How To Repair Shellac Finish

Question

This mostly happens between dips into the can.

There's your problem correct there. Actually there are 3 problems here: working directly from the tin, the cut and the brush.

Ideally you don't apply any finish by dipping the applicator into the original container. Yes it is extremely commonly done, just information technology's still bad practice. This is but about OK for waterbased paints, simply about, I wouldn't recommend information technology literally for anything else. It's an especially poor idea for whatever fast-drying stop, particularly those with a fast-evaporating solvent like shellac has — at the terminate of a long working session what is in the can is not the same every bit when you started, it is now more concentrated.

Secondly, just because shellac comes in a can readymade doesn't mean that'due south the ideal dilution to employ (same thing with varnish, which is regularly diluted to brand information technology more than user-friendly). In fact pre-mixed shellac can be quite a potent 'cutting', the traditional term for the dilution rates of shellac, and it tin can benefit greatly in being diluted to a less-concentrated version for application, a 'lighter cutting'. I don't know how universal this is just some mutual tinned shellacs are sold as a 3lb cut (very strong), and it's oft preferred to utilise it equally a 1lb cut, requiring that you thin the commercial production quite significantly which obviously can't or shouldn't be washed in the original container.

Thirdly, shellac can exist applied by brush and for certain jobs this is the correct way to apply it. Simply it's not the platonic application tool for shellac when tackling large, flat surfaces. Shellac is the classic finish for being applied by a traditional method, commonly known today every bit French polishing. At present this is one of those OCD/I-have-mode-too-much-time-on-my-hands techniques, merely it was adult to give stellar results and it all the same can. It's just loads of work. Doing this full-on is not something for the faint at heart, a proper French polishing chore requires hours of try over at least a few days; the results are considered worth it by some, but to be clear I am not recommending information technology because shellac is no longer the only fashion to become that sort of expect. Which leads me to...

Why use shellac in the start place?

In a way shellac is now obsolete. What information technology was relied upon for historically is no longer the case — information technology was the best terminate bachelor for fine furniture so, that'due south no longer truthful. If the finishers of the early 19th century had had access to sprayguns and lacquer that's what they would have used and that is what would now exist considered "the most beautiful finish in the world" past traditionalists and connoisseurs, not shellac.

I'm not anti-shellac, I like information technology myself and use it regularly where I value its fast drying time. Just it can be a troublesome cease to work with (other readers run across this previous Question on issues related to shellac and humidity), it is catchy to use to a high standard on larger pieces, but perhaps about chiefly information technology provides relatively poor protection to furniture:

it is hard, but a niggling too hard (it is brittle);
information technology is very decumbent to damage from water (y'all get clouding, and notation it tin be about instantaneous);
and of form any alcoholic drink will soften or deliquesce the finish depending on the strength of the drinkable, leaving visible ripples or raised rings in the finish once it dries.

None of those are problems with even an cheap varnish as available in any hardware store! These are scratch-resistant only non brittle, almost totally waterproof and booze doesn't bother them. And varnish is far easier to apply to a high standard, in big part because of the relatively slow drying time.

Then, my advice would exist to utilise shellac for jobs where it is a useful function of a finishing regimen (due east.one thousand. acting as an intermediate coat between dissimilar finishes, as sanding sealer), or when used lonely primarily for smaller jobs where its very fast drying time isn't so difficult to deal with. This is one reason shellac is however an excellent choice of finish for woodturners and it'due south why I apply it as a final cease on tool handles where I desire a glossy finish, such equally the handles on these files I restored:

Shellacked file handles