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Post by danrhodes on Mar 23, 2016 10:14:11 GMT -8
Every morning, I go out to the garage and look at the contrast between the walls and the ceiling panels I just shellacked and shake my head. I do recall that the wall panels were very white, with light graining, while the ceiling panels were darker and redder, but I still can't stop obsessing about the color tone differences. The walls have 5 coats of amber and 2 of clear, but the shellac in the can was more of a dark brown liquid. The ceiling panels have 3 coats of amber only, but the shellac was more of an opaque rust color...same brand, but one may have been bought at ACE vs Home Depot. Wife is fine with it, but once it all goes together, I'm not sure how it's going to look...  |
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MarthaS
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Post by MarthaS on Mar 23, 2016 10:26:11 GMT -8
We had the same issues but realized once the cabinets, bed, closet, dinette, etc. are in, not much of the walls even show. Kind of sad actually.
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Post by danrhodes on Mar 23, 2016 10:29:21 GMT -8
We had the same issues but realized once the cabinets, bed, closet, dinette, etc. are in, not much of the walls even show. Kind of sad actually. That's is the wife's theory. The cabinets are much closer in color to the ceiling, so you'll only see this yellow wood around the edges and mostly at the rear, where I will stare at it while falling asleep every night for the rest of my natural life. |
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kirkadie
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Post by kirkadie on Mar 23, 2016 13:00:43 GMT -8
Shellac is age sensitive, and will darken as the alcohol solvent evaporates. I always put the purchase date on mine when I get a new can. I'll toss it after 6 months or so once the can has been opened. That's for Amber shellac; it has wax in it and is very good for building up color, but not meant as a top coat. It is also hydroscopic and can sometimes show moisture blush. Use the clear UNWAXED as your final coat or coats.
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Post by danrhodes on Mar 23, 2016 13:12:56 GMT -8
Shellac is age sensitive, and will darken as the alcohol solvent evaporates. I always put the purchase date on mine when I get a new can. I'll toss it after 6 months or so once the can has been opened. That's for Amber shellac; it has wax in it and is very good for building up color, but not meant as a top coat. It is also hydroscopic and can sometimes show moisture blush. Use the clear UNWAXED as your final coat or coats. Yeah, this was much darker from the start...I've never had a can open more than a week. I just could not get any color to build up on that lighter base wood. |
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kirkadie
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Post by kirkadie on Mar 23, 2016 13:23:36 GMT -8
Very odd... Zinsser seems to have pretty good QC, and I get it both qts and gallons, and have never run into that problem. I would probably contact them and ask. www.rustoleum.com/pages/help-and-support/contact-us/Hmm, didn't know Rustoleum owns 'em till I looked it up, but Zinsser has their own contact # listed on this page. |
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Lola53
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Post by Lola53 on Mar 23, 2016 20:41:16 GMT -8
Could it be differences in the birch panelling? I understand that there are a couple of sources for birch paneling - Finnish (Scandinavian) and domestic. The Finnish is reported to be lighter and clearer while domestic is darker with more grain.
Mark
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Mar 24, 2016 6:01:00 GMT -8
I've seen a dramatic difference in the color between birch from the same supplier. I could tell that the grain on 12 of 20 sheets was different when I picked it up. The amber when on much darker on the one grain verses the other.
Kirkadie is (once again) right. Shellac doesn't age well.
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Post by danrhodes on Mar 24, 2016 6:17:19 GMT -8
I've seen a dramatic difference in the color between birch from the same supplier. I could tell that the grain on 12 of 20 sheets was different when I picked it up. The amber when on much darker on the one grain verses the other. Kirkadie is (once again) right. Shellac doesn't age well. Yeah... That's likely the issue here. Same Indonesian birch, different batch. |
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kirkadie
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Post by kirkadie on Mar 24, 2016 9:28:41 GMT -8
Since most birch is now rotary cut rather than flat sliced, (log turned on a giant lathe and peeled like a roll of paper towels) and the outer part of the log is usually darker than the inner sapwood, there is a chance that even the same tree will yield some sheets of ply that are considerably darker than others, and the grain tends to change density as you get further into that log, which would account for a difference in how much shellac is absorbed.
A coat or two of clear unwaxed shot on first, before the amber, might help color control.
I thin my first coat or two by 1/3 which helps the clear soak in.
Did that make sense?
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Post by danrhodes on Mar 24, 2016 9:38:44 GMT -8
Since most birch is now rotary cut rather than flat sliced, (log turned on a giant lathe and peeled like a roll of paper towels) and the outer part of the log is usually darker than the inner sapwood, there is a chance that even the same tree will yield some sheets of ply that are considerably darker than others, and the grain tends to change density as you get further into that log, which would account for a difference in how much shellac is absorbed. A coat or two of clear unwaxed shot on first, before the amber, might help color control. I thin my first coat or two by 1/3 which helps the clear soak in. Did that make sense? Yeah...there's a lot of technique involved that first timers just don't understand. I'd keep trying to get the lighter wood darker, but the wife is adamant that we just move on, so it'll be a bit of a patchwork. If it kills me, I can always sneak out and do some tests after it's back together someday. |
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kirkadie
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Post by kirkadie on Mar 24, 2016 12:02:25 GMT -8
Powdered dyes that dissolve in alcohol mix well with shellac, and it wouldn't take much to darken that panel.
www.amazon.com/Wood-Dye-Aniline-Color-Powder/dp/B00BAKWTMQ
There are dozens of really good brands a mere google search away, but here's more or less what would work.
Apply the dye in the dark of night, or when your wife is visiting relatives and will be gone for a day or so, but mix the color in good day light and use it on a test piece or you could end up with something worse that what you have now. You will also want to experiment on application because another coat of shellac will of course eat into the previous work. I spray real light coats to avoid that problem. |
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on Mar 30, 2016 11:15:06 GMT -8
As long as all the wall panels are the same color, and all the ceiling panels are the same different color, I'd agree with your wife.
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nate
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Post by nate on Sept 20, 2018 16:19:39 GMT -8
We just had this happen. Two different Zinnser Amber Shellac cans, unopened, had different tints. A partner was doing one panel and I was doing another and I looked over and almost fainted at how much darker it was. I had to sand it down and redo it. I was surprised that such a company would produce such different products. I had chalked it up to a fluke until I read this.
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Post by vikx on Sept 20, 2018 19:30:26 GMT -8
I got one bad can not long ago. Very full, but thicker than normal. As I used it up, things sort of evened out...Amber shellac will cover a multiple of sins.
DON'T TELL ANYBODY: On the 52 Hanson, I painted a lovely panel and the color was perfect. Problem:it was Mahogany, NOT Birch. Sadly, it went behind the closet. There's a 1/2 inch piece that shows by the door. If people are that picky, they won't be getting my Hanson.
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