Shellac

By flakes and DNA and make as much or little as you want.

The premixed shellac already has some kind of magic that allows it to keep a while, but not forever. As far as I know, the magic is a secret that Zinsser hasn’t shared with us mere mortals. The flakes and mix your own is a good approach if you worry about it spoiling, but flakes are typically sold in 1# packages.

-- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress.

I have kept shellac around for a long time. You can make your own French polish I used it when I taught woodworking To make 16 oz. of Friction Polish:  225 mL Sealcoat Shellac
 75 mL Denatured alcohol
 150 mL Boiled Linseed Oil
Makes about 450 mL, or 16 oz. (1 pt.)

I ve heard from people that use Ziissner shellac that it has a short shelf life, any Idea of how long it lasts’ On ebay yo can get flakes in smaller than 1# quantities trouble is the shipping is as much as the flakes. Just to check my math what would the flakes to DNA proportion be, for a pint of 1# cut thanks Mike

My understanding is that flakes last almost forever. So, getting the smallest amount you can find and mix your own as needed is a good idea. Go to Amazon.com. You can find 4 oz packages there. Probably elsewhere also. You might also try an art supply store or craft store. They may sell premixed in small quantities.

My last can of Zinsser lasted at least 2 years before it started getting funky. It might have been closer to 3. There is a lot number on the can. If you can find out how to decode it, you may be able to avoid buying one that has been on the shelf a long time.

Edit: here is a link from 4 years ago that claims to know the code.

-- Nathan, TX -- Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.

I ve heard from people that use Ziissner shellac that it has a short shelf life, any Idea of how long it lasts On ebay yo can get flakes in smaller than 1# quantities trouble is the shipping is as much as the flakes. Just to check my math what would the flakes to DNA proportion be, for a pint of 1# cut thanks Mike

- Karda

Well, there’s 8 pints in a gallon (1# cut is 1#/shellac/1 gal DNA) so you need 2 ounces. Search for “shellac dilution chart” and you find something like this:

-- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress.

Shellac Shack sells a sampler of four different kinds of shellac flakes, four ounces of each, for $28 (scroll to the end of the page). Malcolm does quick shipping and I’ve been buying multiple pounds from him now as I build my bookcases and finish them with shellac. I throw the bags of flakes into my shop freezer when they arrive, and they keep pretty much forever that way. As for the mixed shellac, it will last at least over a year as long as you keep the humidity out of it (not much of a problem here in Santa Fe, but it was an issue when I lived in Minnesota) and keep it away from extreme heat.

-- Dave - Santa Fe

what would happen if you put a can of off the shelf shellac in the refrigerator would that slow down the aging process
thanks for the suggestions and the chart they are very helpful

I’ve done that with my own mixed shellac (flakes) and it seemed to slow it down, I kept some for a year and it was still usable. Hardly a scientific test, but generally speaking cooler temps slow down chemical reactions. I would suggest if you do that (or even f you don’t) put the can of shellac in a plastic bag. They (Zinnser) may have solved the problem but the cans had a habit of developing pin holes and leaking all the contents out. It’s been some time since anyone has complained (I had it happen once) but it’s still better to be safe than sorry.

-- Our village hasn't lost it's idiot, he was elected to congress.

i would probably put it in mason jars, much less messy that way. i was thinking I would just get a can i getr the flakes later thanks mike