mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 8, 2013 13:46:35 GMT -8
Wiping it on with pads is something I've tried and I didn't like that either. For me the brush is the way to go because I have learned how to blend all the strokes into each other as I go. It takes practice though. There is no easy way to start out. Something you just need to get used to. Most people end up with their project being a little too dark on their first try. It's because of trying to fix the mistakes and runs which will happen less as you get used to it. But also too many people are intimidated like you said and they just go to slow. Ya gotta be smooth and quick and don't be afraid to make mistakes. That is the beauty of Shellac. You can fix it.
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jodybitzz
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Post by jodybitzz on Dec 27, 2013 10:05:34 GMT -8
Wiping it on with pads is something I've tried and I didn't like that either. For me the brush is the way to go because I have learned how to blend all the strokes into each other as I go. It takes practice though. There is no easy way to start out. Something you just need to get used to. Most people end up with their project being a little too dark on their first try. It's because of trying to fix the mistakes and runs which will happen less as you get used to it. But also too many people are intimidated like you said and they just go to slow. Ya gotta be smooth and quick and don't be afraid to make mistakes. That is the beauty of Shellac. You can fix it. Getting ready to work on some birch. We were going to shellac the panels (4x8) before installing them. Would it be possible to use a roller to apply the shellac? Thoughts? Thanks!
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Dec 27, 2013 10:23:23 GMT -8
I'm not the professional here but I would not have thought of that. First of all, the roller will soak up a lot of your shellac and it will be wasted. And my shellac seemed really thin, but then it was pretty cool here, too. It really is easy to use a brush and the brush cleans up very easily with denatured alcohol. The roller and the pads might give you a more even coat but I still think the brush will give you a smoother coat. I suggest you try it on a small scrap and see what happens and give us a report. And PICTURES Happy shellacking! I loved doing it... and am still not finished redoing the existing wood.
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txoil
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Post by txoil on Dec 27, 2013 10:24:30 GMT -8
You can APPLY the shellac with a roller but you will need to hand rub the wet shellac for the proper coverage and glossy surface sheen.
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Post by bigbill on Dec 27, 2013 12:02:45 GMT -8
jodybitzz I always heard that nothing is impossible, but some things are not reasonably done.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 27, 2013 12:06:48 GMT -8
I'm not the professional here but I would not have thought of that. First of all, the roller will soak up a lot of your shellac and it will be wasted. And my shellac seemed really thin, but then it was pretty cool here, too. It really is easy to use a brush and the brush cleans up very easily with denatured alcohol. The roller and the pads might give you a more even coat but I still think the brush will give you a smoother coat. I suggest you try it on a small scrap and see what happens and give us a report. And PICTURES Happy shellacking! I loved doing it... and am still not finished redoing the existing wood. I've tried all the ways that I thought would be "easier" to apply shellac. There are two ways of doing this right and both of them require work and patience. One is to use a brush. That's the way I have had the best results. The other is to spray. If you have the equipment to spray you can try that. Be aware that shellac will gum up your gun if you are not quick. In the factories they sprayed everything in the trailer that was already installed like the aluminum door jambs and the aluminum window trim.
One of the problems you will have by pre-applying the shellac before you install the birch paneling is that it will crack and check when you bend it around the radius of the front or rear of the trailer. The rest is OK but those two places you will have some checking problems.
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jodybitzz
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Post by jodybitzz on Dec 27, 2013 17:26:41 GMT -8
Thank you Mobiltec. I just bought 14 sheets of birch tonight. We will definitely wait to do the curved areas after installation. I am sure you have a video on the shellac, in which I will have to watch. I will be busy sanding the panels before any shellacking starts.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 27, 2013 17:36:39 GMT -8
Yep. Look it up in the 57 Shasta videos. I pretty much go through what you need to know. Temperature and humidity are the biggest factors in thinning and application. Don't use a heater while applying shellac. It could be very dangerous. Forced air heating is fine.
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jodybitzz
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Post by jodybitzz on Dec 28, 2013 6:05:16 GMT -8
Yep. Look it up in the 57 Shasta videos. I pretty much go through what you need to know. Temperature and humidity are the biggest factors in thinning and application. Don't use a heater while applying shellac. It could be very dangerous. Forced air heating is fine. We watched your shellac videos last night and I have to say I am quite concerned with doing the 4x8 panel. Do you have any recommendations on how to make such a big piece of birch look even and techniques? We are located in NC and the weather is very cool/cold and low humidity this time of year so hopefully that will be on our side.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 28, 2013 8:08:06 GMT -8
Yep. Look it up in the 57 Shasta videos. I pretty much go through what you need to know. Temperature and humidity are the biggest factors in thinning and application. Don't use a heater while applying shellac. It could be very dangerous. Forced air heating is fine. We watched your shellac videos last night and I have to say I am quite concerned with doing the 4x8 panel. Do you have any recommendations on how to make such a big piece of birch look even and techniques? We are located in NC and the weather is very cool/cold and low humidity this time of year so hopefully that will be on our side. It's pretty much the same. Use a 2 1/2 inch to 3 inch brush and just keep it wet... Always make your final stroke into the wet shellac. You are applying and finishing at the same time.
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Post by vikx on Dec 28, 2013 21:01:14 GMT -8
I paint shellac and feather as I go. In other words, the end of the stroke is light and blends well with the next thicker stroke. This method prevents streaks and build up. I haven't had trouble with the curving eighth inch panels crackling when installing, lucky I guess. It is cool here and the shellac doesn't dry super fast. (tho you can do at least two coats per session) I use a 2 inch brush and don't stop until the entire panel has a coat. It's easier than it sounds...
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Dec 28, 2013 21:49:14 GMT -8
I'm from French Polish technique school. Surprised no one has brought it up so far? Lots has been written about this thousand year old technique. I just use a piece of an old sock, and when done, I toss it back into the can for next time, I never have to clean it (wasting shellac). LOL, I have used the same sock on my last three trailers.
Trying to shellac walls and ceiling standing inside a trailer is a royal PITA! I always (at least whenever possible), try to get at least five coats of shellac on a new sheet of birch before I cut it up for installation. Never have had any problem with the shellac cracking or checking due to the ceiling bends after installation of my prefinished sheets. If you get a scratch on it during the installation, just lightly sand it and feather edge some more shellac and it's 100% fixed. IMO, The time saved by pre-finishing the sheets far out weights the cost of the wasted shellac at only $13 a quart. Plus, This old guy can still "get out of bed" the day after I shellac with this method.
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Dec 28, 2013 21:52:59 GMT -8
Oh, the French Polish technique has been brought up somewhere around here. Some of us are just too lazy.
Show us some your work, John. I need some inspiration.
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John Palmer
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Post by John Palmer on Dec 28, 2013 22:08:47 GMT -8
Oh, the French Polish technique has been brought up somewhere around here. Some of us are just too lazy. Show us some your work, John. I need some inspiration. LOL, I use this method "because I'm lazy".
I have several spray guns, but hate cleaning them, and the high cost of wash solvent and disposing of it is a pain, so they are used only for painting graphics, frames, tanks, wheels, etc.
Brushing.........Cheap brushes like "throw away's" do not give a nice finish. You need to use a quality natural brush. Then your back to the same problem of having to clean it because they are not cheap.
With shellac, you need many thin coats (likely even thinned down with denatured alcohol) so you need an application method that will allow you to put on one coat, leave it to dry, and come back later to lay down another coat. You might be able to leave shellac in a spray gun and just clean the spray nozzle, but the French Polish method is by far "the easiest" that I have found so far.
I'm always open to new ideas to make things quicker, faster, cheaper.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Dec 29, 2013 8:24:54 GMT -8
I have a link to a French Polish guy on my website. His name is Jim Wilkins and he did a beautiful job on a 59 Deville.
Here is the link once more. These types of blogs are hard to navigate but this link is where he starts teaching the French polish technique...
our59deville.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html
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