. Just my opinion.

Summary: - Mandolin brought in for repair due to extensive wear, particularly on the spruce top, acquired during its use in a folk punk band. - Solution proposed is to apply shellac as a protective sealant to prevent further deterioration caused by humidity and wear. - Shellac preferred in flake form over pre-mixed solutions for instrument repair due to longer shelf life and better compatibility with other finishes. - Mixing shellac involves dissolving flakes in methyl hydrate alcohol, typically in a 2-pound cut (2 lb. to 1 gallon ratio, scaled down to smaller amount), with attention to proportions and shelf life (~3 months). Filter the result prior to use. - Application involves cleaning the surface, applying thin coats of shellac, remelting each layer to form a continuous surface, and optionally, using alcohol-based markers for color repairs before sealing with final coats of shellac. (Detailed shellac application technique demonstrated.)

Honestly, as bad as that finish is, I'd probably just sand it all off and refinish the whole mandolin in neon pink.

Shellac. Hideglue. Fishglue. This is not the Vegan Luthier I was promised! Linseed oil, linseed oil, linseed oil, takes a year to cure, who cares it smells good on my skin and the chrome loves it, the neck, oh sister, a natural wood neck with ten years of rubbed linseed oil? Wood'n'oil. Am I crazy, like the glue? Oh no no, I like the feel of wood the trees and I came to a loving agreement.

hm.