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+-- Thread: Stain over shellac? (/showthread.php?tid=7323775)
Stain over shellac? - Herb G - 10-12-2016
I have some Seal Coat and some Minwax Golden Oak stain.
I want to restore some deer antlers that are sun bleached to their original color.
I don't want the antler to get too dark, so can I seal it first, then spray the stain over it? Will it stick, or rub off down the road?
What would you do to prevent the antler from getting too dark?
I know I need to sand it down first because it's pretty rough.
What do I do after sanding it? Stain or seal, then stain?
I am making a pen display stand in case you're wondering.
Thanks for any guidance.
RE: Stain over shellac? - Rob Young - 10-12-2016
Yes, you can stain over shellac and then seal the stain. That would be known as a "glaze" (color coat trapped between other layers). Oil based or waterborne stain are both compatible with shellac. But you should plan to seal the stain as its binders alone won't keep it from rubbing off.
You can also fiddle a bit with the color of the shellac (SealCoat) by using compatible dyes like Transtint. If spraying, this might be a good choice because then you can use the gun settings to feather in more or less color as you go. And the use of another topcoat wouldn't be needed.
The difference being that the dye mixed shellac may have a more transparent effect to the coloring and the stain has the potential to be more opaque.
No idea however how this will work with antlers. I imagine it would be fine. Shellac works fine over marquetry that has bone, shell and stone inlay so why not an antler.
Long term, no color is going to last if exposed to UV. So what you do now may not be the same after 100 years of pen sales. But you'll just have to hang around and wait to see. Short term, the color would be fine.
RE: Stain over shellac? - Herb G - 10-12-2016
Thanks for the reply. I forgot to mention, I will be spraying poly over top of the stain to seal it in. I just don't like the look of sun bleached antlers.
RE: Stain over shellac? - Cooler - 10-13-2016
You can seal it with Sealcoat and then use a wiping stain. If it is too dark you can wipe off until you get the result you want. You will need to seal it again after the right effect.
I have not used a wiping stain over Sealcoat so test first. Most everything bonds to dewaxed shellac and I expect this will work. I don't think you will get a good result with a penetrating stain or tint over shellac and I would worry about getting a uniform color if it were directly applied.
RE: Stain over shellac? - KnotHaid - 10-14-2016
What color are you looking to achieve? Colored shellac is easy enough to do.
RE: Stain over shellac? - Phil Thien - 10-14-2016
(10-12-2016, 11:27 AM)Herb G Wrote: I just don't like the look of sun bleached antlers.
Won't shellac and/or poly top-coat make them awfully shiny?
There is a video on youtube, he just uses stain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT1zr1aZf2k
RE: Stain over shellac? - Roly - 10-14-2016
I have used a gel stain over shellac as a glaze with no problems. Never on a antler. Roly