 BUTTON Shellac has toughness and mar resistance that
makes it the preferred shellac for finishing floors,
interior woodwork, and for French polishing musical instruments.
Buttons are produced by placing Seedlac into a long narrow cloth bag and heating one end over a charcoal fire. The other end is attached to a windless and is gradually twisted. The charcoal fire melts the lac which is forced out through the cloth by pressure. The molten lac is scraped out manually, drawn onto sheets and left to dry.
Button production requires considerable manual skill and experience.
Heat during processing polymerizes the Shellac resin, resulting in a tough abrasion & moisture resistant finishing material.
See: Shellac Mixing & Usage Notes • Pound Cut Mixing Chart (Printable version) • Guide To French Polishing (PDF)
See: Questions, Facts & Myths about Shellac for Wood Finishing
NEWS Blog 
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SUPER GOLDEN Kusmi Button Shellac
Click Above for photos
SUPER GOLDEN Kusmi Button Shellac
Use Super Golden Button on light-toned woods,
or on any wood where a light Rich Golden Amber tone is desired.
The heat during button processing polymerizes the Shellac resin,
resulting in a tough abrasion & moisture resistant finishing material.
Button shellacs are preferred for finishing floors, and interior woodwork,
by many French polishers, and for guitars and other stringed instruments.
The lightest tone of the Button Shellacs (seasonal & limited quantities)
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KUSMI #1 BUTTON Shellac (Caramel Amber)
Click above for Photo & Information
KUSMI #1 - BUTTON Shellac
  Caramel Amber color develops rich warm amber tones on woods like mahogany, red oak, cherry, and douglas fir.
The heat during button processing polymerizes the Shellac resin, resulting in a tough abrasion & moisture resistant finishing material. Button shellacs are preferred for finishing floors, interior woodwork, by many French polishers, and for guitars and other stringed instruments.
Buttons retain some of the natural shellac wax)
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KUSMI #2 BUTTON Shellac (Warm Brown)
Kusmi #2 BUTTON Shellac
#2 Button yields a rich Warm Redish Amber Brown - -
deeper toned than the Kusmi #1 Button,
Kusmi #2 Button looks good on oak floors, craftsman paneling, and wood trim.
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BYSAKHI BUTTON Shellac
Click above for Photos & Information
BYSAKHI BUTTON SHELLAC
BYSAKHI Button Shellac is excellent
for classic rich tones on woodwork, floors,
and for antique restorations and repairs.
• Rich cooler Brown tones
100% Pure Bysakhi Shellac Button
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DARK JETHWA Button Shellac
DARK JETHWA BUTTON
 This custom button has a deep, warm, dark amber tone,
excellent on darker toned woods or on darker trim and floors
of the late 1800's to early 1900's homes.
Dark Jethwa Button is 100% Pure Shellac
and is an Exclusive to Shellac.net
• for color reference: Dark Jethwa on the left Kusmi # 1 on the right
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DENATURED ALCOHOL (Behkol) Shellac Reducer UPS Only
Click above for more info About Denatured Alcohols:
DENATURED ALCOHOL Shellac Solvent / Reducer
DENATURED ALCOHOL, Mohawk Shellac Reducer (formerly Behlen Behkol),
is formulated specifically to dissolve shellac flakes and dilute or 'cut' liquid Shellacs.
See the: Shellac Pound Cut Mixing Chart
Denatured Alcohol, Shellac Reducer (formerly labeled Behkol) will make a shellac that has
a little more open or 'working time', a good solvent choice for mixing your own shellac.
Also used to dissolve alcohol Aniline Dyes.
• • 5 Gallon pails are Pick-Up, or North Bay & Bay Area Delivery Only. Call to arrange details.
Note: The SAME PRODUCT in 1 & 5 Gal. packaging now carries the Mohawk 'FInishers Edge' label.
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Omega LILY VARNISHER'S / SHELLAC BRUSHES
More Info: Click Above
SHELLAC & VARNISHER'S Brushes
 Natural Bristle Single fill, Only (1/4 - 5/16 in) thick.
Classic glider design, ideal for Shellac & Varnish.
This brush will yield a thin, uniform application
of shellac or varnish. The natural bristle brush is ideal for
shellac, varnish, and faux finishing of woodwork and furniture.
Pictured Sizes 20 - 80 mm - Note: The 70 mm works in a Quart Can.
Genuine OMEGA, made in Italy.
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Paper PAINT STRAINER CONES: MEDIUM & FINE
Medium & Fine Mesh STRAINER CONES
 Filter foreign matter or undissolved solid particles found in stains or finish coatings.
Paper Cone 6 in Dia., full flow cloth mesh tip leaves no finish in the strainer.
Seed, Button and Black shellacs benefit by filtering through layers
of medium Cheese Cloth first.
Use Fine Mesh for final straining of shellac, varnish, lacquers,
and most any furniture finish, especially when spraying.
Strain through Medium filter followed by FINE mesh straining for best results.
Medium mesh is 226 microns • Fine mesh is 190 microns
One micron is equivalent to one one-thousandth of a millimetre.
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FRENCH POLISHER'S HANDBOOK (1910 Reprint)
Click above for More Information
FRENCH POLISHER'S HANDBOOK
 (1910 Reprint) 104 pages, 5.8 in. x 8.3 in.
This Reprint is spiral bound with a protective cover -
great for in-shop use, lays perfectly flat & folds back on itself.
Pagination and format is an exact facsimile of the original book.
A valuable resource for those working on antiques.
Several historic finishing recipes are included.
The book includes some fascinating 'lost' information and recipes for furniture stains.
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SEEDLAC is the least processed shellac. All other shellacs are made from this raw seedlac resin.
The insect feeds on the sap of the tree and secretes the Lac as a protective shell in which the female lay their eggs.
Seedlac is made from the branches that are covered by the Lac resin left by the lac bug, known as sticklac.
The sticklac is crushed to yield the seedlac. The Seedlac is sieved to remove organic materials, washed and dried in open air.
BUTTON Shellac has toughness and mar resistance that makes it the preferred shellac for finishing floors,
interior woodwork and French polishing musical instruments.
WAXY Shellac Wax content provides some flexibility & moisture resistance.
'Waxy' shellacs are a good choice when the finish will be shellac only.
Use a DEWAXED Shellac for a universal sealer / primer and as a transitional coating between dissimilar finishes.
Use a Dewaxed Shellac when the topcoat, for extra water & alcohol resistance, will be a varnish, lacquer or urethane.
The Story of Shellac
by Zinsser Co., Inc.
In celebration of 155 years manufacturing shellac, Zinsser revised this booklet in 2004,
which was first published in 1913 and reprinted seventeen times throughout the years. |
