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Finally got a handle on why my shellac was setting up so fast
Kept having my 2-pound cut go tacky in the jar after just a few hours, even in my cool basement shop. Watched a video from a guy in Maine and realized I was mixing it with a metal stir stick. The metal was warming the alcohol and making it evaporate way quicker. Switched to a plastic paddle and now a mix lasts me a full day of work. Anyone else run into this with their shellac?
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emery182mo ago
That cool water trick is smart. I'd also check if your alcohol is fresh, old denatured alcohol can pick up water from the air and mess with the dry time.
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nathan_thompson6212d ago
Got a buddy who tried to use some old shellac from his dad's garage last summer. Mixed it up with fresh denatured alcohol, same brand he always uses, but the stuff just would not dry right. Kept getting tacky and weird. Turned out the alcohol had been sitting in a half-empty can for like two years and drank up all the humidity from the air. He ended up tossing the whole batch and buying a new quart, night and day difference. Definitely worth checking the date on your bottle before you start.
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reese_lane292mo ago
Metal stir sticks are the worst for that. They pull heat right out of your hand and dump it into the mix. I keep a few cheap plastic paint stirrers just for shellac now. Also, try putting your mixing jar in a shallow bowl of cool water while you stir, it helps keep the temp down.
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