Making Homebrew Burnt Shellac
By Douglas K. Rhodes
Rick Inzero sent me a question by email about preparation of burnt shellac. I thought there might be others interested in my reply.
I mix the shellac flakes with methyl alcohol. (It's known as methyl hydrate in Canada -- I guess that's to throw off the wino's !) The trick with the alcohols is to find a brand that says on the label how much water is in it.
Rubbing alcohol from a drugstore is typically about 20% water. This much water really compromises the usefulness of the shellac for a variety of purposes, and slows down the dissolving of the flakes. I also seem to recall isopropyl alcohol as being one of the less desirable alcohols for shellac. I think shellac is more soluble in either methyl or ethyl alcohol.
The best source for nearly pure (denatured) ethyl alcohol is from Mohawk Refinishing Supplies, which are sold in most big cities by specialty woodworking or paint shops. Get their shellac reducer. It is also less poisonous than methyl alcohol, though generally not as cheap. Pour in enough alcohol over the flakes to just cover them. Close the container tightly, and leave it for a day, maybe shaking it every few hours.
Once the shellac is ready, pour some into a tin can, take it outside and set it on fire. Every so often, put out the fire by choking with another tin can on top. Test the stuff for consistency. When it seems as sticky as you want, pour it off into a sealed container. If the top skins over after some time, pour in just a bit of alcohol and wait a few hours.
By the way, a standard cut of shellac has lots of uses around the shop, not the least of which is for re-sealing large pneumatic pallets, trunk boards, etc. I usually paint a thinned shellac solution into pouch wells before re-leathering. Just don't paint where glue will go later, and let the shellac dry thoroughly. It's also good for re-sealing the exposed end-grain of striker decks and/or pouch boards. It's amazing how much that wood can leak after it has dried for 75 years, even if it was sealed with shellac when it was new.
Have fun melting holes in the snow!
Doug Rhodes
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(Message sent Thu 2 Jan 1997, 22:55:04 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.) |
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