Zinnser Traditional Finish and Sealer

[RPE1]

Hello,
I'm a woodturner.  I've never been on the Finishing forum before.  I have been reading some of the posts here and it's pretty much greek to me.
Finishing is my weak  point.  I used to only use Formby's Tung oil.  As it was pretty much fool proof.
I tried Shellac for the first time on a Walnut segmented bowl the other day.  I read the can.  It said apply a thin coat.  Wait an hour.  Sand at 220.  Then reapply.  The first coat dried almost instantly.  I waited an hour.  I sanded.  Reapplied.  I did this three times.  All I got was clogged sandpaper and a blotchy finish.
I put DNA on it and removed all the build.  I had it still on the lathe.  I ran the lathe and rubbed it with panty hose and got a nice sheen and smooth finish.  I quit on it.

How am I supposed to use this stuff? 
 I used it straight from the can.
I have zero experience with Shellac. I've only used Poly most of my life.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

RP

[Bope]

You are probably using the 3lb shellac from Zinnser. That stuff is pretty thick out of the can. Try diluting it 1:1 with DNA or even 1 part shellac to 2 parts DNA. You will find this much easier to use.

[jteneyck]

There are lacquer and shellac products specifically made for lathe work.  I would look into those.  Zinsser shellac will work but it will dry nearly instantly on the lathe.  The products made for lathe work are a little more user friendly. 

John

[Rob Young]

Hello,
I'm a woodturner.  I've never been on the Finishing forum before.  I have been reading some of the posts here and it's pretty much greek to me.
Finishing is my weak  point.  I used to only use Formby's Tung oil.  As it was pretty much fool proof.
I tried Shellac for the first time on a Walnut segmented bowl the other day.  I read the can.  It said apply a thin coat.  Wait an hour.  Sand at 220.  Then reapply.  The first coat dried almost instantly.  I waited an hour.  I sanded.  Reapplied.  I did this three times.  All I got was clogged sandpaper and a blotchy finish.
I put DNA on it and removed all the build.  I had it still on the lathe.  I ran the lathe and rubbed it with panty hose and got a nice sheen and smooth finish.  I quit on it.

How am I supposed to use this stuff? 
 I used it straight from the can.
I have zero experience with Shellac. I've only used Poly most of my life.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

RP

The shellac clogged the sandpaper because it had not fully cured (different from drying).  Thicker coat, takes longer.  Thinner coat, takes less time.  But thin also takes longer to build a surface.

And if you were sanding it on the lathe, the friction and resultant heat can re-melt the shellac and cause corning of the paper.  Higher grit, lower speed and less pressure take care of that problem.  You can also lubricate the sandpaper with a few drops of mineral oil or even mineral spirits.

Dry and cure time varies with the wood and atmospheric conditions too.

The instructions on the can are NOT gospel.  They are a starting point.   

Products like "Shellawax" (I think I spelled that right) are mostly the wax that has been removed from shellac but still with some shellac in the mix.  Those tend to polish up better on a lathe due to the high wax content.  Not sure, but perhaps it acts like a lubricant and prevents the corning.

[RPE1]

Okay.  I'll go back to Wipe on Poly or something like that.
From what I've been reading there's alot of technique in using Shellac.
Thanks for your help.
RP

[Rob Young]

Okay.  I'll go back to Wipe on Poly or something like that.
From what I've been reading there's alot of technique in using Shellac.
Thanks for your help.
RP

The most important technique for shellac is patience.  Same as for finishing process.