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Over the years Shellac has had many uses, it was used to insulate early electrical wiring, the first gramophone records were made of it and for centuries it has been known as the king of finishes.

Shellac is one of the most versatile of all wood finishes. it can be thinned and used as a sanding sealer or a base to build a wax finish upon. It can be applied with a brush or a pad to give a full French Polished finish, coloured for dramatic decorative finishes and more.

Shellac is available in a variety of forms, these include button shellac, blond, ultra blond, granulated white lac and golden or orange flake shellac.

The most readily available and versatile of these is the Golden or Orange Flake Shellac also known as SILTN, it dissolves readily in Ethanol (methylated spirits) and can be used in a variety of ways.

Shellac is also available in liquid form and is usually called French Polish or white polish if made from white shellac. These liquids only have a relatively short shelf life and start to deteriorate after about 12 months. Unfortunately the polish may have been in the shop for a year or more before you buy it, this means that it may well be bordering on stale before you come to use it.

On the other hand Flake Shellac has a virtually unlimited shelf life if kept dry and out of direct sunlight, thus making this the most practical way of purchasing the product. Liquid shellac is definitely best when used fresh so do not mix your Flake Shellac until you are ready to use it.

HOW TO MIX SHELLAC

Empty contents of your jar into a large clean container. Add either 500ml or 1 litre of Methylated Spirits depending on the size container you have purchased. Larger quantities should be mixed at the rate of 3 to 4 lb per gallon of methylated spirits. Leave until flakes are thoroughly dissolved, (stir occasionally) finally strain the liquid through a stocking back into your jar. (Shellac is imported in large hessian bags and straining removes any foreign material)

Do not use a metal container to store liquid shellac (French Polish) as this will degrade the polish at a very fast rate.

This mixture may be thinned as required with methylated spirits.