Guitar Finishing Shellac
Shellac finishes
Shellac is an authentic natural product that is dissolved in alcohol and applied in the thinnest layers. Er is also a ready to use mixture. Shellac becomes extremely hard when cured and transfers the vibrations of the wood beautifully. It is more fragile for cracks and flaking. Shellac can be applied from light gloss to high gloss and has a transparent straw to amber color, depending on the type of shellac. A good base is very important, so make sure everything is sanded smooth and that the grains are filled. Grainfilling can be done with a grainfiller, or with the pumice method. To complete your base a primer coat of shellac sanding sealer is applied.
The application is done with a pad made from a lint-free cloth with cotton folded in. You will also need some pure (98%) alcohol and a bit of mineral oil.For the smoothest result, patience is required. Every layer needs 2 days to cure for the next layer and you will need at least 6 layers.
Our Shellac:
| Guidelines | Shellac Lemon | Shellac Super Blonde | French Polish |
| Hardness (least hard 1 - hardest - 5) | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Building capability (least 1 - most 5) | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Flexibility (little 1 - lot 5 ) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Color | transparent gold-brown amber | transparent light yellow-brown straw | transparent amber |
| Gloss (depends on application, the higher the gloss, the smoother your base must be) | gloss - high gloss | gloss - high gloss | gloss - high gloss |
| Prep - sanding | u/i 600 | u/i 600 | u/i 600 |
| Prep - with open pores | Required. With pumice method or grainfiller | Required. With pumice method or grainfiller | Required. With pumice method or grainfiller |
| Prep - sealing/priming | Shellac sanding sealer | Shellac sanding sealer | Shellac sanding sealer |
| Application method | Polish-pad | Polish-pad | Polish-pad |
| Minimum no. of layers | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Drying time between layers | 2 days | 2 days | 2 days |
| Curing time | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks |
| Finishing | Rub lightly with alcohol | Rub lightly with alcohol | Rub lightly with alcohol |
| Polishing | Optional with lemon oil or Menzerna 3500 | Optional with lemon oil or Menzerna 3500 | Optional with lemon oil or Menzerna 3500 |
| Maintenance | Clean with lemon oil. | Clean with lemon oil. | Clean with lemon oil. |
| Compatibel - suStain Concentrate* | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested |
| Compatibel - suStain Solids* | Not tested | Not tested | Not tested |
| Compatibel - suStain Mica* | N | N | N |
| Compatibel - Metal flakes* | N | N | N |
| Safety** | Ventilate well and use a fine-dust mask. Shellac contains a lot of alcohol! | Ventilate well and use a fine-dust mask. Shellac contains a lot of alcohol! | Ventilate well and use a fine-dust mask. Shellac contains a lot of alcohol! |
* Finishing products and product combinations should always be tested before use
** Follow the complete safety instructions on the packaging