Best sealer under poly?

[jteneyck]

Wow, I can buy it by the quart or gallon (what I buy) from HD and my local ACE hardware.  Are you sure you can't order it from HD on-line, with free store delivery?  They show it on their website, including 5 gallon pails. 

John

[Rob Young]

Believe it or not, Woodcraft was the only local supplier of seal coat that I could find....and I checked everywhere given the 30 minute drive.  An Ace hardware store near me told me they had it but it wasn't "Seal Coat" just waxed Bullseye.  Home Depot near me use to carry it but not anymore.  I think I may start buying flakes and mixing my own.

Yeah, I've had a similar experience but in Lawrence, KS .  However, I did discover two places here in town do carry it (but haven't surveyed the date codes lately).  We recently got a Menards.  And there is a hardware store near our downtown called "Cottin's Hardware".  They are a TrueValue hardware dealer.  Their selection of finishing supplies are greater (but often not deep quantities on the shelf) than the local Ace or Home Depot.

My take away from this is that the local store ownership/management has a lot to do with what gets stocked.

In the long run, flakes are the way to go but sometimes it is nice just to be able to run out and grab a can.  Or even more conveniently, the spray can of Bullseye.

[Herb G]

Wow, I can buy it by the quart or gallon (what I buy) from HD and my local ACE hardware.  Are you sure you can't order it from HD on-line, with free store delivery?  They show it on their website, including 5 gallon pails. 

John

My local HD is about 20 miles away or so. If I can have it delivered to my front door for free, that's what I'm doing. I'm not in a big hurry to get it.
There's only about 5-6 weeks here when the weather is right enough to use any finishes anyway. I have to use everything outdoors because of my asthma & other allergies.

My wife is highly sensitive to most every chemical on the market.
DNA, BLO, poly, you name it. If she gets just a whiff of it, she blows up like
a balloon & wheezes like crazy.

[Bill Wilson]

Another good thing about shellac is that it isn't affected by cold temps.  Humidity is another story, but if you want to apply it outside, on a cold day, you will be OK, as long as it's dry.  I've sprayed shellac outside in temps just above freezing.  Had very little affect on the drying time.

[Cooler]

I went with Seal Coat. I got a quart at Rockler's for $16, with free shipping.
Nobody local had it on the shelves.

My local Lowes carries it.  I usually just buy a gallon at a time.  It seems to keep well.

[AHill]

I went with Seal Coat. I got a quart at Rockler's for $16, with free shipping.
Nobody local had it on the shelves.

Next time try a paint store.  Nearly every paint store has dewaxed shellac, boiled linseed oil, and any matter of solvents required to mix things up.  I used to create my own finish with equal parts of BLO, polyurethane, and mineral spirits. You can add a dye like Transtint to warm up the color.  Also, remember shellac had a shelf life, and unless you're going to use it up in a year, it may not work at all.  So, pay attention to the expiration dates when you buy pre-mixed shellac.  Only buy what you think you'll use.

[meackerman]

LIL.

if kept around too long, SealCoat has the problem of leaking can.  so store it inside a pail or something.

while my shop was being built I had a bunch of stuff sitting in boxes in my dining room...including a can of SealCoat.  When I got around to moving the stuff into my shop I found the SealCoat had leaked all over my dining room floor.  If I had known it might leak, I would have just tossed it.  

I've heard other people complain that their SealCoat cans have also leaked.