nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Nov 4, 2021 18:03:11 GMT -8
I was going to experiment on a cabinet and piece of the new ash paneling that I bought. But the shellac I have is about three years old. A brand new can. I wonder if it darkens the amber color with time and will it match any new shellac I buy after this point?
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Post by vikx on Nov 4, 2021 20:46:28 GMT -8
I've been told that if it is "liquidy" (not thickened), it should be OK. If it has thickened, you can try adding denatured alcohol. You will know if it's gone...
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Nov 5, 2021 4:26:20 GMT -8
I've also heard that it's best to buy all the shellac use at once hopefully from the same batch. I don't know if it's true.
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kirkadie
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'69 Serro Scotty Hilander
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Post by kirkadie on Nov 5, 2021 4:51:51 GMT -8
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Post by vikx on Nov 5, 2021 11:53:45 GMT -8
I've had cans last 3 years+ but it is not overly hot here.
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kirkadie
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'69 Serro Scotty Hilander
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Post by kirkadie on Nov 5, 2021 12:15:51 GMT -8
Hydroscopic nature of shellac causes it go bad after can is opened (talking about Zinsser here), and aged shellac will not dry and harden well. A test is a spoonful in a can top or similar and see how long it takes to dry. Biggest sign of it going bad is when it gums up sandpaper instead of making a fine dust. I believe making your own shellac using wax free flakes is best, but even the flakes have a relatively short lifespan. I make only enough for the project at hand.
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