Q & A on Shellac Finish & Wipe On Poly as Another Option

I discuss the shellac finish and also using wipe on polyurethane as a great alternative for getting a really nice finish on your furniture and woodworking projects.

[stevecollins]

Good info there, John.
The wipe on poly I make consists of:
1/3 poly
1/3 Mineral spirits
1/3 Danish oil
Very forgiving stuff.

[juridzh]

I dissolve shellac flakes with isopropyl alcohol, it is much more available in shops i have access to. Looks like it works fine.

[uhoefdraad]

"sounds" better John. a little echo-e..but better....great tips a very informative video.

[sjbl]

Jon, I have a table that belonged to my great grandmother, making it approximately 100 years old (and very possibly older); about 35 or 40 years ago my older sister painted it with an oil based paint. It's a dark, particularly ugly paint. I am not sure what type of wood the table is made from, (I believe it to be oak) but I remember, prior to it being painted, it was a nice looking table. I plan on stripping the paint and repairing the table and I'm trying to decide on a finish, any suggestions?

[JohnSmith-qcbq]

I am trying to find a suitable finish (food safe) to use on a wood/epoxy serving tray. All the food safe finishes I have used do not seem to dry suitably on the epoxy. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Of course the potential for me doing something wrong is quite high.

[woodandsteel]

are you using a fine steel wool to apply the wax?

[Mopardude]

Last summer was I was doing a project with shellac for the first time because I wanted to experiment with something different.  Plus 20 years in the cabinet business the main thing we spray everything with is catalized lacquer so out side of work I like to try other things if the situation allows.  I have to say I was really disappointed.  I had some dovetail drawers I made and I bought some Zinnser brand shellac at the local hardware store.  The shellac dried so fast putting it on by brush or wiping was not an option.  I ended up dilluting it down and spraying it on but in the end it it didn't spray on well either.  I was able to work the finish and make it look half way decent but as a woodworking something I really wasn't happy with.  If you know what I mean?  Something I didn't realize was that shellac could go bad makes me wonder now if i had a can that went bad and if i should give shellac a try again.

[anthonydtobias]

How do these finished compare to stains with Polly in them already?