SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Dec 3, 2013 17:45:48 GMT -8
I'm so proud, just wanted to share with someone who understands. Just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling! It's not as dark as it looks in the pic. I took it outside in the dark. And it gets another coat tomorrow, maybe 2 more. image by susieqilvu, on Flickr
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Post by kto17 on Dec 3, 2013 19:23:51 GMT -8
Very nice!!! Love the color. Did you mix amber and clear?
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coldham
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Post by coldham on Dec 3, 2013 19:33:40 GMT -8
That makes me feel warm and fuzzy too. I can't wait to shellac. Maybe I'll be there by January or February. Looks great! You should be proud.
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Dec 3, 2013 19:41:43 GMT -8
No, I did not mix. It is Lowe's brand of amber. I plan on putting clear over it. Going to sand the little bit of original wood that I keep and re-shellac it and hope I get a match.
I'm doing this while the weather is good and doing it before I install it. I'll wait on the clear until it's all in and fix any dings I might give it.
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Dec 4, 2013 19:17:15 GMT -8
So, a new learning experience today about the shellac. I mentioned somewhere that I wasn't very good at thin even coats. Altering the viscosity with denatured alcohol makes it much easier. I also learned from the nice young man at Lowe's that wiping drips, or places where it was applied too heavily with a rag and denatured alcohol after it dries will fix that. Mobiletec may address this in his videos, sorry, haven't watched those yet. I don't like the bright yellow tones of the the amber. I'm wishing I had experimented with just clear. I'm going to wipe down the last coat of amber evenely and then sand it and put the clear over it. Hope it tones down. I think it will. I really do like the shellac. Super easy clean up! Bought an expensive brush and for the first time, didn't ruin it! Kudos to the young man at Lowe's for stopping and asking me what I was working on. I was going to grab a can of shellac and run out quickly (after paying, of course.) He asked me to bring pics in when I was finished.
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Post by vikx on Dec 4, 2013 21:36:12 GMT -8
Looks very nice. The more coats of amber, the darker your piece will be. I use amber because it blends the woods together so well, especially old and new... It IS decidedly on the orange side, tho.
I believe most of our Golden Glow trailers were clear shellac to begin with, time aged. I used clear on the Deluxe and it was nice but you could see the different wood tones. Hopefully, it will all even out as it ages.
Shellac takes time to learn. In warmer areas, it is really hard to work with over 70*. Dries too fast. It's great in cool weather.
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redwings
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Post by redwings on Dec 4, 2013 23:18:45 GMT -8
Gorgeous! I found that a couple of coats of amber followed by a few clear makes a beautiful warm glow.
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gonekayaking
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Post by gonekayaking on Dec 5, 2013 10:22:35 GMT -8
You can "take down" the amber some with denatured alcohol, which is really shellac thinner. the cool thing about shellac is that it is always possible to re-activate it either with more shellac, denatured alcohol or a combination of the two. That should also be somewhat the case inside your trailer on the old stuff. I would suggest 0000 steel wool dipped in the denatured alcohol followed by a rag dipped in same to remove unwanted tones. Shellac can also be removed with a scraper (again using the denatured alcohol as a thinner). Sanding will cut right through to bare wood if you aren't careful and with a 1/8 veneer you don't have much to play with. To blend colors use the "french polish" method once you have the panels installed.
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Post by kto17 on Dec 5, 2013 10:49:01 GMT -8
Just an FYI. Denatured Alcohol is a less refined grain alcohol with additives to prevent drinking it. It smells horrible and the additives make it difficult to be around. Check the price of grain alcohol at your local liquor store and it may be cheaper. Brand names are Everclear. Diesel, etc.
If you want a high gloss finish google French Polish techniques and decide how much time and shine you want. Guitars and Violins use this polish technique.
You can also get different color shellacs at woodworking stores. Some come in chips that you desolve in Alcohol.
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smccusk
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Post by smccusk on Dec 5, 2013 12:46:19 GMT -8
Very nice…Shellac can be tricky for sure.
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Dec 5, 2013 18:17:27 GMT -8
Thanks, and all good tips. The denatured alcohol is expensive. I even considered using household ammonia for brush cleaning but couldn't find it. I had also considered Everclear as a last resort since it is illegal in this state. The bottle we have is only taken out on special occasions, shsh. Moonshine seems to be easier to come by. Woodcraft sells the tint chips. I would consider a French Polish technique on a handmade instrument but my camper is going to be more functional than glampy. French Polish is a lot of work and I'm keeping some battle scars. But I admire those who have the patience and skills to put that kind of work into their camper. It probably means your kids are all grown, too.
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Post by vikx on Dec 5, 2013 20:21:12 GMT -8
Safeway usually carries household ammonia. I keep mine in a jar and re-use it until it quits working. Brushes rinse clean and conditioned. (even the cheap Chinese ones)
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Post by vikx on Dec 5, 2013 20:21:14 GMT -8
Safeway usually carries household ammonia. I keep mine in a jar and re-use it until it quits working. Brushes rinse clean and conditioned. (even the cheap Chinese ones)
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 6, 2013 8:31:20 GMT -8
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