Aug 072023
 

Shellac.net Wood Finish Supply & MERIT Industries
Mohawkfinishsupply.com
Authorized Mohawk Distributor

2465 Second Street, Napa CA 94559
New Hours Monday – Thursday  9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Saturdays – by Appointment.

 707-299-8016
Please stop by our NEW Showroom when you’re in the Napa area.
Location Map 2465 2nd St. Napa
Location Access:
from Hwy 29: take the First Street exit
at the Roundabout,
RIGHT on California (One block) to 2465 Second
From Downtown Napa:
take 2nd St. west, one block past California to 2465

See: Shellac.net  Variety Listing
To: MOHAWK, H.BEHLEN & Select Finishing Materials
To: MERIT Industries products index


BONA / MAROON (Garnet) Dewaxed Flake

 New Additions, Shellac Flakes  Comments Off on BONA / MAROON (Garnet) Dewaxed Flake
Jun 152023
 

DewaxedBONA / MAROON (Garnet) Red / Brownish Toned
BONA Maroon / Ruby

Use BONA / MAROON on Mahogany, Cherry, Rosewood,
and similar toned woods to enhance the warm tones.
An excellent tone for finishing antiques or to make a
Dewaxed SEALCOAT primer / under-coater or transitional coating between dissimilar finish materials.

Intermix the liquid BONA / Maroon with other liquid shellacs
to adjust color to create a variety of warm rich tones.
    (Maroon is sometimes sold as Garnet)
 Click To See: Shellac Variety Listing


 

Jun 132023
 

Original BEHLEN QUALASOLEFrench Polish
Behlen B611-00016   •   Mohawk M638-22706

        YES !  (back by popular demand).
By special order and production Qualasole™ French Polish
will soon be available sporting the Mohawk and Behlen logos and product numbers.

The original BEHLEN Qualasole™French Polish
is an exclusive product,
manufactured at Mohawk
expressly for Wood Finish Supply / Shellac.net

New Production SHIPPING NOW
To The Order Page: Qualasole is available in quart bottles,
priced at $34.45 + shipping.

Read the original Qualasole application information
from the 1944
Behlen Book
“The Art of Wood Finishing”


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.

Prior to Prohibition here in the United
States, woodworkers would have simply
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 Not Legal
(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)
A good Solvent for making Shellac
is legal in 36 states.
States where ‘Everclear 190’  Is Legal
(as of 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


 

French Polishing

 Product Data Sheets, Shellac Flakes  Comments Off on French Polishing
Nov 012022
 

French Polishing —

French Polishing is the name given to the process of coating wood with a solution of shellac dissolved in alcohol, using a “rubber” made of rag and cotton wool instead of with a brush. The alcohol evaporates, leaving the shellac deposited upon the wood.
When applied correctly it
produces what is possibly the finest looking finish for furniture. Shellac was first introduced into Europe about the 16th Century, but the term FRENCH POLISH was not used until about 1820, when the process was developed by a French cabinet maker.

The 4-page PDF Guide to French Polishing

New – SUPER GOLDEN Button

 New Additions, Shellac Flakes  Comments Off on New – SUPER GOLDEN Button
Feb 252021
 

 SUPER GOLDEN Button Shellac


Use Super Golden Button on light-toned woods,
or on any wood where a light Rich Golden Amber tone is desired.
The lightest tone of the Button Shellacs  (seasonal & limited quantities)
Super Golden Button
Comparison of Kusmi #1 Button & Super Golden
Note:
The photo shows the button color only. Working solution tones will be lighter.