Finishing Classes / Workshops

 New Additions, Shellac Flakes, Wood Finishing Tricks  Comments Off on Finishing Classes / Workshops
May 292023
 

Finishing Classes / Workshops
Near Napa California

New Wood Finishing Class August 16, 2023

All About Wood Finishing with Shellac
This miracle resin from the (Laccifer lacca) Lac bug
Learn about: Seed Lac, Button Lac, Shellac Flake & Dewaxed Shellacs
It is easy to make your own fresh shellac and universal sanding sealer.
With Ron Ashby the ‘Finish Geek’

Open For Enrollment June 7th
Class Limit 20

Register Online at: mdae.mdusd.org
or In Person at:
Mt. Diablo Adult Education

Pleasant Hill Education Center
One Santa Barbara Road – Room 210, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
or
Call for Info at — 925-937-1530
See more details Click Here


For information on future seminars and classes
Please Email To:
wfs@mcn.org
Subject:
Send Class Information
Include Your: Full Name, Mail Address, Phone #,
Note your specific area of interest in finishing.
(new finishes, refinishing, antiques, instruments, etc.)


Wood Finish Supply Shellac.netMerit Industries
an Authorized MOHAWK Distributor



Apr 232023
 

Shellac Solvent:
Grain Alcohol vs. Denatured Alcohol

Bob Miller explains why you should head
to the
local liquor store before mixing
and applying your next
shellac finish.

Shellac is a wonderful finish with a fantastic
range of applications and possibilities. It can
range from an easy utility finish all the way
up to the finest of fine polished finishes.
Here is a way to make your shellac finishes
better and easier to use. This gets a little
scientific, but stick with me, it’s worth it in
the end.
It is very important to think about the
solvent used to dissolve the shellac. Most
people simply use commercially available
“denatured” alcohol. Denatured alcohol is
a general alcohol-based solvent used for a
variety of applications across many
industries. Mixed with shellac, it will
produce a serviceable finish. However, it has
some problems when it comes to shellac.

First, there is no industry regulation
regarding what precisely constitutes
denatured alcohol. This means that some
brands are cut with water to increase their
volume, often by as much as 20%.

Second, is that there is no way of knowing
what kind of alcohol was used to produce
the product. Some brands contain methanol,
a cheaper, more volatile, and dangerous
form of industrial alcohol that can be used to
bulk up the volume of solvent. This
inconsistency makes it difficult to predict
the behavior of the shellac both as it
dissolves and as it dries as a finish.
In short, denatured alcohol is an
unpredictable, dangerous, unhealthy, poor
quality solvent for shellac that will make
your finish harder to use as well as shorten
your life. Don’t worry though; I have a solution.

 

 

In short, denatured alcohol is an
unpredictable, dangerous, unhealthy, poor
quality solvent for shellac that will make
your finish harder to use as well as shorten
your life. Don’t worry though; I have a solution.

Prior to Prohibition here in the United
States, woodworkers would have simpl
mixed their shellac with a high proof, grain
derived alcohol that contained a minimum of
water. It was only after Prohibition that all
of these denaturants were added to make
industrial alcohol undrinkable.
If you’re looking for a pure, consistent
supply of high-strength alcohol that
doesn’t contain this spectrum of
chemicals, think about the bottom shelf at
your local liquor store.
Everclear and Diesel are two brands
of nearly pure alcohol that contain less
than 5% water. They are commercially
available in most states and are the perfect
solvent for shellac, with no denaturant and a
minimum of water.
Once you switch to pure alcohol for your
shellac you will wonder how you ever got
along with denatured alcohol. Pure grain
alcohol will dissolve your shellac more
smoothly and will build your finish more
quickly. So, take a trip to your local liquor
store and pick up some solvent, give it a try
with shellac, and see what you think when
you’ve used a traditional solvent for your
traditional shellac finish.

Bob Miller is a custom furniture maker
and woodworker based in the Charles
neighborhood of Boston.

Note: Everclear 190 is not available in all states.
See below.

‘Everclear 190’ is a 190 proof Ethanol.
Everclear 190 Grain Alcohol is currently banned in
14 states that have ruled
190 Proof Everclear is Illegal
(2023) include:

California – only 151 proof available
= 75.5% alcohol & 24.95% water

District of Columbia
Florida
Hawaii
Iowa
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Nevada
New Hampshire
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Virginia
Washington
 

Everclear, (less than 190 Proof) available in the states above IS NOT Recommend for use as a solvent for shellac.
190 Everclear is a brand name of rectified spirit (also known as grain alcohol and neutral spirit) produced by the American company
Luxco (formerly known as the
David Sherman Corporation).
It is made
from grain and is bottled at 60%, 75.5%, 94.5% and 95% alcohol by volume (120,151, 189, and 190 U.S. proof respectively).

Everclear 190 proof (5% distilled Water) legal in 36 states.
A good Solvent
for making Shellac

‘Everclear 190’ States Legal
(2023)
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming


 

COVID Update

 New Additions  Comments Off on COVID Update
Jan 022023
 

Our Showroom is Open
2465 Second Street, Napa Ca 94559

COVID Update Unvaccinated persons are requested to Wear a Mask Indoors
Thank You!

 707-299-8016 or 707-391-4042 Monday – Friday

Online Web Orders will be shipped promptly via Mail or UPS

Wood Finish Supply – Shellac.netMerit Industries
an Authorized MOHAWK Distributor

Thank You for your support, we appreciate your business
Ron & Pete


May 142022
 

Getting the most from your Lacquer Finishes
When & Why To Use
Flash-Off™ Control Solvent & Lacquer Blush Retarder

Lacquer Retarder helps avoid Blushing  caused by Cold Humid Wet Weather
Lacquer retarder is used to help eliminate “blushing”, the white foggy look caused by HIGH humidity or rainy and cool/cold weather. This blush sometimes is only observed in areas where the build of the coating is thicker such as bull-nosed edges.
Blush retarder keeps the finish wet longer allowing the trapped moisture to escape the coating. Another advantage is an even flow of the lacquer.
To Eliminate
Orange
Peel & Over-Spray,

Use Flash-Off Control Solvent

  The Hot Weather Additive.
Generally,
Blush Retarder Is Overused.
In cases of orange peel or overspray,
Flash-Off Control Solvent is the best choice to solve the problem.Flash-Off Control is used to improve the flow of lacquers and lacquer sealers without slowing the overall drying time.
The addition of a few ounces of Flash-Off Solvent per gallon of lacquer will solve orange peel and overspray roughness.
Flash-Off Control Solvent will improve flow and yield overall film smoothness. 
Flash-Off Control Solvent Use:
Add 3 to 5 ounces, Flash-OFF per gallon, to Mohawk air dry nitrocellulose, pre-catalyzed and post-catalyzed lacquer coatings. More Flash-Off may be added, up to10% by volume if needed, but that will increase dry time.
DO NOT add Flash Off Control to water base lacquers or conversion varnishes.
(NOT for use with Shellac)

About Lacquer Thinners
:

Avoid Overuse of Lacquer Thinner
Most lacquers come ready to spray. This includes Pre & Post Catalyzed, Air Dry, Instrument & Piano lacquers. If the spray gun is set properly, add Lacquer Thinner only as absolutely necessary to achieve a proper spray pattern. Adding more thinner does not help the flow-out or drying time.

Control lacquer flow-out with Flash-Off Control Solvent. If blushing is the problem, use a small percentage of blush retarder.

L
acquer solids generally are somewhere between 20% – 25% solids and formulated to be, Air Quality VOC’s (volatile organic compounds / smog pre-cursers), compliant as labeled. Adding thinner will result in a non-compliant coating. Excess thinner or reducer results in a thinner coat of finish,
thus requiring additional coats to achieve the required appearance and enough thickness to provide a protective coating.