The time I learned about shellac the hard way in my garage

I used to mix my own shellac flakes in a glass jar, guessing the cut by eye and letting it sit for a week. Last summer, a batch I mixed at a '2 pound cut' turned into sticky, useless goop after three days in the Phoenix heat. My old boss finally told me to get a digital scale and mix small batches fresh, which changed everything. Now I weigh 4 ounces of flakes, add 16 ounces of alcohol, and use it within a month. Has anyone else had a shellac disaster from trying to store it too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sarah1mo ago

My buddy stored a mixed can of shellac in his shed over winter. It froze solid, then thawed into this weird separated mess with lumps. He tried straining it, but it never dried right, just stayed tacky. Had to strip a whole tabletop and start over. Total nightmare.

spencerw721mo ago

Actually, shellac doesn't freeze, it just goes bad in the cold.