Dissolving & Mixing Flake Shellac Mix in a dark plastic or glass container with a tightly fitting lid. I can't picture it even working for the short term. “Mineral spirits” (paint thinner) is a petroleum product and does not work with shellac at all. It is 92.4% ethanol by weight (190 proof) produced at the practical limit of distillation purity. Thus, solvents like "Varsol" and paint thinner are, quite literally, mineral spirits. Both products are incompatible with each other for many reasons. I'm just looking for alternatives to mix my shellac, not interested in debating why DA is no bueno, can't do anything about that. Cleaning Wood with Mineral Spirits. A 2 pound cut, which is a good mix to use, consists of 2 pounds of shellac flakes mixed with 1 gallon of alcohol. You will find a product called Everclear (banned in some states) for sale in liquor stores, 750 ml for about $25. It should work for shellac. How do you mix and filter the solution? What is the correct ratio of flakes or nibs to solvent? That’s quite a bit of shellac to mix, so you can proportionally reduce the mix … It's just won't adhere. Re: Thinning Shellac Erron, FWIW, I believe the word "spirits" really means "distillate". Methanol works fine for t Give us a little bit to discuss this out. He had just read in a book that it was the best solvent to use with shellac. This is ethanol, the same alcohol that is included in beer, wine and liquors. The thinner and clear-up solvent you should use with shellac is denatured alcohol. This term has caused much confusion in the U.S. How do you mix shellac? But it is made poisonous so it can be sold without liquor taxes. So I asked him if the book he was referring to was from England, to which he answered that it was. Varnish cannot be re-dissolved in any solvent, but it can be removed with paint stripper. SPAR varnish is by and large linseed oil with a bit of shellac which makes the mixture remain soft and flexible for outdoor use, but not good for interior use. You may use either one of them to clean wood before treating it with stain, paint, or shellac. Mineral Spirits vs Denatured Alcohol to Clean Wood. What’s the best solvent to use? Change rags frequently as they become loaded with grime and wax. Then apply a light coat of shellac, let dry and re-wax. A woodworker friend called wanting to know where he could buy some methylated spirits. In the context of solvents, it would refer to a mixture of relatively light organic molecules produced in the distillation (separation) of crude oil. Sometimes you’ll see methanol (methyl alcohol) sold in paint stores. Shellac has a natural wax in it which you can't even put polyurethane over dried shellac. An infinite palette of shades and tones can be achieved by mixing Clear and Amber Shellac, by tinting Bulls Eye Shellac with alcohol-base stain ... Clean the surfaces thoroughly with mild detergent and remove any wax by wiping with a rag soaked in mineral spirits or paint thinner. For tables, chairs and other high wear items, you can rejuvenate the finish by removing the wax with mineral spirits, then dry-wooling with maroon synthetic steel wool (000 equivalent). https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/finishing/mixing-shellac Shellac is a product thinned with alcohol where polyurethane is a product thinned with mineral spirits. Pour a small amount of mineral spirits on a lint-free rag. What are the types of shellac and what’s the difference between them? Definitely the VOC's, Mineral spirits also disappeared. The shellac makes the linseed oil dry hard and the linseed oil makes the mixture alcohol proof. Why is it easier to use imperial rather then metric measurements? 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