Shellac - 1lb cut vs 2lb cut

[Mr Eddie]

I have been reading a lot about using shellac.  Most of the recommendations I read suggest using a 1lb cut of shellac for the first coat.  Is there a specific reason to use a 1lb cut vs a 2lb cut?  Does a 1lb cut penetrate better or dry noticeably faster?  Using the same color of shellac will a 1lb cut look lighter than a 2lb cut?

Lonnie

[fredhargis]

Lonnie, I've not seen such advice but I have some opinions about your questions. I thin shellac down when I spray, and sometimes when I pad it on (the only 2 ways I can apply it). The spraying just lays down better for me when it's a lighter cut, and that's more or less the same when I pad it on. If I use Sealcoat (2# cut in the can) to seal something, I may brush it on as is....but that's only if I intend to paint over it; my brushing  skills with shellac are non-existent. I'm not sure about penetration, if any, or dry time. It seems like there is a little more alcohol in the application a thin may take longer to dry......but in seconds. I doubt it's enough to matter. If the shellac is colored and you use a thinner coat, I would also expect it to be a little lighter in color, since there's less resin the coat.

[jteneyck]

I have been reading a lot about using shellac.  Most of the recommendations I read suggest using a 1lb cut of shellac for the first coat.  Is there a specific reason to use a 1lb cut vs a 2lb cut?  Does a 1lb cut penetrate better or dry noticeably faster?  Using the same color of shellac will a 1lb cut look lighter than a 2lb cut?

Lonnie

I almost always use Sealcoat straight out of the can, which is a 2# cut.  When I use Amber I dilute by 50% normally, so that makes it someplace between 1 and 2#.  It sprays better and pads on easier for me.  I haven't found any advantage to a 1# cut; maybe if you are trying to use it as a blotch controller, but I spray most of the time to avoid that problem altogether.  

John

[Admiral]

I have been reading a lot about using shellac.  Most of the recommendations I read suggest using a 1lb cut of shellac for the first coat.  Is there a specific reason to use a 1lb cut vs a 2lb cut?  Does a 1lb cut penetrate better or dry noticeably faster?  Using the same color of shellac will a 1lb cut look lighter than a 2lb cut?

Lonnie

I use shellac a lot, and for different reasons other than simply a final finish; as a spit coat sealer (1/2lb cut) when staining pine or cherry, etc.  I get flakes and mix my own as needed, I must have about 9 or ten different shades of flakes (always dewaxed) I keep in the refrigerator, some are 20 years old and still make excellent shellac.  So for final finishing I tend to do something between 1lb to 1.5lb cut, goes on easier with a good quality badger brush I only use for shellac (always use natural bristle brushes) and dries quickly, I like to build up the finish with multiple coats and the lighter cut tends to work for me, and if its too light a cut I just add some more flakes.  So if you buy flakes, you can experiment with cuts and find something you like.  Shellac.net has a mixing chart that I use (I've also bought from them with good results over the years) with a cheap digital kitchen scale I got at Walmart for $10.  

https://www.shellac.net/PoundCutChart.html

[Willyou]

Side issue, in case you didn't know, if you find yourself in a hurry without time to wait for your flakes to dissolve, run the flakes through a small coffee grinder similar to this before adding the alcohol. The resulting grindings dissolve almost instantly.

[jcousins2]

I too use shellac for the base of my finishes. The thinner cut, used as a wash coat, penetrates deeper because there’s more etoh (and less shellac which is a heavier material) that gets absorbed into the wood – carrying the shellac a bit deeper. The 2# cut, having more shellac, starts to build up more surface thickness. I usually pad on 4 or 5 coats.
 
Unlike varathane and most lacquer based finishes, each application of shellac actually melts the previous applications – rather than just adding layers on top. To insure that all the coats of shellac meld together, I also finish off with 2 coats of 1# cut. I am again depending on the increase etoh to shellac proportion to penetrate deeper to affect the previous applied thicker coats.
 
Hope I explained this ok.
jerry

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

Seal coat from the can sprays very well for me. Quick and easy. Wish it was more readily available though. Woodcraft is the only place in KC that I can find it.