Old finish trick my grandad swore by still works better than the new stuff

Came across a can of shellac flakes in the back of my shop that was probably 20 years old and figured I'd mix some up for a little desk I'm doing. Has anyone else gone back to an old method and been surprised it held up against the modern polyurethanes?

2 comments

2 Comments

caseyw121mo ago

Man oh man, shellac is the real deal. I built a bookshelf about 10 years ago and used a modern polyurethane. It looked fine at first but started getting that gross yellow tint and peeling near the edges after a couple years. Then I did a small jewelry box with shellac and it's still perfect. That stuff dries fast, you can layer it without waiting forever, and it doesn't mess with the wood's color like the new poly does. I'm actually surprised more people don't bother with it.

sage_perry1mo ago

Yep, shellac is hard to beat once you get the hang of it. Did a dining table with it about eight years back and it still looks just like it did the day I finished it. Modern stuff might be easier to find at Home Depot but it doesn't hold a candle to the old school finishes.